Located in the historic section of town, the Bijou Theater in Knoxville has a history that is about as long and colorful as the
city itself. Serving first as a dwelling and then later as a hotel/theater, the building has continuously been in use since 1819
and is the fourth oldest building in Knoxville. The saga of the Bijou Theater began just after the American Revolution when
General James White received a grant of 110 acres for his services in the American military. The lot where the present-day
Bijou Theater now stands was included in the parcel as lot number 38; it was 47.8 square feet. Later General White sold the
lot to Thomas Humes and James Pardis for $8.
In 1801 Thomas Humes purchased a 1,200 foot lot in downtown Knoxville; lot number 38 was included in this parcel. Humes
built a general store on the property and soon became a very wealthy as well as a highly respected leader in the community.
Over the years Humes increased his holdings until he owned the entire block.
In 1813 he began constructing a hotel/tavern which was to be named the Thomas
Hume's House. Humes died on September
23, 1816, shortly before the construction was completed. The building was completed in 1817 and its first occupant was a
man named Archibald Rhea. Rhea rented the building from Thomas
Hume's' widow and re-named it Archie Ray's Tavern;
later it became Knoxville House. With its 13 guest rooms, bar, ballroom, and dining room, the hotel became a place for many
social gatherings. In 1819, President Andrew Jackson came to Knoxville and was a guest of Knoxville House. In 1821, Rhea
gave up his lease and the building was up for rent.
Little is known about the property until 1823 when General Joseph Jackson moved his Jackson's Hotel from the corner of
Main and Gay Streets to the old
Hume's' property. Once again the hotel became the most popular social gathering spots in
Knoxville. Joseph was proprietor for 13 years then the hotel was sold in 1836 to James Pickett who wanted to open his own
hotel.
Pickett remodeled the hotel and renamed it
Pickett's Hotel; later it was re-named City Hotel. Unfortunately, by 1842, Pickett
found himself deeply in debt; consequently, the hotel was sold at public auction. Two banks, also owned by Pickett, bought
the hotel to help defray expenses. Joseph Jackson returned as proprietor for a short time then retired. In 1846, David S.
Danner took over as proprietor. In 1852 the banks sold the hotel to a New York businessman whose last name was
Coleman. The new owner renovated it so that it more than doubled its previous size. An elevator was added to the
northwest corner and a smaller one to the southwest corner. Also added were a new kitchen, parlors, dining room, a
courtyard and a ladies' entrance. It was re-named Coleman house and opened for business in October 1854; later during
the year, Coleman added a ballroom to the rear of the house. That same year, the hotel gained an extra floor when Gay
street was graded for resurfacing.
In 1857, the building was purchased by William H. Sneed. A New York banker named Gazaway Bugg Lamar invested a huge
sum of money in a residential area in north Knoxville and Sneed renamed the hotel, The Lamar House, in his honor. The
building remained Lamar House for the next 40 years; again Knoxville social life centered around the building. In 1861, U.S.
Senator John C. Breckinridge stood on the balcony of Lamar House and announced to the crowd below that he would rather
exchange his seat in the senate for the musket of a soldier.
Homestead Hotel
circa 1905
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President Rutherford B Hayes on the
balcony Lamar House. Sept. 1877
Opening Night
Wells Bijou Theatre
March 8, 1909
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*All photos above are courtesy of The McClung Historical Collection. ETPRS holds no
claim to copyright for the historic photos above.*
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ORBS
These pics of the orbs are unique. These orbs either showed up after a question was asked or after an appearance of a
shadow. Orbs are the hardest paranormal evidence to prove but again we think that these are important because of the
situation. No orb was present until a question was asked.
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4th Floor Old Hotel
Room where Civil War General died.
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Room where Civil War General died.
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This is the same area that we captured a Shadow
Ghost. This pic was taken right after the Shadow
Ghost and now an Orb has taken its place. See
shadow pic below.
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This is also the same area that we
captured a Shadow Ghost. This pic was
taken first in a series. And the next pic
taken captured the Shadow Ghost. See
shadow pic below.
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SHADOW GHOSTS AND ECTOPLASM
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A number of Type B Shadow Ghosts were caught by the photos. All occurred in either the first balcony, or the 2nd level
bathroom. Interestingly the 2nd level bathroom would have been just under and behind most of those that occurred in the
balcony. There is a theory that a spirit's natural form is an orb. That a shadow ghost must return to the orb form before
moving quickly out of an area. If this is true then it might be expected if a flash picture is taken, and startles it, or causes it to
want to leave, it will have to return to an orb first. Interestingly some of the pictures show a picture taken immediately after
the one that had a shadow ghost in it, now contain an orb.
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**Each one of these pics that shows a Shadow Ghost was a part of multiple pics
taken consecutively in each area. The thing about this is that after each pic that
captured a Shadow Ghost another pic was taken right after. And in each after
shot there was an Orb present where the Shadow Ghost was.
