PRESERVATION: 2008 Photo courtesy of the McClung Collection Knox County Public Library System A Report to Mayor Bill Haslam Prepared by the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission March 2009 Adopted by: Table of Contents Introduction............................................................. 5 Recommended.Actions............................................. 7 Summary.of.Past.Activities....................................... 8 The.Properties.......................................................... 9 Historic.Resources.Map......................................... 12 Preservation: 2008 Introduction The.calendar.year.of.2008.saw.a.continued.interest. Involvement.in.preservation.has.grown.since.1982,. Sanders,.Fairmont.Park.and.most.recently,.Gobblers’. in.preservation.in.the.city.of.Knoxville...This. resulting.in.the.rehabilitation.of.many.19th.and. Knob/Sherrod.Road.neighborhoods...Individual. report,.an.annual.report.on.the.state.of.preservation. early.20th.century.buildings.and.neighborhoods. Historic.Overlay.(H-1).properties.are.also.afforded. in.Knoxville,.is.authorized.by.an.amendment.to. throughout.Knoxville...New.and.old.residents.of. protection.under.historic.zoning...A.list.of.properties. Knoxville’s.Charter.that.requires.an.annual.report.on. Mechanicsville.banded.together.to.create.the.city’s. drawn.from.The Future of Our Past.and.its.update.are. the.state.of.preservation.in.the.city,.to.be.reviewed. first.residential.H-1.historic.overlay.in.1991...Old. included.in.“The.Properties”.section.of.this.report. and.presented.by.the.Metropolitan.Planning. North.Knoxville.followed.suit.in.1992.and.in.late. Commission.to.Knoxville’s.Mayor,.who.in.turn.is.to. 2003,.worked.with.the.Knoxville.Historic.Zoning. Activities, 2008 make.a.report.to.the.Knoxville.City.Council.on.the. Commission.to.develop.a.revised.set.of.design. Rehabilitation.of.historic.properties.has.been.active. state.of.preservation. guidelines.for.the.original.historic.overlay...Those. in.downtown.Knoxville.this.year...Preservation. districts.were.followed.by.Historic.Overlay.H-1. considerations.are.involved.in.the.rehabilitation. Preservation Activities zoning.for.Fourth.&.Gill,.Edgewood-Park.City,. of.many.buildings.on.Market.Square,.as.well.as. From.1982.to.1985,.MPC.conducted.an.inventory. a.section.of.Lyons.View.Pike,.and.the.Market. buildings.adjacent.to.the.Tennessee.Theater.in.the. of.buildings.and.structures.in.the.city,.and.in.1987,. Square.Historic.District...A.second.form.of.overlay. 500.block.(listed.as.part.of.the.Gay.Street.National. produced.the.first.edition.of.The Future of Our Past,.a. zoning.designed.to.protect.historic.buildings.from. Register.Historic.District).and.the.Old.City... preservation.plan.calling.attention.to.historically.and. demolition.and.assure.that.new.construction.is. Preservationists.are.particularly.pleased.to.anticipate. architecturally.significant.properties.in.Knoxville.and. compatible.with.the.historic.character.of.the.district. the.2009.re-opening.of.the.S&W.Cafeteria,.a. Knox.County...The.plan.was.updated.in.1994.in.a. is.called.Neighborhood.Conservation.Overlay.(NC- preservation.victory.made.possible.by.the.invitation. second.edition,.also.titled.The Future of Our Past. 1).and.includes.the.Tazewell.Pike,.Scenic.Drive,.Ft.. made.by.Mayor.Haslam.to.Knox.Heritage.to. Left: Old North Knoxville was one of the city’s first residential historic overlays. Center: The Gobblers’ Knob/Sherrod Road neighborhoods are the most recent additions to the list of Neighborhood Conservation Overlays. Right: Individual properties like the Lones-Dowell house are also afforded protection under historic zoning. 5 Preservation: 2008 participate.in.the.design.process.for.the.new.Riviera. One.of.the.most.significant.preservation.projects. which.was.vacant.for.several.years.while.an.adaptive. Theater...The.partnership.of.the.city.of.Knoxville. of.2008.has.involved.the.Col..John.Williams. reuse.was.sought.for.it,.has.received.an.exterior.and. with.Knox.Heritage.resulted.in.the.saving.and. House,.which.has.been.the.subject.of.a.complete. interior.rehabilitation.while.it.awaits.a.new.use. ultimate.restoration.of.the.S.