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Mabry-Hazen House seeks volunteers for Park Day

On Saturday, April 6, 2019, history buffs, community leaders, and preservationists will aid in the maintenance and restoration of numerous sites as part of Park Day, the American Battlefield Trust’s annual hands-on preservation event. Thousands of volunteers across the country will participate as Park Day celebrates its 23rd year with events in 32 states.

In Knoxville, Mabry-Hazen House will host a Park Day event beginning at 9am.

Needs will include clearing underbrush from a historic dogwood grove, mulching beds, removal of invasive plants, planting flowers, preparing the garden beds, and general spring-cleaning. Some tools will be provided, but volunteers are encouraged to bring rakes, pitchforks, tarps, and similar yard tools.

Patrick Hollis, executive director and curator of Mabry-Hazen House, will also be available to describe the site’s significance. In case of rain, Park Day will be rescheduled for the following Saturday, April 13th.

The ​Park Day volunteer event will be from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on April 6. Volunteers should meet at 1711 Dandridge Ave.

The American Battlefield Trust is a national nonprofit land preservation organization devoted to the protection of America’s hallowed battlegrounds. It saves the battlefields of the Civil War, Revolutionary War and War of 1812, and educates the public about their importance in forging the nation we are today. To date, the Trust has preserved over 50,000 acres of battlefield land in 24 states. Learn more at battlefields.org.

The Mabry-Hazen House Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is located atop Mabry’s Hill in Knoxville. Built in 1858, three generations of the same family resided in the Italianate-style home overlooking downtown Knoxville, Tennessee River, and Great Smoky Mountains. The museum showcases one of the largest original family collection in America with over 2,000 original artifacts on display. Furnished and decorated in the style of several decades, Mabry-Hazen gives a rare view into 130 years of Knoxville history.

During the Civil War, both North and South occupied Mabry’s Hill and the home. Confederate military forces fortified the site as a supply depot, while U.S. forces heavily fortified the position and officers used the home as quartermaster headquarters. Joseph Mabry, the original, effectively followed ebb and flow of Knoxville’s position during the war. Initially, he pledged his loyalties to Confederacy, but following the arrival of the Union army in early September 1863, Mabry realigned himself with the Union. Mabry offered the unconcealed access to goods from his businesses. Joseph Mabry was not exactly a war profiteer, but business interests overrode personal politics.

Volunteers can participate in Park Day online using #ParkDay2019.

Published March 20, 2019









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