West Hills, Knoxville facts for kids
West Hills is a friendly neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee. It's located in West Knoxville, right near Kingston Pike. It was one of the first big neighborhoods built in Knoxville after World War II (around the 1950s). It was also special because it had many modern, one-story ranch-style houses. Even though many shopping areas grew nearby in the 1970s and 1980s, West Hills has stayed a quiet place for homes. This is thanks to a strong group called the West Hills Community Association. They work hard to keep the neighborhood residential.
Where is West Hills Located?
West Hills is about 7 miles (11 km) west of downtown Knoxville. It's just off Kingston Pike. The big highways, Interstate 40 and Interstate 75, run between West Hills and Kingston Pike.
The neighborhood has clear borders:
- Papermill Road is to the south.
- Weisgarber Road is to the east.
- Walker Springs Road is to the west.
Across Kingston Pike from West Hills, you'll find the large West Town Mall. To the east, across Northshore Drive, are the neighborhoods of Bearden and Forest Heights. The Turkey Creek shopping centers are to the southwest.
The Story of West Hills
Before the 1950s, the land where West Hills now stands was mostly small family farms. For example, the Will Walker farm covered 100 acres (40 hectares) near Wesley Road and Kingston Pike. Other farms, owned by the Kirby and Hickey families, were west of Vanosdale Road. Vanosdale Road is named after David Van Osdale, who lived there with his family on their 160-acre (65-hectare) farm.
After World War II, many people needed new homes. There weren't enough empty lots in Knoxville's older neighborhoods. To help with this, a developer named Morgan Schubert bought the Walker, Kirby, Hickey, and Van Osdale farms. He then created the West Hills neighborhood. He likely came up with the name "West Hills."
In 1954, Knoxville had a "Parade of Homes" event. New houses on Stockton Drive in West Hills were featured, which helped many of the first residents move into the neighborhood.
One of the first houses built was the Hotpoint Living-Conditioned House on West Hills Road. This house was part of a special project. Hotpoint Electrical Appliances and Living For Young Homemakers magazine wanted to show how a modern house with new appliances could be built without costing too much. A Knoxville architect named Bruce McCarty designed the house. It was built by Martin Bartling, Jr., and had beautiful gardens designed by Robert Zion. This special house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
As more shopping centers were built in West Knoxville in the late 1950s and 1960s, there was a worry that businesses might start moving into the West Hills neighborhood. In the early 1960s, some residents formed a group called the West Hills Estates Civic Association. This group, which later became the West Hills Community Association, worked hard to make sure that new buildings followed the rules and kept the neighborhood residential. In 1972, this group worked with the city to create the West Hills Plan. This plan helped guide how the neighborhood would grow and was later used as a model for other neighborhoods in Knoxville.
