New Exhibitions Opening at the Emporium Center August 5
The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 5-27. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or by visiting...
Knox Heritage
George Barber George F. Barber (1854-1915) was an architect known for the house designs he marketed worldwide through his mail-order catalogs. A self-taught architect, Barber’s mail-order business was inspired and modeled after the Bridgepoint, Connecticut, firm of...
Boomerocity
Jimmie Vaughan: The Story Tour In Concert Bijou Theatre • July 14 By Randy Patterson, Boomerocity.com The blues. The genre affects people in many ways. Wynton Marsalis said of it, “Everything comes out in blues music: joy, pain, struggle. Blues is affirmation with...
The Miller’s Building: A Shopping Experience to Remember
By Shara Casey, Knox Heritage Intern The building that now occupies 445-465 South Gay Street bears a bronze plaque that simply reads “Miller’s Building,” hinting that there is more to the ornamental façade than meets the eye. Indeed, hiding behind a local ice cream...
The Curious History of the Peabody School
By Shara Casey, Knox Heritage Intern An unassuming building situated on the northern edge of Old City, and now home to the county’s Democratic Party, 311 Morgan Street holds an unexpected piece of Knoxville history. The Peabody School was the first purpose-built...
Old Gray Cemetery
By Shara Casey, Knox Heritage Intern Located across from St. John’s Lutheran Church, on the corner of Tyson Street and North Broadway, Old Gray Cemetery is a beautiful example of the rural cemetery movement that was at the forefront of public design when it was...
A.J. Croce’s Got a Name and Plays by Request
By Randy Patterson Say the name “Croce” in front of music-loving baby boomers or people who love the music of our generation and great music comes to mind. Songs like “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “Time in a Bottle,” and “I Got a Name”...
Baumann Brothers: Knoxville’s First Professional Architects
Baumann Brothers, Knoxville’s first professional architects, was founded in 1887 by brothers Joseph Francis Baumann (1844-1920) and Albert Benjamin Baumann, Sr. (1861-1942). William Baumann, the father of Joseph and Albert, was born in Bavaria and immigrated to...
Knox Heritage: A Community of Preservationists
Preserving the Past to Invest in the Future In 1974, the Bijou Theatre was threatened by demolition and neglect, but a group of concerned citizens was determined not to let that happen; this is how Knox Heritage was born. In the decades since, our community of...
Knox Heritage
Celebrate the Holiday Season at Historic Westwood Historic Westwood is one of Knoxville’s premier historic house experiences. Celebrate the holidays in grand style at the beautiful former residence of artist Ann Adelia Armstrong Lutz. Listed on the National Register...
North Hills: An Early Knoxville Automobile Subdivision
The North Hills neighborhood is located in North Knoxville and is roughly bounded by Washington Pike, Whittle Springs Road, Cecil Avenue, and Prosser Road. The houses in North Hills are mainly one and two story houses that feature brick, stucco, East Tennessee Marble,...
Knox Heritage
Westmoreland Water Wheel and Gatepost The Westmoreland Water Wheel and Gatepost are located at the intersection of Sherwood Drive and Westland Drive just west of Northshore Drive. Together, these structures mark the eastern entrance to the Westmoreland Heights...
Knox Heritage
Emory Place: A Rich History of Knoxville’s Early Development Emory Place is a short, two block long, divided street located near the intersection of N. Central Street and N. Broadway. It was developed in 1888 by The Central Market Company, a syndicate chartered to...
Knox Heritage
Island Home: A Neighborhood Rich in Knoxville History The iconic South Knoxville neighborhood of Island Home is named after the model farm and the country home of prominent Knoxville resident Perez Dickinson (1813-1901). Dickinson was a Massachusetts-born merchant,...
Knox Heritage
The Burwell Building and the Curious Case of “The Human Fly” On April 7, 1918, spectators lined Gay Street to catch a glimpse of George G. Polley, a.k.a. The Original “Human Fly,” attempt a most spectacular stunt - climbing all 10 stories of the 1907 Burwell Building...
Same Building, Two Histories
Charles McClung McGhee (1828-1907) was a Knoxville industrialist, banker, real estate developer, railroad magnate, and philanthropist. Born in Monroe County, Tennessee, his father was a wealthy farmer and his mother was the daughter of surveyor Charles McClung, who is...