First Bank Building, Knoxville

The First Bank Building, also known as the Tennessee General (or simply the General) Building, is an office high riser on the northwest corner of Church Avenue and Market Street. Constructed in 1925, this was the first of its kind building in downtown Knoxville and the only high-riser designed by architect Charles I. Barber.

The 14-story "L-shaped" edifice contains roughly 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) of office space. Its main facade, overlooking Market Street, consists of three arched openings, with the north opening leading to the general lobby, the south leading to the bank lobby, and the middle opening with a window. The bank lobby is the most elaborate interior room, featuring arched ceilings and a second-story mezzanine with a balustrade. The general lobby is distinguished by marble floors and bronze-plated elevator doors. Much of the building's interior was extensively remodeled during the early 1970s.

Over the years, the building has housed offices of numerous organizations. Presently, along with its anchor tenant, First Bank, it accommodates the Clayton Bank and Trust, the Legacy Parks Foundation, the Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, the Chapman Family Foundation, and the HealthCare 21 Business Coalition, not to mention multiple financial specialists and real estate agents.

In 1988, the First Bank Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and role in Knoxville's commercial history.