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Senator Lamar Alexander to speak at Knoxville's Founder's Day Luncheon

KNOXVILLE– The Historic Homes of Knoxville is hosting a luncheon on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM at The Foundry to celebrate the founding of the City of Knoxville 221 years ago.

The public is invited to attend this special event. U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander will be the featured speaker. Knoxville's key leaders will come together to celebrate and promote the city and its most precious properties, including Blount Mansion, Crescent Bend House & Gardens, Historic Ramsey House, James White's Fort, Mabry-Hazen House, and Marble Springs State Historic Site. Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the Historic Homes.

blount mansion
Blount Mansion
crescent bend
Crescent Bend House & Gardens
ramsey house plantation
Ramsey House Plantation
james white fort
James White Fort

"Knoxville and the State of Tennessee owe their existence to the events that took place within these historic landmarks and the people who built them," says Arts & Culture Alliance Executive Director Liza Zenni. "We are very fortunate that they have been preserved. The funds raised through this event will help ensure that they continue to give our city its unique sense of place and history."

Lamar Alexander was born in Maryville, the son of a kindergarten teacher and an elementary school principal. He is a seventh generation Tennessean. He is chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, ranking Republican on both the energy appropriations subcommittee and rules committee and co-chairman of the TVA caucus. He is the first Tennessee Governor elected to consecutive four-year terms and the only Tennessean ever popularly elected both governor and U.S. Senator. Sen. Alexander has been U.S. Education Secretary, University of Tennessee president, and professor at Harvard's School of Government. He chaired the National Governors' Association and President Reagan's Commission on Americans Outdoors. In private life, he helped found what has become the nation's largest provider of worksite day care.

In his campaign for governor, Lamar Alexander walked 1,000 miles across Tennessee in his now famous red and black plaid shirt. Once elected, he helped Tennessee become the third largest auto producer and the first state to pay teachers more for teaching well. He is a classical and country pianist and the author of seven books, including Six Months Off, the story of his family's life in Australia after he was governor. Lamar Alexander and Honey Buhler were married in 1969. They have four children and five grandchildren. He is a Presbyterian elder.

The Historic Homes of Knoxville are uniformly significant in Tennessee's accession as the 16th state in 1796. Apart from the paramount importance of their preservation, each house museum offers events and educational opportunities that benefit the community at large. For more information on the Historic Homes, visit www.hhknoxville.org.

Built in 1786, James White's Fort was home to the founder of Knoxville. More than 10,000 visitors tour the Fort each year and experience the frontier lifestyle through hands-on interpretation of Open Hearth Cooking, Blacksmithing and Spinning.

Marble Springs was the home of John Sevier (1745-1815), Tennessee's first governor and Revolutionary War hero. The site is a destination for over 2,000 school children and hosts a variety of hands-on workshops and Living History events that give visitors a glimpse into late 18th- and early 19th-century life.

Construction on Blount Mansion began in 1792, making it the oldest museum in Knox County. As the birthplace of the state of Tennessee, the site offers educational visits from K-5, and all lesson plans follow the Tennessee State Curriculum. Blount Mansion also hosts field trips for homeschool groups.

Historic Ramsey House was built in 1797 by Knoxville's first builder, Thomas Hope, for Francis Alexander Ramsey, one of Knoxville's first settlers. Ramsey House's educational programs all incorporate social studies, science, and math, and adhere to state education standards. The programs allow visitors to see and experience how people lived in the 1800's.

Historic Crescent Bend House & Gardens is one of the Southeast's finest house museums and gardens. Built in 1834 by Drury Paine Armstrong, Crescent Bend was once a 900-acre working farm and so named for its prominent setting overlooking a majestic crescent bend in the Tennessee River just west of downtown Knoxville. Offering museum and garden tours, Crescent Bend also serves as a popular venue for special events.

Built in 1858 and housing three generations of the same family from 1858-1987, the Mabry-Hazen House served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. Mabry-Hazen offers private tours to individuals and schools, and contains the original family collection of over 5,000 family heirlooms. In addition, the museum oversees the Bethel Cemetery, the resting place for more than 1,600 Confederate Soldiers. The cemetery also contains a small museum built in the caretaker's cottage dating from 1886.

Each of these historic homes is a chapter of history unto itself. Together they exemplify and celebrate the continuing pioneering spirit that created Knoxville 220 years ago.

The luncheon will be held on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM at The Foundry, 747 World's Fair Park Drive in downtown Knoxville. WBIR's Robin Wilhoit will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies. Advance single tickets are $50 ($60 at the door); a table of eight is $400. Supporters may donate an additional $100 to the Historic Homes for the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Senator Alexander. Tickets can be purchased at www.KnoxTIX.com or by calling 865-523-7521.

Published September 21, 2012

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