Biography

Thomas Crutchfield, Sr. was born in 1801, but didn’t move to Chattanooga until the early 1830’s. Crutchfield is known for establishing a brick kiln near the Tennessee River, which allowed him to build the first brick homes in Chattanooga for James Whiteside and Dr. Milo Smith. Crutchfield went on to be elected Mayor of Chattanooga in 1849. Perhaps Crutchfield’s most notable contribution to the city was building The Crutchfield House hotel, which was the largest hotel in the area at the time.

Citation:

“1849, Thomas Crutchfield, Sr.” History of Mayors, Chattanooga.gov, accessed February 19, 2020, http://www.chattanooga.gov/about-chattanooga/history-of-mayors/1849-thomas-crutchfield-sr.

Citation:

“History,” The Read House Hotel, accessed February 19, 2020, https://www.thereadhousehotel.com/history/.