History of the Bijou
Located in the historic section of town, the Bijou Theater in Knoxville has a history that is about as long and colorful as the
city itself. Serving first as a dwelling and then later as a hotel/theater, the building has continuously been in use since 1819
and is the fourth oldest building in Knoxville. The saga of the Bijou Theater began just after the American Revolution when
General James White received a grant of 110 acres for his services in the American military. The lot where the present-day
Bijou Theater now stands was included in the parcel as lot number 38; it was 47.8 square feet. Later General White sold the
lot to Thomas Humes and James Pardis for $8.
In 1801 Thomas Humes purchased a 1,200 foot lot in downtown Knoxville; lot number 38 was included in this parcel. Humes
built a general store on the property and soon became a very wealthy as well as a highly respected leader in the community.
Over the years Humes increased his holdings until he owned the entire block.
In 1813 he began constructing a hotel/tavern which was to be named the Thomas Hume's House. Humes died on September
23, 1816, shortly before the construction was completed. The building was completed in 1817 and its first occupant was a
man named Archibald Rhea. Rhea rented the building from Thomas Hume's' widow and re-named it Archie Ray's Tavern;
later it became Knoxville House. With its 13 guest rooms, bar, ballroom, and dining room, the hotel became a place for many
social gatherings. In 1819, President Andrew Jackson came to Knoxville and was a guest of Knoxville House. In 1821, Rhea
gave up his lease and the building was up for rent.
Little is known about the property until 1823 when General Joseph Jackson moved his Jackson's Hotel from the corner of
Main and Gay Streets to the old Hume's' property. Once again the hotel became the most popular social gathering spots in
Knoxville. Joseph was proprietor for 13 years then the hotel was sold in 1836 to James Pickett who wanted to open his own
hotel.
Pickett remodeled the hotel and renamed it Pickett's Hotel; later it was re-named City Hotel. Unfortunately, by 1842, Pickett
found himself deeply in debt; consequently, the hotel was sold at public auction. Two banks, also owned by Pickett, bought
the hotel to help defray expenses. Joseph Jackson returned as proprietor for a short time then retired. In 1846, David S.
Danner took over as proprietor. In 1852 the banks sold the hotel to a New York businessman whose last name was
Coleman. The new owner renovated it so that it more than doubled its previous size. An elevator was added to the
northwest corner and a smaller one to the southwest corner. Also added were a new kitchen, parlors, dining room, a
courtyard and a ladies' entrance. It was re-named Coleman house and opened for business in October 1854; later during
the year, Coleman added a ballroom to the rear of the house. That same year, the hotel gained an extra floor when Gay
street was graded for resurfacing.
In 1857, the building was purchased by William H. Sneed. A New York banker named Gazaway Bugg Lamar invested a huge
sum of money in a residential area in north Knoxville and Sneed renamed the hotel, The Lamar House, in his honor. The
building remained Lamar House for the next 40 years; again Knoxville social life centered around the building. In 1861, U.S.
Senator John C. Breckinridge stood on the balcony of Lamar House and announced to the crowd below that he would rather
exchange his seat in the senate for the musket of a soldier.
PERSONAL STORIES
01.10.03: Thanks to Laura who wrote, "First off, I'm an actress, and I was on my second show at this theatre when I started to learn about all of this. 1. During rehearsals for a play I was in, I often saw figures out of the corners of my eyes in the balconies at the theatre. One always seemed to be standing at the front of the first balcony, all the way to the right; more in the center seats in the same balcony; and the third, all the way to the left and at the very back of the second balcony, which is only used for lighting purposes nowadays. The Bijou Theatre was a hotel turned Civil War hospital turned hotel turned...well, you name it. But one day, it is said that a young couple checked in on their wedding night...and never checked out. They were both found dead and mutilated the next day, assailant unknown. They are said to be seen sometimes in the first balcony, sitting right in the center, holding hands. Many people also claim to see figures in the two other places that I often thought I saw people standing. 2. A ghost of a little girl haunts the theatre. Nobody knows who she is or why she's there, but she is nonetheless. She's been heard singing on the stage when only one or two people were around. Once, a box office worker was locking up at the end of the day and found a girl standing inside the theatre. She asked the girl who she was and why she was there, not getting an answer, and told her to come with her out into the lobby. She walked out, but turned around to find the girl -- or not. She was gone, and no matter howw long the box office worker looked, she never saw her again. 3. A former director was standing in the lobby when he heard someone walking down the stairs to the right that come down from the balcony. He looked up to see who it was, but just as the footsteps reached the point where he should have been able to see the person, the steps continued -- but no person appeared. This same fellow has seen\heard various other little things around the building as well. 4. I was sitting with a friend of mine in the lobby after a rehearsal of the first show I was in at the theatre, waiting for my ride, when suddenly I realized I'd left my watch on the counter in my dressing room. I ran back into the theatre to get it, and as I laid my hands on it, I heard footsteps on the stairs that I had just come up. Not having turned on the lights in the dressing room (and being a confirmed coward), I cowered back in the corner and peeked out the door -- only to see my friend coming up to check on me. Just shows you how much being lilly-livered can get you in trouble. There are plenty of other tales about this theatre, and several people died there while it was a hospital. Frankly, I have to screw up my courage and turn on every possible light just to have the courage to step into the place alone anymore."
