Parkridge, Knoxville

Parkridge is located in East Knoxville, and is bounded by Interstate 40 on the north, Magnolia Avenue (part of US-70) on the south, Hall of Fame Drive on the west, and Cherry Street on the east. The Chilhowee Park neighborhood lies opposite Cherry Street to the east, Fourth and Gill lies opposite Hall of Fame Drive to the west, Morningside lies to the south, and North Hills lies opposite I-40 to the northeast. First Creek has traditionally divided the area from Downtown Knoxville to the southwest, and expressway construction, namely Hall of Fame Drive and the James White Parkway, has sharpened this division in recent decades. ==History==

Lake Ottossee What is now Parkridge was once part of a vast farm owned by Moses White, the son of Knoxville founder James White. In 1875, Fernando Cortes Beaman (1836–1911), a college professor, purchased an dairy farm east of Shieldstown from the descendants of Alexander McMillan. The various new subdivisions along Park Avenue incorporated as Park City in 1907, with W. R. Johnson serving as mayor. The new city had a population of 7,000, and its new school, Park City High School, had an enrollment of over 1,000 students, making it one of the largest in the state (the school building was designed by Barber and his new partner, R. F. Graf). ==Park City Historic District==

In 1990, a large portion of Parkridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Park City Historic District. This district contains 678 contributing buildings, the most of any of the Knox County's National Register-listed historic district. Most of the buildings were constructed in the first half of the 20th century, and have architectural styles ranging from Bungalow/Craftsman to Tudor Revival. Several notable Victorian houses built during the late 19th century survive, however, especially along Washington and Jefferson avenues. Notable properties • George Franklin Barber House (1635 Washington Ave.), a Queen Anne-style house built in 1889 and designed by architect George Franklin Barber. Barber lived here from 1889 until 1895. • Alonzo Cash House (1712 Washington Ave.), built in 1889 and designed by George Franklin Barber. This house was featured as design #3 in Barber's catalog, The Cottage Souvenir. • W. O. Haworth House (1724 Washington Ave.), built in 1889 and design by George Franklin Barber. This house was featured as design #35 in Barber's The Cottage Souvenir No. 2. • F. E. McArthur House (1701 Jefferson Ave.), built in 1889 and designed by George Franklin Barber. This house was featured as design #40 in Barber's The Cottage Souvenir No. 2. • D. D. Remer House (1618 Washington Ave.), built in 1890 and designed by George Franklin Barber. This house, restored by Knox Heritage in 2006, was featured as design #65B in Barber's New Modern Dwellings. • Joshua Deaver House (1803 Washington Ave.), built in 1893 and designed by George Franklin Barber. This house was featured as design #63 in Barber's New Modern Dwellings. • 2041 Washington Avenue, a Queen Anne-style house built c. 1893 and designed by architect John Ryno, a later partner of George Barber. Ryno lived here during the 1890s. • 2336 Woodbine Avenue, an American Foursquare-style house built c. 1900. This house served as Knoxville Florence Crittenton home for several years. • 2511 East Fifth Avenue, a Craftsman-style house with Prairie features, built c. 1915. • 2512 East Fifth Avenue, a Bungalow-style house with Prairie features, built c. 1915. • 2331 and 2343 Washington Avenue, identical two-story Eastlake-style houses, built c. 1890. • Central Church of Christ (1932 Woodbine Ave.), a two-story cement block church constructed c. 1910. • Fifth Avenue Baptist Church (2500 E. Fifth Ave.), a brick church constructed in the neoclassical style c. 1921. • Park Lane (1721 E. Fifth Ave.), a two-story apartment building constructed c. 1915 in the Colonial Revival style. • Pleasanttree (2460 E. Fifth Ave.), an Italian Renaissance-style apartment building constructed c. 1925. • Stewart Building (2362 E. Fifth Ave.), a two-story Italian Renaissance-style apartment building, constructed c. 1920. • 1805 East Fifth Avenue, two identical two-story apartment buildings constructed c. 1915 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. ==Community==

The Parkridge Community Organization (PCO) describes Parkridge as an urban neighborhood with approximately 3,500 people living in 1,800 houses. The neighborhood is "racially mixed," at 65% black and 35% white. The neighborhood is home to nine churches and six non-profit organizations. Caswell Park, Cansler YMCA, John T. O'Connor Senior Center, and Knoxville Municipal Stadium (formerly Bill Meyer Stadium) are located in Parkridge. The larger Chilhowee Park and Zoo Knoxville are located off Magnolia to the east. ==References==