With all due respect for 14-foot inflatable Grinches, animatronic manger scenes and light displays visible from space, I’ll take a string of popcorn and some paper snowflakes lovingly scotch-taped to a window over grandiose holiday decor any day. A little cheer can go a long way, and it was fine by me that some of the homes on this year’s Old North Knoxville Victorian Holiday Home Tour erred on the side of subtle. After all, by the order and decree of Todd Steed’s criminally underrated cult classic 2002 anthem:
Thank God for North Knoxville
where this town still looks like itself.
It’s the last place in America
ain’t tryin’ to be somewheres else.
That’s right. The real stars of the home tour are the quirks, character and quiet charm that make Old North Knoxville, well, itself. We owe a debt of gratitude to the folks who have poured their hearts into these living pieces of history, honoring their past while preserving their stories for the future. The tour offers nosy busybodies like me the opportunity to indulge in a bit of voyeurism into these homes, the likes of which you won’t find anywhere else in the city.
If you missed Part 1, catch up here. Onward, shall we?
Crenshaw-Summerow House (1124 Stewart Street)
Now THIS is what I’m talking about: understated, homemade holiday magic. The renter of this house manages to achieve more with simple paper chain garlands than most people can with a Target cart overflowing with Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia décor. Bonus points for her stellar demonstration of how much fun you can have with a nonfunctioning fireplace.
Built in 1894, this two-story Queen Anne is a study in neoclassical restraint. While it might lack some of the decorative flourish of earlier Victorian homes, its charm is undeniable. The house features a full front porch and a second-story sleeping porch—perfect for catching a cool breeze or spying on the neighbors back in the day. The large front window, divided into smaller panes, adds a touch of classical *chef’s kiss*.
Old North Knoxville tells a story of diversity in both architecture and the people who lived here. Historically, homes of varying sizes and ornamentation coexisted, offering options for all employees of a mill or company within the same neighborhood. Many homes were shared with boarders.
This house, for example, was first occupied by the W.A. Roberts family. Roberts, a carpenter and machinist for the Southern Railway, moved his family to this new home from nearby Baxter Avenue. By 1915, the W.O. Bayliss family had taken up residence. According to the 1920 census, Mr. Bayliss, who left school after the 3rd grade, worked for the Southern Railway—just like nearly every other neighbor on Stewart Street at the time.
Turpin House (1365 Shepard Street)
It’s worth taking a moment to appreciate how many houses in this neighborhood have had to fight tooth and nail for survival—facing threats from both “progress” and plain old neglect. This home, like so many of its neighbors, tells a story of resilience.
Built in 1903, the same year construction began on the Southern Railway Station, this single-story rental property reflects pragmatic simplicity. The station, completed in 1904, became a bustling hub and many of the nearby homes, like this one, were built to house Southern Railway employees. The first occupant, John W. Coile, worked as a car repairman for the railway. Over the years, the home became a revolving door of tenants, with a plumber, a driver for the Morgan Ice and Cold Company, and various Southern Railway laborers calling it home—most staying just a year before moving on.
By the 1980s, the house and its neighbors faced their biggest challenge yet: a proposed road project that would have widened Woodland Avenue, bulldozing everything south of it all the way to the alley behind East Scott Avenue. The community, refusing to let this historic downtown suburb be erased, fought back—and won.
Fair-Collins House (241 East Scott Avenue)
The award for “Christmas Tree That Could Have Tried Harder” goes to the barren branch standing proudly in the living room window of the Fair-Collins House—and honestly, it’s perfect. Minimalist, artsy and completely unapologetic, it matches the vibe of this bare-bones-but-beautiful home. Also, for those of us who like to daydream, the house is supposed to hit the market this week (*refreshes Zillow*).
