About Us

Preserve Chattanooga is here to protect the architectural heritage of Chattanooga through historic preservation education and advocacy.

Founded in 1975 as Landmarks Chattanooga, the organization was renamed Cornerstone’s Inc. in 1994. At the beginning of 2022, the organization was renamed Preserve Chattanooga to more effectively communicate what our organization does and who we serve. Preserve Chattanooga is the only historic preservation nonprofit dedicated to local preservation efforts.

Preserve Chattanooga is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Preservation Partners Network, the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. We stay informed of state preservations efforts through the Tennessee Historical Commission and nationally through the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Preserve Chattanooga collaborates with organizations throughout the Chattanooga community to broaden our impact. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit governed by a board of directors. Our mission is supported by donations, grants and fundraising events.

Equity and inclusion for all people ensure the long-term success of our city and its neighborhoods. Preserve Chattanooga is committed to supporting and engaging diverse members of our community through preservation education, advocacy, and technical assistance.

Our Organization Has Impact

  • Ellis Hotel Saved

    Built in 1915, this historic building was donated to our organization by the City of Chattanooga along with $80,000 that would have been spent on demolition. Preserve Chattanooga stabilized the structure and sold it. Now it is home to the popular St. John’s restaurant and is credited with being the catalyst for revitalizing the Southside area of town.

  • Central Block Saved

    Built in 1883 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Preserve Chattanooga purchased the property for $250,000 and spent $500,000 stabilizing the structure. Valued at $1.5 million, the Central Block Building was gifted to the Greater Chattanooga United Way in 2002. The renovation had a major impact on the revitalization of Market Street with a total investment of $3 million.

  • Burchay Building Saved

    Currently a PreserveNEXT opportunity, the former home of Burchay’s Furriers has 1,800 square feet of its original 4,800 square feet remaining. The City of Chattanooga donated the c. 1900 building to our organization which was originally scheduled for total demolition for the City’s Fourth Street Boulevard project. Preserve Chattanooga saved the limestone Richardsonian Romanesque façade by investing over $400,000 in its renovation.

  • Park Place Saved

    Preserve Chattanooga assisted with the preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic Park Place School by providing a structural assessment Realizing that vacant, abandoned older properties can be intimidating for potential buyers, the report verified the stability of the structure and helped convince a new owner to invest in the renovation of the property.

  • Passenger Freight Building Saved

    The Passenger Freight Depot on 13th Street was a gift from the City of Chattanooga. Preserve Chattanooga found a new owner and today it is home the popular Urban Stack restaurant.

  • Engel Stadium Stabilized

    In 2005, Preserve Chattanooga facilitated an agreement with the then property owners (Hamilton County and City of Chattanooga) to save the roof of the historic stadium. Preserve Chattanooga invested $40,000 and each government entity invested $5,000. This action saved the abandoned structured from becoming unstable and bought time for the Engel Foundation to organize. In 2012 the venue was used for filming a movie. The stadium is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is now owned by UTC. Preserve Chattanooga gave an additional $20,000 in 2013 to the Engel Foundation. The structure is still threatened and remains on our PreserveNEXT list.

  • First Congregational Church Saved

    Preserve Chattanooga worked closely with Fisk University in selling The First Congregational Church Building. Founded in 1867, our organization nominated the building to the National Register of Historic Places and completed Part I for historic tax credit eligibility. Preserve Chattanooga, in conjunction with the Lyndhurst Foundation, invested $80,000 in its preservation.

  • Stong Building Saved

    A LEED certified project, Preserve Chattanooga completed a historic structures report and worked with the family heirs in dealing with the depilated property. Our organization, in conjunction with the Lyndhurst Foundation, provided $100,000 toward renovation costs.

  • Brown's Tavern Saved

    In 2014, Cornerstones became aware that the historic tavern, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the oldest standing structure in Chattanooga, was being sold. There was a serious development threat to the two-story log structure built in 1803. Preserve Chattanooga purchased the structure for $70,000. The Tavern was then purchased by the American Battlefield Trust. Federal and state matching grants were assembled to make this acquisition and about nine acres of surrounding land along Brown’s Ferry Road. The site is included in the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

  • Tomorrow Building Saved

    Built in 1888, the structure opened as the Delmonico Hotel before reopening as the Ross Hotel in 1925. It became famous as the place where William Jennings Bryan, a U.S. Secretary of State and the anti-evolution attorney in the Scopes Trial, died taking a nap. Our organization encouraged the use of federal tax credits and commissioned an engineering study of the derelict building to illuminate what a rehabilitation would require for prospective buyers.

