Russell name still graces downtown nearly 100 years later

From the Russell Hotel to Russell Tower, the Russell name lives on at Central and Tennessee Avenues

By Charlie Hutson

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- This week, we take a look back at Downtown Lafollette in the 1930s on this Throwback Thursday.

The back ground of the image shows the south side of Central Avenue near Tennessee Avenue. To the far right, you can see what was part of the Southern Railroad bridge that crossed Central Avenue. Today that is where the Black Pearl Salon & Spa is located.

The next cluster of buildings included the Lafollette Grocery Co, the Sharp building, the Lawson Building, Lafollette Hardware and on the corner was the First National Bank. Now days, Community Trust Bank occupies the entire block.

The final building started as the Adro Hotel. Not long before this picture was taken, it became the Russell Hotel. Today it is the home for the Russell Towers building.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-01/15/2026-6AM)