Hunter Museum of American Art
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Faxon-Thomas Mansion
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The Faxon-Thomas Mansion, the original section of the museum
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| Location | 10 Bluff View Ave., Chattanooga, Tennessee |
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| Coordinates | 35°3′21″N 85°18′21″W / 35.05583°N 85.30583°WCoordinates: 35°3′21″N 85°18′21″W / 35.05583°N 85.30583°W |
| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architect | Abram Garfield |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 80003809 |
| Added to NRHP | November 25, 1980 |
The Hunter Museum of American Art is an art museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The museum's collections include works representing the Hudson River School, 19th century genre painting, American Impressionism, the Ashcan School, early modernism, regionalism, and post World War II modern and contemporary art.
The building itself represents three distinct architectural stages: the original 1904 classical revival mansion designed by Abram Garfield, the son of president James A. Garfield, which has housed the museum since its opening in 1952, a brutalist addition built in 1975, and a 2005 addition designed by Randall Stout which now serves as the entrance to the museum.
The museum is situated on an 80-foot (24 m) bluff overlooking the Tennessee River and downtown Chattanooga. The Faxon House, built in 1904, was built where a Confederate battery had been fought. Once a prestigious address for Victorian houses, the area is now home to the Bluffview Art District. The museum sits on a bluff that overlooks the Walnut Street Bridge. The Ruth S. and A. William Holmberg Pedestrian Bridge provides a pedestrian-friendly connection to the nearby Walnut Street Bridge and riverfront attractions.
The Hunter Museum is named after George Hunter, who inherited the Coca-Cola Bottling empire from his uncle Benjamin Thomas. Thomas was one of the entrepreneurs who created Chattanooga's Coca-Cola bottling empire. Their nephew, George Hunter, later joined Anne Thomas to create a philanthropic organization in Hunter's memory named the Benwood Foundation. The foundation's mission was to "promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities for the advancement or well being of mankind". The centerpiece of the Benwood Foundation's gifts to the community of Chattanooga is the Hunter Museum of American Art, originally known as the Ross Faxon House.
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