Keep Knoxville Beautiful recently announced that the restoration of Knoxville’s historic Train Mural is now complete!

Keep Knoxville Beautiful (KKB) commissioned Artist Walt Fieldsa to create the mural in 2001, just one year after commissioning the Knoxville Music History Mural around the corner.

The Train Mural was created during a time when the Old City was nearly derelict, and the site was deliberately chosen both to elevate it and to memorialize the nearby train line, which transformed Knoxville from a small river town into a major wholesale center. After 16 years, the Train Mural was cracked and faded due to wear and tear from the elements.

Thanks to generous donations and grants from the Central Business Improvement District (CBID), Blue Slip Winery, the Historic Southern Railway Station and numerous individual donors, KKB was able to hire Walt to repair and refresh his mural this spring. Walt spent weeks up on scaffolding, repairing cracks, securing plaster, brightening faded colors, and sealing the public artwork to protect it against future damage. It looks beautiful and is a testament to the Knoxville community’s care for its public art and its history.

For those in Knoxville, KKB invites you to join it on First Friday (June 2)  to celebrate the restoration of Knoxville’s Historic Train Mural in the Old City!