Parkridge, Knoxville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Park City Historic District
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| Location | East Fifth, Jefferson, Woodbine and Washington Avenues Knoxville, Tennessee |
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| Area | approximately 191 acres (77 ha) |
| Built | 1880–1940 |
| Architect | George Franklin Barber, John Ryno, others |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001578 |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1990 |
Parkridge is a cool neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It's located just east of the city's downtown area. In the 1890s, it started as a "streetcar suburb." This meant people could live there and easily ride a streetcar to work in the city.
The neighborhood was once its own city called Park City in 1907. But in 1917, Knoxville took it over. In the early 1900s, many people who worked at the nearby Standard Knitting Mill factory lived here.
In 1990, more than 600 houses in Parkridge were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This special list means they are important historic buildings. Parkridge has many houses designed by George Franklin Barber. He was a famous architect who sold house plans through catalogs across the country.
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Where is Parkridge Located?
Parkridge is in East Knoxville. It's bordered by Interstate 40 to the north and Magnolia Avenue to the south. Hall of Fame Drive is to the west, and Cherry Street is to the east.
- To the east, you'll find the Chilhowee Park neighborhood.
- To the west is Fourth and Gill.
- Morningside is to the south.
- North Hills is across I-40 to the northeast.
First Creek used to separate Parkridge from Downtown Knoxville. Now, big roads like Hall of Fame Drive make that separation even clearer.
A Look Back: Parkridge History
From Farmland to Lake Ottossee
The land where Parkridge now stands was once a huge farm. It belonged to Moses White, whose father, James White, helped found Knoxville. Later, much of this land was owned by Joseph Mabry.
In 1875, a college professor named Fernando Cortes Beaman bought a large dairy farm. This farm included what is now Chilhowee Park. In the mid-1880s, Beaman started developing the park. He created a lake called "Lake Ottossee" and built a dance hall.
A road, Park Avenue (now Magnolia Avenue), was built to connect the park to Downtown Knoxville. In 1890, a businessman named William Gibbs McAdoo decided to build an electric streetcar line along Park Avenue. This led to houses being built in the areas between the park and downtown.
The Rise of Park City
Around 1888, a company called Edgewood Land and Improvement started developing Parkridge. They divided the land into lots, especially in the western part of the neighborhood. The streets in Parkridge still follow the grid pattern they created.
Other areas like Poplar Springs and Elmwood were also developed. A community for Black residents grew in the area of Adams, Dodson, and Nichols streets.
One of the partners in the Edgewood company was architect George Franklin Barber. He became famous for his house designs sold through catalogs. Barber designed many houses in the new area, including his own home at 1635 Washington Avenue. He lived there until 1895.
Designs for several Barber houses on Washington and Jefferson avenues were even shown in his catalogs. These catalogs were sold all over the world for the next 20 years.
In 1907, the different new areas along Park Avenue joined together to form Park City. W. R. Johnson was the first mayor. The new city had about 7,000 people. Its new school, Park City High School, had over 1,000 students. This made it one of the largest schools in Tennessee.
Park City also benefited from three big events held at Chilhowee Park. These were the Appalachian Expositions in 1910 and 1911, and the National Conservation Exposition in 1913. In 1917, Knoxville officially took over Park City.
Parkridge in the 20th Century
In the 1920s, wealthier Knoxville residents started moving to new suburbs. These new areas were built for people who owned cars. Because of this, older streetcar neighborhoods like Park City slowly became home to working-class families.
One of the main employers in Park City was Standard Knitting Mills. They built a large factory on the western side of the neighborhood in 1900. At its busiest, this factory employed over 3,000 workers. It closed down in 1989.
The neighborhood's current name, "Parkridge," combines "Park City" with "Chestnut Ridge." Chestnut Ridge was a mostly Black community located just north of Park City.
Park City Historic District
In 1990, a large part of Parkridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It became known as the Park City Historic District. This district has 678 "contributing buildings." This means they add to the historic importance of the area. It's the largest historic district in Knox County.
Most of these buildings were built in the first half of the 1900s. They show different architectural styles, like Bungalow/Craftsman and Tudor Revival. However, some beautiful Victorian houses from the late 1800s still stand, especially on Washington and Jefferson avenues.
Cool Historic Houses and Buildings
- George Franklin Barber House (1635 Washington Ave.): This house was built in 1889. It's a Queen Anne-style house designed by George Franklin Barber himself. He lived here from 1889 to 1895.
- Alonzo Cash House (1712 Washington Ave.): Also built in 1889 and designed by George Franklin Barber. This house was featured as design #3 in his catalog, The Cottage Souvenir.
- W. O. Haworth House (1724 Washington Ave.): Built in 1889 and designed by George Franklin Barber. This house was design #35 in his The Cottage Souvenir No. 2.
- Park Place (1721 E. Fifth Ave.): This used to be Park City Junior High School. It was built in 1927 and designed by Baumann and Baumann. It's now an apartment building.
- 2336 Woodbine Avenue: This American Foursquare-style house was built around 1900. It once served as Knoxville's Florence Crittenton home.
Parkridge Community Life
The Parkridge Community Organization (PCO) says that Parkridge is an urban neighborhood. About 3,500 people live in 1,800 houses there. The neighborhood is "racially mixed," with about 65% Black residents and 35% White residents.
Parkridge is home to nine churches and six non-profit groups. You can also find several parks and community centers here:
- Caswell Park
- Cansler YMCA
- John T. O'Connor Senior Center
- Knoxville Municipal Stadium (formerly Bill Meyer Stadium)
Larger attractions like Chilhowee Park and Zoo Knoxville are located just east of Parkridge, off Magnolia Avenue.
