The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future were out in full force for last weekend’s Historic Old North Knoxville Victorian Home Tour. And I mean that literally—one tour-goer came barreling past me down the creaking stairs of a restoration-in-progress home, the front of his shirt soaked, swearing up and down that “a ghost threw my drink on me.”
Honestly, I don’t not believe him. If I was a ghost who’d spent decades enjoying the peace and quiet of my ivy-cloaked, crumbling Victorian sanctuary, only to have it overrun by gawkers and fixity-upity types, I might chuck a spiked cider or two myself. Respect, ghost. Respect.
Spirits notwithstanding, the 34th annual tour, held Dec. 7-8, was a delight. This year’s lineup featured eight historic homes: five fully restored beauties ready to dazzle and three ‘works-in-progress,’ which offered a glimpse of the bones of a home—the past and future laid out bare, and your imagination free to run wild. The tour began and ended at Rose Funeral and Cremation and Fourth United Presbyterian Church.
In Old North Knoxville, history is lived, felt and woven into the everyday. Once rolling farmland, the neighborhood blossomed into a “streetcar suburb” in 1889, complete with then-modern luxuries like waterlines, paved streets and a fire station. By 1897, North Knoxville officially joined the city, and its eclectic mix of homes began telling stories of their own.
Today, these tree-lined streets are a feast for fans of architectural eye candy, with Victorian-gilded porches next to grand Neoclassical columns, Queen Anne whimsy rubbing elbows with Craftsman bungalows, and Folkstyle cottages adding their own charm to the mix. Inside, many homes boast meticulous restorations—coal-burning fireplaces with original mantels, wide-plank floors, and intricate woodwork. Others have been snatched from the jaws of fire and neglect, their historic character painstakingly preserved and paired with modern updates.
And yet, this is no museum. It’s a vibrant neighborhood where the past dances with the present and shapes the future. On any given day, you’ll find residents gardening, jogging, or swapping cocktails and stories on porches. But for one December weekend each year, the doors swing open wide, inviting everyone to step into the stories these homes—and their ghosts—have to share.
Guilford House (1333 Armstrong Avenue)
This house is a home tour staple, and its annual reappearance feels like catching up with that friend whose life you’ve followed through their Christmas card updates. Marriage, kids, and now, can you believe it, little Hunter’s off to college? Seems like just yesterday he was snot-nosed crying in reindeer antlers for the family holiday photo shoot, and now he’s doing a semester abroad in Italy.
Built around 1915, the Guilford House is a textbook example of Craftsman-style architecture, a movement that politely told Victorian frills and fussy details to take a seat. Instead of turrets and over-the-top gingerbread, this house features strong, simple lines and honest craftsmanship. Its porch steals the show, with hefty sawn wood beams, braces, and king posts perched solidly on chunky brick piers with cross-braced capitals. The brick balustrade and foundation complete the look, saying, “This house is here to stay.”
And stay it has—along with the story of Charles Henry and Flora Rowe Paull, who built it. Their meet-cute involved her piano purchase from Godfrey Scheitlin Music Store on Gay Street, where he was working, and they later founded Rowe Transfer & Storage Co. with Flora’s brothers. After Charles passed, Flora stepped up as vice president.
Over the years, renovations have preserved the Guilford House’s historic charm. Original plaster walls, ceilings, and hardwood floors remain, as do the living room mantel and built-ins in the dining room and butler’s pantry.
Mays House (1235 Armstrong Avenue)
Restoration work hasn’t yet begun on this Craftsman gem, but its story is already music to the ears. At least a couple home tour visitors shared memories of taking piano lessons here, and the house leans into the theme with antique pianos on display. Coincidence? Or, between the Mays House’s tuneful past and the piano-fueled romance next door, could Armstrong Avenue be the official piano spirit vortex of Old North Knox? Cue the eerie scales in the background.
Built in 1915, this one-and-a-half-story Craftsman home was first occupied by Dr. Glenn A. Metcalf, a celebrated veterinary surgeon and president of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Dr. Metcalf’s tenure was cut short when he passed away at St. Mary’s Hospital just over the hill at the age of 56.
In 1954, Richard Mays purchased the home, and for the next 70 years three generations of Mays family lived under its roof. Ms. Mays, ever the innovator, installed a call button in the primary suite to summon her children from upstairs—a mid-20th-century precursor to yelling, “Don’t make me come up there!”
