One of our first major finds was hidden behind the paneling on this non-descript looking wall. During our closing in April 2013, the sellers told us about some interesting windows with a crank that was used to open them. This piqued the interest of me and my wife. So one of the first things … Read more
I’ve lived many places, but never before have I had a place to call my very own home. And while for the past 15 years my career has been spent advising other people on how to care of their historic properties, now I finally have an opportunity to put all of that accumulated knowledge into … Read more
Growing up this was called Greenfield Village. Only after many years into adulthood was the name changed to The Henry Ford to evoke the originator of much of the collection. In 1929, Henry Ford created Greenfield Village. He was informed by the philosophy of “learning by doing.” He paid tribute to his friend and hero, … Read more
The roots of the Levitt AMP Middlesboro concerts were in a gravel parking lot in the heart of a downtown. Both had seen better days. An early sixteen by sixteen foot platform stage was built in October 2013 during the Better Block Middlesborough event. A small ensemble played a concert to a few people during … Read more
T. J .Collins designed the Marquis Building on Beverley Street with a corner turret, bay windows, and gable-roofed bays. Together these give this commercial building a commanding presence at the intersection that it rests upon. The T. J .Collins designed Switzer Building with triple arches on the 2nd floor based on larger Venetian palazzos with … Read more
The 1982 World’s Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held from May 1, 1982 to October 31, 1982. Over 11 million visitors attended. The fair was constructed on a 70-acre site between downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee. This was previously a deteriorated Louisville and Nashville Railroad yard and depot. … Read more
The Wilderness Road, or Trail, began centuries ago as a buffalo trace winding through the narrow gaps of the eastern mountains. To American Indians it was known as Athawominee – path of the armed ones, or Warrior’s Path. In the spring of 1775 Daniel Boone, employed by Richard Henderson’s Transylvania Land Company, hacked out a … Read more
Morristown is a Tennessee Main Street community. This is an indicator that they follow the four-point approach to commercial district revitalization. This focuses on action in four areas – design, organization, economic restructuring, and promotion. Design is the point where Morristown stands out as an exemplar and outlier due to the pedestrian structures accessing upper … Read more
The Woodrow Wilson Museum in Staunton, Virginia features the house where Wilson was born, a World War I trench warfare exhibit, and a Pierce-Arrow limousine. There are also surrounding gardens to explore. As President of Princeton University, Wilson undertook reforms to make Princeton a major university that trained leaders for the nation. He sought to … Read more
The Southern Appalachian National Park Association was formed in Asheville to explore the goal of creating a 12,000-square mile park whose boundaries spanned parts of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. By the 1920s the 814-square-mile area that would become Great Smoky Mountain National Park had lost two-thirds of its forest cover to … Read more