Found at: http://www.geocities.com/wkghs1/haunted_tennessee.htm
WBIR channel 10 did a 2 part series on the investigation that the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society did at the Bijou Theatre. Be sure to check out this video of the investigation and the reveal! WBIR coverage (Aired on October 30th and 31st, 2006.) Link to this coverage at bottom of http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/ .
Mike Case of the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society was on 93.1 The Point radio station in Knoxville, TN on October, 31st, 2006. He was talking about the investigations the ETPRS (of which I am an investigator) have gone on. Several of the EVPs on this site were played over the air and discussed. The Bijou ghost video was also discussed. If you would like to listen to this interview, click here http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/931interview.mp3
VIDEOS AND EVPS
Please note that these are not my videos or evps, they have been done by Mike Case of the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society. I only posted a few evps and videos, but they had a ton!
Bijou Investigation by the ETPRS on July 22, 2006
http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/bijou/
Ghost video was recorded in the 2nd floor ladies restroom at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, TN. This ghost can be seen at the bottom of the frame as a bright flash. The ghost hunter was on an investigation with the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society. This video was shot in infrared with a high definition camera.
Recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou theater. Visit them at http://www.friendly-ghosts.com fpr more evps.
This spirit communication was recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou theater in Knoxville, TN. It seems to say, "This time lets take a quick shower", and then, "The showers cold". There was about 15 seconds of dead time between the first voice and the 2nd voice that has been removed. (We think this may actually be a residual haunting. There hasn't been any working plumbing on the floor for years, but there did used to be showers when this floor used to be used as a bordello.)
I said, "Hey" to get an investigators attention that was looking for the restroom so that I could tell her it was next to where I was standing. Aparently when I looked in her direction and said, "Hey" I was looking in the direction of a spirit but didn't know it, and the spirit thought I was saying, "Hey" as in "Hello" and responded "Hello". No time has been removed. The "Hello" response came this quickly after I said, "Hey". This was recorded in the lobby of the Bijou theater in Knoxville, TN.
Recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, TN. Shortly after I went up there, I got this very clear female voice EVP that says, "I wish we could do that". I have no idea what she wishes she could do.
To see MORE photos, evps and more visit:
http://www.tnseeparanormal.com/Knoxvillebijou.html
Bijou Theatre Information:
http://www.knoxbijou.com/
803 S. Gay Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-522-0832
Located in the historic section of town, the Bijou Theater in Knoxville has a history that is about as long and colorful as the
city itself. Serving first as a dwelling and then later as a hotel/theater, the building has continuously been in use since 1819
and is the fourth oldest building in Knoxville. The saga of the Bijou Theater began just after the American Revolution when
General James White received a grant of 110 acres for his services in the American military. The lot where the present-day
Bijou Theater now stands was included in the parcel as lot number 38; it was 47.8 square feet. Later General White sold the
lot to Thomas Humes and James Pardis for $8.
In 1801 Thomas Humes purchased a 1,200 foot lot in downtown Knoxville; lot number 38 was included in this parcel. Humes
built a general store on the property and soon became a very wealthy as well as a highly respected leader in the community.
Over the years Humes increased his holdings until he owned the entire block.
In 1813 he began constructing a hotel/tavern which was to be named the Thomas Hume's House. Humes died on September
23, 1816, shortly before the construction was completed. The building was completed in 1817 and its first occupant was a
man named Archibald Rhea. Rhea rented the building from Thomas Hume's' widow and re-named it Archie Ray's Tavern;
later it became Knoxville House. With its 13 guest rooms, bar, ballroom, and dining room, the hotel became a place for many
social gatherings. In 1819, President Andrew Jackson came to Knoxville and was a guest of Knoxville House. In 1821, Rhea
gave up his lease and the building was up for rent.
Little is known about the property until 1823 when General Joseph Jackson moved his Jackson's Hotel from the corner of
Main and Gay Streets to the old Hume's' property. Once again the hotel became the most popular social gathering spots in
Knoxville. Joseph was proprietor for 13 years then the hotel was sold in 1836 to James Pickett who wanted to open his own
hotel.
Pickett remodeled the hotel and renamed it Pickett's Hotel; later it was re-named City Hotel. Unfortunately, by 1842, Pickett
found himself deeply in debt; consequently, the hotel was sold at public auction. Two banks, also owned by Pickett, bought
the hotel to help defray expenses. Joseph Jackson returned as proprietor for a short time then retired. In 1846, David S.
Danner took over as proprietor. In 1852 the banks sold the hotel to a New York businessman whose last name was
Coleman. The new owner renovated it so that it more than doubled its previous size. An elevator was added to the
northwest corner and a smaller one to the southwest corner. Also added were a new kitchen, parlors, dining room, a
courtyard and a ladies' entrance. It was re-named Coleman house and opened for business in October 1854; later during
the year, Coleman added a ballroom to the rear of the house. That same year, the hotel gained an extra floor when Gay
street was graded for resurfacing.