Sold just last month, the house is poised for a fresh encore under the care of Sean Boles and Trevor Stafford. Restorations will soon highlight the home’s showstopping features: rare 1 1/4-inch oak flooring on the first floor, an impressive Craftsman staircase, original octagonal doorknobs, unpainted oak trim, heart pine floors upstairs and clawfoot tubs.
Sparks-Golliher House (206 West Glenwood Avenue)
Some houses practically throw on a holiday sweater and strike a pose, and the Sparks-Golliher House is one of them. Its terracotta roofline pops against a moody December sky like it’s been waiting all year to shine. And then there’s the yard’s crown jewel: a majestic Gingko tree that’s not just beautiful but also historic, ranking as the 3rd oldest in Knox County and earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Trees. With or without ornaments, it was hands-down my favorite tree of the whole tour.
Built in 1916, this one-and-a-half-story home was first owned by Otto T. Roehl, an entrepreneur and visionary behind the Broadway Viaduct and Henley Street Bridge. Roehl’s appreciation for sturdy, timeless design is evident throughout the house, from its unique stucco exterior—a rarity in a time when wood siding was the norm—to its original wood floors, fireplaces and windows, which have all been lovingly preserved. In 1917, the home passed to Mrs. Ella J. Oldham, a widow and former stenographer, who lived here until her death in 1937.
The house didn’t just rest on its historic laurels, though. Modern updates include a carriage house converted into a sleek, functional home office and a backyard built for entertaining: a flagstone patio, a gas fire pit topped with volcanic rock, and a built-in gas grill with granite counters and a hood designed to match the main house. Clearly, this house knows how to host a good time, past and present.
Bertha Clark House (523 East Oklahoma Avenue)
For many years, this condemned, vine-smothered Eastlake Victorian was on my jogging route. And each time I passed it, I squinted into the overgrowth and wondered, “Is there even a house in there?”
Turns out, there was—and what a house it is. Rescued from the brink and still a work in progress, its natural beauty is finally breaking through.Even the transformation since this home was on tour last year (when it was raining inside) is quite miraculous. The staircase has been restored, with painstakingly replicated spindles, newels and balusters to replace those lost when the house was divided into a triplex. All stained-glass windows have been removed, repaired and reinstalled. The rounded walls and Eastlake hardware remain intact, and every clawfoot tub, mantel and door has been salvaged and reused.
Built in 1889 for Thomas and Helen Peed, this real-life dollhouse has a history as layered as its intricate design. Once thought to be the work of famed architect George Barber, it was recently confirmed as a creation of the Baumann Brothers. Inside, the dining room showcases extraordinary tilework designed by Herman Carl Mueller, whose artistry graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And that’s just the beginning. This house has ties to Knoxville’s most famous gunfight, George Barber, the YWCA, and even Mark Twain.
Currently being restored by Sean Boles and Alison Hardy, it has been rechristened the Bertha Clark House, honoring its longest resident. Ms. Clark, who lived here from the 1930s through the ’50s, was the founder and first conductor of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra—a remarkable achievement in 1930, or really, any era.
I lingered a little too long on that second-story porch, gazing out at the mature oak and magnolia, marveling at how a house can tell so many stories and still have room for more.
Bentley House (317 East Oklahoma Avenue)
This 125-year-old late Victorian stunner might have seen its share of history, but these days, it’s brimming with youthful energy and playful charm. Think less dusty antiques, more bursts of color popping off against a backdrop of whimsical blue-green that screams “joy lives here!” The owners admitted they’d been bombarded with questions about the wall color all weekend, and I joined the chorus, scrawling “PAINT WHOLE HOUSE BEHR ASPEN VALLEY” in my notes.
The house has been through a journey as dynamic as its current vibe. Originally built as a single-family home, it was converted into two apartments during the Great Depression, housing workers from nearby mills and railroads. In the 1910s and 1920s, it was home to the family of Carl K. Robinson, a machinist with the Southern Railway.
Purchased in 2004 by a neighbor, it was rescued from a state of extreme hot mess with an intensive restoration effort that included foundation work under the original kitchen. In 2005, it changed hands to an out-of-town owner who completed the restoration and brought the house back to life. The Bentley family, who purchased it in 2015, added three additional rooms and put their own touch on things, bringing it to its current lively state.
And that’s a wrap for part 1 of the 2024 Old North Knoxville Victorian Holiday Home Tour. Many thanks to those who contributed such detailed historical information to the Tour guidebook, which I’ve pillaged for this report. We’ll be back this afternoon with part 2 … stay tuned!
Learn more about Historic Old North Knoxville here.