Who Burned Down This Historic HBCU Building During Election Week? Here’s What We Know

The Knoxville, Tenn. community was left in shock after a historic building on the campus of East Tenn.’s only Black college was burned to the ground Monday (Nov. 4). Authorities believe it wasn’t just an errant spark or bad fuse box that caused the fire — they’re on the hunt for the culprit.

According to the Knoxville Fire Department (KFD), the fire was reported at Elnathan Hall around 8:30 p.m. When officials arrived to the scene of the already vacant building, flames had spread beyond repair. Knox News reported about 40 KFD firefighters stayed on the scene until 1 a.m.

The fire, which was reportedly visible from downtown, did irreparable damage to the 100-year-old building on the campus of Knoxville College, leaving the already struggling HBCU further deprived.

The college has been battling debt, loss of accreditation, and low enrollment for decades. And although they only offer online classes, the historic campus, which was founded in 1875, remained roughly intact until the fire claimed the hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Knoxville Fire Department Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks told Knox News that they believe the fire was set intentionally.

“Nothing new as far as any suspects or anything like that. We do believe it was a set fire,” he said. “We don’t have any leads at this time, but the investigators were told a few people’s names. They are still looking into that.”

The 100-year-old building used to be the college’s administration building. With the HBCU now fully remote, Elnathan Hall hasn’t been used in 40 years, according to Frank Shanklin, a member of Knoxville College’s Board of Trustees.

The college was founded in 1875, but in 1997, it lost its accreditation. Knoxville College resumed classes fully online in 2018.

Shanklin told the Tennessee Lookout, “despite efforts by someone to destroy this building, we remain positive about the future of Knoxville College and have committed to keeping the campus safe and have been working with the city to make sure these buildings are secure.”

News of the fire isn’t a good look for the college as it continues to try to reestablish accreditation. Without it, students are ineligible for federal financial aid, only making it harder for the already small HBCU to recruit and retain students and faculty.

Renee Kesler, president of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville said “the pictures of flames billowing from Elnathan Hall, a beloved place, evoked a deep sense of the erasure of history.” 

“Preserving history is paramount to the mission of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center,” Kesler said.

A statement from the college’s interim president, Dr. Rotesha Harris, wrote “Are our hearts broken, absolutely. Is our resilience broken? Absolutely not,” Harris remains committed to moving forward with the Knoxville College community. “We are asking the community to join us in taking a deep breath, grieving and moving on. In the tradition of our ancestors we have built from ashes before, and we will build from ashes again.”