Get To Know Us

  • Our local preservation advocacy efforts prioritize the following:

    • Local Historic District assets and Local Historic Landmarks.

    • Individually listed National Register properties and districts.

    • Places and neighborhoods eligible or potentially eligible for official historic designation (local or national)tem description

  • To ensure that Chattanooga’s historic resources are identified, protected, and celebrated for their beauty, history, and the valuable role they bring to the city’s economy, environment, and quality of life.

  • Collaboration and Partnership: Our mission is advanced when we can successfully communicate complex issues to large audiences, engage supporters in the cause, and foster relationships throughout the community.

    Stewardship: We seek to influence behavior and practice by promoting the means and incentives to preserve historic properties for their economic value, their role in preserving community identity, and as a tangible link to the past for current and future generations.

    Diversity: Chattanooga’s diversity enriches us, with its multiplicity of opinion, experience, culture and geography. We believe in the power of diversity – in the people and organizations we collaborate with, in the programs and services we offer, and in the ideas and perspectives we represent.

    Respect for History: We believe Chattanooga can continue to grow and prosper without losing sight of its past, a past that makes this city distinct from all other places.

    Informed Decisions: We believe government leaders, property owners, design professionals, and all preservationists will save more historic places when they make informed decisions regarding the use and treatment of historical resources.tem description

  • Eric Cummings - President
    Rob Bentley - Vice President
    Kelly O’Mara - Treasurer
    Dr. Dana Moody - Secretary

    Edmund Amoye
    Dan Brewer
    Cullon Hooks
    Emily Mack
    Melissa Mortimer
    Maury Nicely
    Rachel Shannon
    Anna Smith
    Nicole Osborne Watson
    Trey Wheeler

    Tom Hayslett III - General Counsel

    If you are interested in becoming a board member, please fill out a Nomination Form and email it to Todd@preservechattanooga.com.

  • Todd Morgan has been the Executive Director of Preserve Chattanooga since November 2021. Before joining Preserve Chattanooga, Todd served as the Executive Director of Knox Heritage, a historic preservation nonprofit serving the East Tennessee region. He was recognized with an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2021. Todd also has experience as the Tennessee Main Street Director, where he led statewide downtown revitalization programs. His professional background includes economic and community development, urban planning, and architecture.

    In 2022, Mayor Tim Kelly appointed Todd to the Chattanooga Historic Zoning Commission. He is a 2024 graduate of Leadership Chattanooga and currently serves as an adjunct professor teaching historic preservation at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Todd is certified in historic real estate finance by the National Community Development Council. He is a member of the Chattanooga Rotary Club and serves on the board of directors for the National Preservation Partners Network.

    todd@preservechattanooga.com

    Office: 423.265.2825

  • Bea Lurie loves fundraising and is looking forward to using her extensive fund development and event planning experience to meet the financial goals of the organization.

    As CEO for nine years of the award-winning Girls Inc. of Chattanooga, Bea led her team in nearly doubling the annual budget through building relationships with potential donors, existing donors, and lapsed donors; strengthening and expanding the annual UnBought and UnBossed event and committee; increasing existing sponsorships and getting new ones; achieving 100% board giving at the $1,000 or more level; working with board members to identify and recruit new donors and sponsors; and building the reputation for excellence of Girls Inc. in the community.

    Bea also brings to Preserve Chattanooga a passion for historic preservation that began in her teens. She served on the board of Cornerstones shortly after moving to Chattanooga. As the owner of a magnificent home in Fort Wood, she has overseen the historically accurate restoration of her home. Bea also oversaw the restoration of another magnificent home in Midwood Park in Brooklyn and she is serving for the second time in 21 years as a board member of the neighborhood association including chairing the Strategic Planning Committee. Before she moved to Chattanooga, she spent a year getting the process underway to landmark Midwood Park and an adjacent neighborhood. Both areas were subsequently landmarked.

Get in touch.

If you have any questions about Preserve Chattanooga and our work in the community, please contact us.