In 1857, the building was purchased by William H. Sneed. A New York banker named Gazaway Bugg Lamar invested a huge
sum of money in a residential area in north Knoxville and Sneed renamed the hotel, The Lamar House, in his honor. The
building remained Lamar House for the next 40 years; again Knoxville social life centered around the building. In 1861, U.S.
Senator John C. Breckinridge stood on the balcony of Lamar House and announced to the crowd below that he would rather
exchange his seat in the senate for the musket of a soldier.
PERSONAL STORIES
01.10.03: Thanks to Laura who wrote, "First off, I'm an actress, and I was on my second show at this theatre when I started to learn about all of this. 1. During rehearsals for a play I was in, I often saw figures out of the corners of my eyes in the balconies at the theatre. One always seemed to be standing at the front of the first balcony, all the way to the right; more in the center seats in the same balcony; and the third, all the way to the left and at the very back of the second balcony, which is only used for lighting purposes nowadays. The Bijou Theatre was a hotel turned Civil War hospital turned hotel turned...well, you name it. But one day, it is said that a young couple checked in on their wedding night...and never checked out. They were both found dead and mutilated the next day, assailant unknown. They are said to be seen sometimes in the first balcony, sitting right in the center, holding hands. Many people also claim to see figures in the two other places that I often thought I saw people standing. 2. A ghost of a little girl haunts the theatre. Nobody knows who she is or why she's there, but she is nonetheless. She's been heard singing on the stage when only one or two people were around. Once, a box office worker was locking up at the end of the day and found a girl standing inside the theatre. She asked the girl who she was and why she was there, not getting an answer, and told her to come with her out into the lobby. She walked out, but turned around to find the girl -- or not. She was gone, and no matter howw long the box office worker looked, she never saw her again. 3. A former director was standing in the lobby when he heard someone walking down the stairs to the right that come down from the balcony. He looked up to see who it was, but just as the footsteps reached the point where he should have been able to see the person, the steps continued -- but no person appeared. This same fellow has seen\heard various other little things around the building as well. 4. I was sitting with a friend of mine in the lobby after a rehearsal of the first show I was in at the theatre, waiting for my ride, when suddenly I realized I'd left my watch on the counter in my dressing room. I ran back into the theatre to get it, and as I laid my hands on it, I heard footsteps on the stairs that I had just come up. Not having turned on the lights in the dressing room (and being a confirmed coward), I cowered back in the corner and peeked out the door -- only to see my friend coming up to check on me. Just shows you how much being lilly-livered can get you in trouble. There are plenty of other tales about this theatre, and several people died there while it was a hospital. Frankly, I have to screw up my courage and turn on every possible light just to have the courage to step into the place alone anymore."
Found at: http://www.geocities.com/wkghs1/haunted_tennessee.htm
WBIR channel 10 did a 2 part series on the investigation that the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society did at the Bijou Theatre. Be sure to check out this video of the investigation and the reveal! WBIR coverage (Aired on October 30th and 31st, 2006.) Link to this coverage at bottom of http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/ .
Mike Case of the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society was on 93.1 The Point radio station in Knoxville, TN on October, 31st, 2006. He was talking about the investigations the ETPRS (of which I am an investigator) have gone on. Several of the EVPs on this site were played over the air and discussed. The Bijou ghost video was also discussed. If you would like to listen to this interview, click here http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/931interview.mp3
VIDEOS AND EVPS
Please note that these are not my videos or evps, they have been done by Mike Case of the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society. I only posted a few evps and videos, but they had a ton!
Bijou Investigation by the ETPRS on July 22, 2006
http://www.friendly-ghosts.com/bijou/
Ghost video was recorded in the 2nd floor ladies restroom at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, TN. This ghost can be seen at the bottom of the frame as a bright flash. The ghost hunter was on an investigation with the East Tennessee Paranormal Research Society. This video was shot in infrared with a high definition camera.
Recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou theater. Visit them at http://www.friendly-ghosts.com fpr more evps.
This spirit communication was recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou theater in Knoxville, TN. It seems to say, "This time lets take a quick shower", and then, "The showers cold". There was about 15 seconds of dead time between the first voice and the 2nd voice that has been removed. (We think this may actually be a residual haunting. There hasn't been any working plumbing on the floor for years, but there did used to be showers when this floor used to be used as a bordello.)
I said, "Hey" to get an investigators attention that was looking for the restroom so that I could tell her it was next to where I was standing. Aparently when I looked in her direction and said, "Hey" I was looking in the direction of a spirit but didn't know it, and the spirit thought I was saying, "Hey" as in "Hello" and responded "Hello". No time has been removed. The "Hello" response came this quickly after I said, "Hey". This was recorded in the lobby of the Bijou theater in Knoxville, TN.
Recorded on the 4th floor of the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, TN. Shortly after I went up there, I got this very clear female voice EVP that says, "I wish we could do that". I have no idea what she wishes she could do.
To see MORE photos, evps and more visit:
http://www.tnseeparanormal.com/Knoxvillebijou.html
Bijou Theatre Information:
http://www.knoxbijou.com/
803 S. Gay Street
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-522-0832
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