Parkridge to host 1945-Era Home Tour in October

A stored home in the Historic Parkridge Neighborhood in North Knoxville. Image courtesy of Parkridge Community.

If you would like to tour a revived 1920’s urban neighborhood, you will have an opportunity on Sunday, October 25, 2015 with a visit to a historic neighborhood in North Knoxville. The Historic Parkridge Neighborhood will be hosting a 1945-Era Home Tour from 1:00-6:00 p.m.

Present-day Parkridge encompasses the early Edgewood subdivision which contains many houses built by George Barber, a 19th-century, Victorian house architect. This tour features a variety of homes with a focus on occupants during the Swing era, immediately after WWII. As you tour 8 open houses and 3 homes in the Park Place condominiums, you will learn about this history. WWII living historians will help set the ambiance. Swing Dancing with period music will be offered in the Park Place gymnasium at 6pm, following the main portion of the home tour. Ticket holders may participate in the dancing at no additional cost.

The homes will span the eras from the 1890’s to the 1945. A walking tour of 20 homes not open to the public will be included. The walking tour will focus on the history of the homes and their former occupants in 1945.

Tickets are $10 per person if purchased in advance and $12 on the day of the event. Children under 12 are admitted for free. Parking is available at the Ashley Nicole Park, 620 Winona Street, 37917. Tickets may be purchased in advance at K-Brew, Saw Works Brewery, Three Rivers Market, www.parkridgecommunity.wordpress.com, or at Ashley Nicole Park until 4:00pm the day of the tour. Walking is necessary and many houses have steps. Parkridge is a bike-able neighborhood and tour-goers are welcome to ride bicycles.

Parkridge is an urban neighborhood built mostly in the 1920’s. The houses are close together; sidewalks connect its residences to major roadways and businesses. The neighborhood is less than 2 miles from downtown Knoxville. Parkridge is a racially diverse neighborhood. There are 1,800 residences with 2,774 people living within Parkridge. There are 9 churches and 6 non-profit organizations based within the neighborhood. Parkridge has gained notoriety for having the largest concentration of George Barber homes in the nation.

Published September 26, 2015