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Ectoplasm is located behind the right shoulder of this
investigator!
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There is an Orb above and to the left of the chair. But right
behind the right shoulder of the investigator is a partial
Apparition.
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Apparition in the middle of the isle.
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EVP'S
Evp's may be in Quick Time format. You can download a FREE copy of Quick Time Player
at:
APPLE QUICK TIME PLAYER
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Captured on 1st Floor Auditorium and Stage
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Someone thought it would be funny to recite a little
Shakespeare on stage at the Bijou theater and said a
couple of lines. Tracy said, "Do you have
a gong?" There is an EVP response, "I do" (it is a
whisper response). The last part of the word "do" gets
cut off a little due to laughter breakout out. This was
recorded in the main auditorium on the 1st floor.
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This EVP was recorded on the 1st floor. It
seems to say, "Call Paige... Adrian, too? ...
Ya'll stay... Pretty please". There is some
talking by living people toward the end.
There isn't any talking over any of it except
the "Pretty please" comes in under talking.
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Captured on the 4th Floor Old Hotel
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This EVP was obtained on the 4th floor. This file contains 2
EVPs, the 2nd one seems to be response to the first. The
first one says, "This time let's take a quick shower", and
then comes the response, "The shower's cold". We think
this may be a residual haunting in that the voices from long
ago are repeating, but they weren't necessarily still there.
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This EVP was obtained on the 4th
floor. It comes over top of an
investigator talking and seems to
say, "Get Back" quite loudly.
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This EVP was obtained on the 4th floor room where
previously the General died. (The last EVP [the one
about "they're pointing at me"] is coming in under some
human speech that is totally garbled by the EVP.) It
appears they mistook us as plain clothed police and
when
Sean pointed in the room to point out the Generals
room he scared one of them half to death. We were
carrying flashlights, an infrared temperature sensing gun
that looks a lot like a handgun, and audio recorders and
camcorders which could be mistaken as weapons by
entities from long ago.
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" I wish we could do that "
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" I know those people are with you "
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This EVP seems to say, "Is that Vilum" (We may have
the name wrong, that's what is sounds like to us), and
then very faintly, you can hear another EVP immediately
after that sounds like, "Really looks like me". Maybe one
spirit was kidding around to another that one of us
looked a lot like Vilum, the spirit next to her, and he
comments back, "Really looks like me".
Wonder which
of us has Vilum for a double-ganger? This was obtained
on the 4th floor.
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Tracy was saying that
we could try provoking entities to try and get them
to move things, etc. This EVP came through as
he was saying it. It seems to be saying, "Really"
The spirit seemed to say it in a sarcastic voice.
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" Threw something out... What was that? "
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This spirit seems to be very loudly
saying, "Right". It came in over a
researcher talking on the forth floor.
(note the mechanical connect and
disconnect sound before and after it)
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(Whisper) "Where you been boy? "
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guess this spirit wanted Gordon
(another spirit) to tell "her" something.
This was recorded on the 4th floor.
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Recorded in the basement. Very loud
"disconnect" sound. (Many EVPs have
"connect" and / or "disconnect" sounds
associated with them.)
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Not sure what this one is about. Sean had gone into a small
room in the basement that has a door which is normally
shut. Can this spirit not leave that room for some
reason? Recorded in the basement. (By the way, this
EVP has a slight chuckle at the end.
Sean was standing
next to another investigator and chuckled about
something. This EVP came in the middle of
them talking.)
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He seems to be giving us his (nik) name.
Note that gritch is a portmanteau of "gripe"
and "bitch", so he may be a complainer.
Recorded in the basement.
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This EVP was obtained in a small utility
room in the basement. Note that there
are a couple of distinct connect
sounds before this EVP.
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** ETPRS is still going over more evidence and we will post anything else we find A.S.A.P on our
additional site linked below!
We have alot of evidence so please visit ETPRS 's
sister site "FRIENDLY GHOSTS"
linked below!
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2006
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created by ETPRS are owned by the persons who created them.
Then the American Civil War erupted and the town of Knoxville was soon occupied by the union army. Sneed, a confederate
sympathizer, fled the area. The Lamar House was taken over by the Union Army and part of it was converted into a hospital;
known as The Lamar Hospital. In 1863, Brigadier William P Sanders was wounded in a brief skirmish on Kingston Pike. He
was taken to the Lamar Hospital where he died on November 18, 1863 in what was formerly known as the bridal suite.
During the Union occupation, Generals William Sherman and Phil Sheridan made Larmar Hospital their headquarters and
laid out their plans for battle on the dining room table. After the war was
over, Sneed had to go to court to retrieve his
property.
In the 1870s the hotel became a center for Knoxville social life once again. In 1877 President Rutherford B. Hayes paid a
visit to the city and made a speech from the balcony. A huge celebration was held there in his honor.