&.W.and.two.adjacent. rehabilitation.project.carried.out.by.a.descendant.of. Several.additional.properties.received.National. buildings... Williams,.Alex.Brandau...The.Williams.House,.listed. Register.listing.in.2008...These.include.the.North. on.the.National.Register.of.Historic.Places,.had.been. Hills.Historic.District,.a.large.residential.district. The Downtown Knoxville Design Guidelines.have.also. vacant.and.abandoned.for.many.years,.after.decades. located.off.Washington.Pike.in.north.Knoxville,.and. adopted.historic.preservation.standards.to.guide.the. of.ownership.by.the.State.of.Tennessee..Mr..Brandau. Church.Street.United.Methodist.Church. exterior.rehabilitation.of.National.Register.listed.or. bought.the.property,.located.near.the.new.Wee.Golf. eligible.downtown.buildings,.even.though.they.may. Course.on.Dandridge.Avenue,.and.completed.the. The.Knoxville.Historic.Zoning.Commission. not.be.designated.through.an.H-1.Historic.Overlay.. house’s.rehabilitation.this.year. processed.131.applications.for.Certificates.of. Appropriateness.in.2008,.showing.a.continued. The.Broadway/Central.intersection,.thought. The.Baker-Walker-Sherrill.House,.located.at.9320. increase.in.rehabilitation.in.designated.historic. eligible.for.listing.as.part.of.an.expanded.Emory. Kingston.Pike,.received.the.protection.of.an.H-1. buildings...One.measure.of.the.increased.strength. Place.Historic.District,.has.been.the.target.of. designation.in.2008...The.significant.house,.which.is. of.the.local.historic.districts.that.are.residential. Empowerment.Zone.matching.grants.to.achieve. still.vacant,.is.a.likely.candidate.for.an.adaptive.reuse. neighborhoods.is.that,.for.most.of.them,.there.are. facade.improvements...Numerous.preservation. in.keeping.with.the.commercial.zoning.that.will.front. no.available.vacant.lots...The.exception.to.this.is. projects.in.the.city’s.historic.districts,.and.continued. the.remainder.of.the.site. Mechanicsville,.where.individuals.continue.to.show. emphasis.on.new.home.construction.consistent.with. an.interest.in.acquiring.the.few.vacant.lots.remaining. the.design.guidelines.of.historic.districts,.have.also. 2008.also.saw.extensive.improvements.to.the.Lones- and.constructing.new.houses.. been.prevalent.activities.in.2008... Dowell.House,.3641.Middlebrook.Pike...The.house,. The Colonel John Williams house on Dandridge Avenue The Baker-Walker-Sherrill house on Kingston Pike Church Street United Methodist Church 6 Preservation: 2008 Recommended Actions In.collecting.the.information.for.Preservation.2008,. Respondents.were.asked.to.indicate.whether.they.found. citizens.interested.in.preservation.were.polled.to. the.following.activities.important.or.unimportant: determine.their.concerns.at.meetings.held.by.Knox. •. Preservation/redevelopment.of.downtown. Heritage.and.at.neighborhood.meetings...Knox. – Important (all respondents) Heritage.and.the.historic.zoning.commission.also. •. Preservation/redevelopment.of.neighborhoods. posted.information.on.their.web.sites.and.encouraged. – Important (all respondents) interested.citizens.to.complete.questionnaires...Those. •. Protection.and.support.for.individual. comments.are.supplemented.by.the.concerns.voiced. structures..and.spaces.. to.Historic.Zoning.Commissioners.and.staff.in.the. – Important (all respondents) past.year.by.individuals.and.organizations.involved.in. preservation... The.respondents.indicated.that.they.felt.tax. increment.financing.and.preservation.tax.credits. At.the.end.of.this.section.is.a.summary.of.previous. were.very.important.in.preserving.and.rehabilitating. recommended.actions.and.their.disposition. downtown’s.historic.buildings.. Survey.respondents.were.asked.to.indicate.where.they. In.considering.measures.that.might.be.helpful.in. felt.additional.efforts.should.be.directed.to.creating. revitalizing.historic.neighborhoods.and.individual. historic.designations...The.list.of.neighborhoods.and. buildings,.respondents.indicated.that.they.felt.historic. properties.mentioned.by.respondents.includes: neighborhoods.attracted.interest,.particularly.in.light. •. Kingston.Pike.from.Cumberland.to.. of.the.past.investment.and.publicity.that.have.occurred. Lyons.View.Pike.Sequoyah.Hills in.revitalizing.neighborhoods. There.was.a.strong. •. Island.Home.Park.(H-1.Historic.Overlay) feeling.that.the.poor.quality.of.schools.in.some.of.the. •. East.Fifth.Avenue.((NC-1) districts.that.drew.from.historic.neighborhoods.was.a. •. North.Hills.(H-1.Historic.Overlay) factor.in.discouraging.families.from.moving.to.historic. •. Sequoyah.Hills.(National.Register.of.Historic. districts;.the.suggestion.was.made.that.the.school.board. Places.and.NC-1.Neighborhood.Conservation. establish.historic.areas.as.open.school.zones.as.a.way.of. Overlay) encouraging.families.to.move.back.to.the.inner.city. A.strong.interest.was.also.indicated.for.making.codes. enforcement.and.adherence.to.zoning.regulations. stronger,.as.a.way.government.could.reinforce.the. Sequoyah Hills (top and center) and North Hills (bottom) were private.sector’s.rehabilitation.and.preservation.efforts. identified by survey respondents as areas needing additional efforts toward creating historic designations. 7 Preservation: 2008 Summary Of Past Activities Information.about.the.status.of.preservation.in. rehabilitating.existing.historic.housing.in. knowledgeable.about.architectural.styles.and. Knoxville.has.been.collected.over.the.past.eight.years.