Bleak House (Knoxville, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bleak House
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| Location | 3148 Kingston Pike Knoxville, Tennessee |
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| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000369 |
| Added to NRHP | November 8, 1984 |
Bleak House is a beautiful historic home in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was built in a style called Classical Revival. This means it looks like old Greek and Roman buildings. The house was built before the American Civil War, a time often called the "antebellum" period. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important place worth protecting.
History of Bleak House
Building the Home
Bleak House was built in 1858. It was a special wedding gift for Robert Houston Armstrong and his wife, Louisa Franklin. Louisa's father, Major Lawson D. Franklin, had the house built for them. Robert's father, Drury Armstrong, gave them the land where the house stands.
The Armstrongs named their new home "Bleak House." They named it after a famous book by the author Charles Dickens. The bricks used to build the house were made right there on the property.
The Civil War at Bleak House
During the American Civil War, Bleak House played an important role. From November 17 to December 4, 1863, it was used by Confederate Generals James Longstreet and Lafayette McLaws. They used the house as their main office during the Battle of Knoxville.
The house even saw some fighting. Three Confederate soldiers, who were expert shooters, were in the house's tall tower. They were hit by cannonballs fired by the Union side. You can still see two of these cannonballs stuck in the walls of the house today! There are also old drawings from the Civil War era that show the soldiers who were in the tower.
Bleak House Today
Today, Bleak House is owned by a local group called Chapter 89 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. They often call the house Confederate Memorial Hall. It helps people remember the history of the Civil War.
You can find other historic homes nearby that are connected to the Armstrong family. Crescent Bend was built by Robert Armstrong's father, Drury. Westwood was built by Robert's daughter, Adelia Armstrong Lutz. These homes are just a few blocks away from Bleak House on Kingston Pike.
