The city of Soddy-Daisy is discussing the possibility of moving the replica of Hamilton County's first government seat and courthouse, Poe's Tavern, to make room for the construction of a new, expanded municipal building.
But some residents are opposed to the idea, including Soddy-Daisy Montlake Historical Association President Steve Smith, who was among those who helped build the replica. Smith shared his concerns about the potential move at a recent City Commission meeting.
Poe's Tavern Park was designed by Bill Carney, director of Chattanooga Woodworking Academy, and approved by the City Commission in 2011. Carney and some of his students built the tavern with hand-hewn logs using old-fashioned tools and techniques, Smith said.
The city paid Carney $50,000 for the replica, which is located on the 2-acre, city-owned property next to the Soddy-Daisy Municipal Building.
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"The wooden part could be moved. The chimney is a different story," Smith said, explaining that the tavern's chimney and foundation were built using hand-cut limestone from a church in Chattanooga that stood in the 1880s.
Fifty-one families, including Smith and his wife, donated $1,000 each to have a log in the replica dedicated in their name. Pavilions crafted in a style matching the tavern surround the park's open field and were sponsored by local businesses and community members for $3,200 apiece, Smith said.
"Steve's got a coalition of people behind him who don't want to see that disrupted out there, including me," said Commissioner Gene-o Shipley, who was part of the commission when the project was approved and constructed. "A lot of families put money into it. There's going to be a lot of families very upset."
Smith said the group is not a formal coalition, but people from several of the city's nonprofit organizations -- such as the food bank, community library and Keep Soddy-Daisy Beautiful -- are against moving the tavern replica and have expressed their concerns to city officials.
"We're basically just trying to help them make the best decision for the community, and we just don't feel like that's the direction to go," Smith said of moving the tavern.
The original site of Poe's Tavern, built in 1817 by Hasten Poe, was two blocks south of the replica. The building became the seat of Hamilton County government in 1819, and it served as a way station for the Trail of Tears and a hospital during the Civil War before it was torn down in 1911.
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"It's definitely in its infancy stages," Mayor Steve Everett said of plans to expand the municipal building, adding that the city plans to hold a public meeting at which residents can share their concerns and ideas. "It definitely is not set in stone that we're going to move Poe's Tavern. ... We're just trying to figure out the best way to go."
Officials say the only city-owned property where the new building could be constructed is what is now Poe's Tavern Park or the small area behind the existing Municipal Building, which houses City Hall, the court clerks' office and the Police Department.
If the city constructs a new building, City Hall would be moved to the new building and the court clerks would be relocated to a bigger office in the existing building, City Manager Burt Johnson said in an email.
"We expect significant growth in the next several years, and there will be a need for additional employees," Johnson said, as to why a new City Hall is needed. "Currently, we would have no space for a new employee."
The existing municipal building would continue to house the Police Department, and what is now the courtroom would be used to house a larger dispatch department and enlarged squad room, Johnson said.
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The Poe's Tavern replica and a couple of the pavilions would be moved to the area in front of Scramble Alley playground to create a smaller Poe's Tavern Park, and Poe's Tavern would be positioned south of the new City Hall building so that it could be seen from Dayton Pike, Johnson said.
The new City Hall would be about 8,000 square feet and would include a courtroom of around 2,400 square feet, about twice the size of the current courtroom.
"This larger courtroom would help distance people when they are attending court," Johnson said. "If you build a small City Hall behind our current building, it doesn't allow City Hall to be out front like most think it should be."
He hopes to hold a public meeting about the new building later this month or in January of next year, he said.
Contact Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6508. Follow her on Twitter @emcrisman.