Fidelity Building, Knoxville

Constructed in 1871 for the wholesale firm Cowan, McClung, and Company, the Fidelity Building is a four-story, three-bay brick office complex situated in Knoxville. Originally designed in an Italianate style, the building featured a central pediment and balustrade, and Corinthian column-flanked storefronts. However, these elements were removed during extensive remodeling in 1929. It served as the home of Fidelity-Bankers Trust Company during the mid-20th century and has since been refurbished for office use.

The Fidelity's first-story Gay Street facade, reflecting the 1929 remodeling, features an ashlar veneer with an eagle-and-garland frieze atop a recessed entrance. Except for a one-story addition made in the early 1980s, the rear of the building remains mostly unaltered from its 1871 design. Inside, the building's central hall boasts gray marble walls and floors, square Corinthian columns, and a design that reflects the 1929 remodeling.

In recognition of its contribution to Knoxville's late-19th-century wholesaling industry and its remarkable architecture, the Fidelity Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.