Built in 1896, this home is a textbook George Barber creation—design #58B from his New Model Dwellings. Originally owned by James E. Fair, owner of the Fair Foundry on Oldham Avenue, the house carries a rich history. James’s son, J.E. Fair Jr., reminisced in a 1981 News-Sentinel article about his childhood here, complete with a barn in the back where he curried, fed, and saddled his horse.
At some point, the home was divided into four apartments, but the current owners bought the house in the late ’70s and restored it to its original glory. The exterior boasts classic Victorian flair, including an asymmetrical roofline, recessed porches on both the first and second stories, and a decorative attic dormer.
Rose Funeral and Cremation (1421 North Broadway)
There aren’t enough poinsettias in the world to make Rose Funeral and Cremation feel festive to me, given the number of going-away parties I’ve attended here. But credit where it’s due, they gave it the old college try. In addition to approximately one million cream and crimson blooms, there was a Santa perched by a crackling fireplace, all manner of hot drinks and sweet treats, and Rose’s resident “comfort” Golden Retriever, Ray.
Being outside a moment of mourning for once, it was nice to pause and appreciate the history and objective beauty of this place. Founded in 1932 by Frank L. Rose, the funeral home initially operated on the first floor of the Rose family home at Grainger and N. 4th Avenue. In 1935, the family relocated the business to its current site, purchasing a 55-year-old, two-story clapboard house from Mrs. Eleanor McReynolds. Built in 1880 by Lute and William O. White, the house later became home to Ben Morton, president of H.T. Hackney Co., former mayor of Knoxville, and a key figure in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In 1946, the house underwent a major transformation, with a Colonial brick façade and stately columns added to its exterior. Despite the changes, the original staircase, foyer, and much of the crown molding were preserved. A north-end addition in 1956, now known as the Garden Wing, introduced a central courtyard featuring a rose garden and a St. Francis fountain. As one of Knoxville’s oldest continuously operating businesses, Rose Funeral and Cremation has seen generations of families pass through its doors.
Fourth United Presbyterian Church (1323 North Broadway)
As a PR girlie, I’ve long maintained that The Church™ is in dire need of a rebrand. What if, instead of running people off with morality policing and divisive rhetoric, we said, “Hey, let’s all just go sit in a freakin’ gorgeous space once or twice a week, together, with the collective goal of bringing more love and peace into our lives and the world?”
The Presbyterians seem to get it, and Fourth United Presbyterian Church stands as a stunning outward manifestation of what that kind of beauty can look like in action.
This building, the church’s second, was dedicated on February 17, 1914, at a cost of about $22,000. The education wing was added in the early 1950s. Designed by Charles and David West Barber—renowned Knoxville architects and members of the church—it is admired for its architectural elegance, intricate stained-glass windows and Kilgen pipe organ.
The stained-glass windows, created in 1912 by the Louisville Art Glass Company, were originally intended for a church in Ohio. When that church opted for a different style, the Barbers incorporated the windows into their design for Fourth United Presbyterian, and the result is breathtaking. (Your loss, Ohio!) Reflecting German craftsmanship, the vivid colors have stood the test of time, casting the sanctuary in a rich, serene glow.
The original Möller pipe organ, installed in 1914, was replaced in 1947 by the current Kilgen organ, a rare and exceptional instrument. Enclosed in chambers with shutters that open and close, it produces a range of dynamics, blending characteristics of both theater and early 20th-century organs. While its console was upgraded in 1972, the pipework remains nearly original, making it the only Kilgen organ still in use in Knoxville.
Sitting inside this space, bathed in light from century-old stained glass and surrounded by the resonant sounds of its historic organ, it’s hard not to feel the kind of peace and connection that could make you a believer—not in dogma, necessarily, but in the power of shared intention.
And … that’s enough Irish coffee for me. Thank you for joining me on this Home Tour journey, and all my gratitude to the folks who put so much effort into researching the history of these amazing historic spaces for the guide, which I fully pillaged. Until next year (date TBD), cheers!
Learn more about Historic Old North Knoxville here.