With the advent of the automobile in the 1920s, many middle-class and affluent Knoxvillians began moving from the city's urban neighborhoods to automobile-oriented neighborhoods on the city's periphery. It was during this period that developer George Fieldan and his brothers, Hugh and Carl, founded the North Hills Corporation with the intent of establishing such a neighborhood. In 1927, the Fieldans purchased encompassing what is now North Hills Boulevard, Fountain Park Boulevard, and Kenilworth Lane, and began laying off lots. The first house, 1929 North Hills Boulevard, was erected that same year. By 1933, seventy-five houses had been built in North Hills, and 175 lots remained available. Along with the Fieldans themselves, early residents included doctors, attorneys,
University of Tennessee professors, executives of local companies, and
Southern Railway employees. The establishment of the
Tennessee Valley Authority in 1933 helped the neighborhood continue to develop during the
Great Depression, as a number of new lots were sold to TVA employees. The Fieldan brothers managed the North Hills Corporation into the 1950s, and the North Hills subdivision continued to expand during this period. The neighborhood's mix of architectural styles is typical for the mid-20th century. For the earliest houses in North Hills (i.e., late 1920s), the most common styles were
Tudor Revival,
Colonial Revival, and
Spanish Colonial Revival. During the 1930s, the most commons styles were
English Cottage Revival and Minimal Traditional, with the latter remaining common throughout the 1940s.
Ranch-style houses were common among new houses built North Hills during the 1950s. ==Notable properties==