In 1895 the Bijou's name was changed once again, this time it was called The White House. This was due mainly because
presidents such as Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, Theodore Roosevelt, William F. Taft, and U. S. Grant,
all enjoyed the hospitality of the hotel.
In 1900 the hotel was put up for auction by a court order. The highest bid was for $25 made by a Mr. McNab. From
1903-1904, the building was known as the New LaMarr House; it became the Homestead house during 1904-1907. After
owning the building for 8 years, McNab sold it to the Auditorium Company for $50,000.
In May 1908 the Auditorium Company made some major renovations. A major part of the hotel was remodeled and
transformed into a theater called Jake Well's Bijou Theater. The remaining section of the hotel was located in the back of the
building with the only entrance at Cumberland Avenue, it was known as the Auditorium Hotel. The venture was financed by
three of Knoxville's prominent citizens: C.B. Atkin, Mrs. Jeanette Cowan, and W.G. Brownlow. Their combined investment
totaled $50,000. The managing partners were Jake Wells and Fitz Staub. Wells already owned about 30 theaters and Staub
owned and operated the Staub Theater, located across the street from the Bijou. The Knoxville Sentinel printed an article
about the Bijou Theater and proclaim that it was "one of the best constructed and most conveniently arranged houses in the
entire south". The theater opened March 8, 1909 with the production of "Little Johnny Jones" starring George M. Cohan.
Between the years of 1908 and 1957, the hotel portion experienced many changes. It changed management and names
around seven times. Although the hotel slowly began to deteriorate, it managed to maintain its aura of dignity and
respectability. Unfortunately when it became the LaMar Hotel in 1957 it began to degenerate into a home for transients and
prostitutes. The grand old hotel began to loose its aura of integrity. Consequently there came a public outcry to put the
hotel out of business. In 1969, after 152 years of continuous operation, the Lamar Hotel was closed
by order of a circuit judge.
In 1926, construction began on the Tennessee Theater. By this time the Bijou had been sold again; this time to the builders
of the Tennessee. The owners of the Tennessee sold the Bijou to a local Knoxville businessman with the stipulation that, for
the next five years, the theater could not be used for theatrical productions of any kind.
In 1928 the Bijou Theater became a used car lot. The theater entrance became The Bijou Fruit stand and, according to
local legend, the first bananas ever to be sold in the Knoxville, were sold there.
In 1932 the hotel re-opened and became LeConte Hotel. One could get a room there for $1 a day.
In 1935 a company that was part of Paramount Pictures distribution network leased the Bijou Theater for 30 years. The
Bijou was used to show second-runs and holdovers of films that had already been shown at the Tennessee Theater.
Paramount's lease expired in 1965. By this time the older portion of Knoxville was slowly degenerating. Due to urban growth
and development of the suburbs, the businesses along Gay Street began to fall, one of the first to go was the Bijou
Theater. The theater was leased to a new company, which began showing "adult art" films; the name was changed to the
Bijou Art Theater. Six years after the closing of the LaMar Hotel, another outcry erupted to close the Bijou Theater.
Sometime before 1971 the property fell into the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Frankie Sherman Rasnake. At the death of Mrs.
Rasnake on February 15, 1951 the property was donated to the United Methodist Church. At that time the building was
leased to Quinton A. Cooke, Jr. According to an ad in the entertainment section of the Knoxville Journal, the theater
produced "exotic dancers", "novelty acts", "Frisco-style burlesque", and stage shows. In 1973, the Bijou Theater was closed
due to unpaid rent and amusement taxes. Consequently, Knoxville's grand old theater was scheduled for demolition.
In 1975 the Bijou Theater was added to the list of historical places in the National Historic Record and the Knoxville Heritage
Group launched a campaign to halt the destruction of this grand building. The owners of the property agreed to sell it for
$325,000. The deadline for raising the money to buy the property was July 1, 1976; which gave the Heritage Group only
three months to raise the money. They launched a full-scale "Save the Bijou" campaign with telethons and T-shirt sales.
Unfortunately, when the deadline came, they were short by about $50,000. For two weeks the fate of the Bijou Theater
hung in the balance. Then, John S. Goodstein, acting trustee for the Bijou, donated the remaining $50,000. The Bijou
Theater was saved.
Today, still retaining its dignity and its elegance, the Bijou continues to serve the city of Knoxville as one of the most
outstanding entertainment centers in the world. In its era it has made its mark in the entertainment industry by presenting
operas, musicals, orchestral concerts, and comedy. It has hosted many well-known artists such as Phyllis Diller, Maria
MacPartland, Chet Atkins, and Mel Torme. It has withstood wars and fires, and throughout its many name changes and
structure changes, its has remained Knoxville's Gem of the South.
E.T.P.R.S. CAUGHT AN APPARITION ON INFRARED VIDEO AT THE KNOXVILLE BIJOU
THEATER!!!
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