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Robert Cravens is today perhaps best known for the house that bears his name on a small outcrop of level land about half-way up Lookout Mountain south of Chattanooga. In 1838, when Cravens moved to the area, Ross's Landing had just been christened Chattanooga. The port on the Tennessee River was important to local cotton growers, who would transport their crop to the city and ship it via the water route to Memphis.
The cotton trade was short-lived. It all but ended with the completion of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad ten years later. By that time, however, Cravens had begun to manufacture charcoal iron, shipping it to points east by railroad. Soon Cravens iron business was a driving force in the Chattanooga economy. He was familiar with the area where he built his home in 1855. The outcropping was visible from the Bluff Furnace along the Tennessee River. Then the Civil War came to Chattanooga.
During the battle of Chattanooga, both the Union and Confederate armies used Cravens' relatively opulent home as an observation post and headquarters. During the evening of November_23, 1863 Major General Carter Stevenson [CS] signaled General Braxton Bragg [CS] from Cravens House, indicating a possible federal attack on Lookout Mountain. The message was decoded by the Union Army and General George Henry Thomas [US] ordered an attack on the mountain because of the Rebels concern.
On November_24, 1863, the heaviest fighting during the "Battle Above the Clouds" occurred on the level plateau on which the house was built. Shortly after capturing the house, the 10,000 man Union advance was halted by a weak line of some 1,200 entrenched Confederates under the command of Stevenson. Although the home sustained minor damage during the fighting, it would later be destroyed by Union soldiers during a drunken brawl.
Cravens returned after the war and rebuilt the house. The original home was two levels, the lower or "underground" level and a second level in an 'L'-shape. After the war a third level was added, which contains three bedrooms. Cravens struggled against increased competition to rebuild both his business and personal fortune, which had also been destroyed by the war. In 1868 Cravens helped revolutionize the iron business with the introduction of coke-fired plants.
88 acres of land owned by Cravens on the northern end of Lookout Mountain was purchased from his heirs by Adolf Ochs. Ochs combined this with land he had purchased from Col. Whiteside's family and donated it to the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Park in 1893.
The house was completely renovated in 1956.
Directions I24 West to exit 178. Continue to Broad Street (Tenn 58) and turn left. Bear right on Cummings Highway (near the Walgreen's). Turn left on Tenn 148 (Scenic Highway). Follow signs to Cravens House.
Visiting Cravens House
The Cravens House is part of the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park and is located at the north end of Lookout Mountain south of Chattanooga. Visits may be arranged by calling 423.821.7786. A fee is charged.
Trails
Three trails lead to the house from Point Park. The shortest route is a moderate trail that winds downhill from the Ochs Memorial. You may also take the Bluff Trail south to the Cravens House Trail. Another option, and the longest route is to hike the Mountain Beautiful Trail to the Hardy Trail. This ends just before the home. Before hiking, please check with the rangers at Point Park for current trail conditions and maps. While the hike from Point Park to the Cravens House is fairly easy in either direction, some trails are steep in places and can be challenging at times, especially during inclement weather.
Related Links
History of Chattanooga
Point Park
Battle Above the Clouds
Cravens House
Directions
From I-24 in Chattanooga take the State Road 58 exit. Turn left on 20th St., then left on Broad Street. Travel 1.7 miles to Cummings Highway. Follow this for .8 miles to Tn 148 (Lookout Mountain Scenic Hwy). Climb the mountain and turn right at 1.1 miles Elinor St. Stay on Elinor St. as it climbs to Cravens Terrace. Turn right and continue to the house on the left.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
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Braxton Bragg
George Henry Thomas
Lookout Mountain
Point Park
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