Founders Day Luncheon will celebrate the City of Knoxville’s 227th birthday

The Historic Homes of Knoxville is inviting the public to a luncheon on Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at 11:30 AM at the East Tennessee History Center to celebrate the founding of the City of Knoxville 227 years ago. Steven E. Woodworth, American historian and professor of history at Texas Christian University, will discuss Civil War battles in East Tennessee.

Steven E. Woodworth

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, James White’s Fort, Mabry-Hazen House, Marble Springs State Historic Site, Ramsey House, and Westwood. Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the joint marketing activities of the Historic Homes. Tickets can be purchased at www.hhknoxville.org or by calling 865-523-7543 by September 28.

Steven E. Woodworth is the author, coauthor, or editor of twenty-eight books on the Civil War era. These include Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West (1990), Davis and Lee at War (1995), Six Armies in Tennessee: The Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns (1998), and While God Is Marching On: The Religious World of Civil War Soldiers (2001). Among his more recent books are a biography of William T. Sherman; Nothing but Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861-1865 (2005); and Manifest Destinies: Westward Expansion and the Civil War (2010), an examination of how territorial expansion during the 1840s contributed to the political crisis that led to the Civil War; and a short study of command in the Battle of Shiloh. He is currently working on a longer work tracing the careers of two civil war military companies -- Company E of the 44th New York and Company I of the 5th Texas—and their respective hometowns -- Albany, New York, and Independence, Texas -- from the years leading to the Civil War until the two companies met each other on the battlefield of Gettysburg. Woodworth teaches history at Texas Christian University.

Marilyn Kallet, the City of Knoxville’s current Poet Laureate, will also present an original piece specifically created to honor the event.

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 regular tours, events, and educational opportunities that benefit the community at large.

Built in 1786, James White’s Fort was home to the founder of Knoxville. More than 10,000 visitors tour the Fort each year to 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 for grades 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 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 was occupied by 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 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.

Historic Westwood was built as a “wedding promise” in 1890 by John E. Lutz and his wife, Adelia Armstrong Lutz and it remained in the family for 123 years. The Lutz’s home, designed by the notable Baumann Brothers architects, is constructed of brick and stone in the grand style of the late 19th century and contains the stunning artist studio built for Adelia, Tennessee’s first professional female painter. The home opened as Knox Heritage’s Regional Center for Historic Preservation in the spring of 2014.

Each of these historic homes is a chapter of history unto itself. Together they exemplify and celebrate the continuing pioneering spirit that created Knoxville 227 years ago.

The luncheon will be held on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 12:00 PM at the East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 South Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Guests may enjoy a meet & greet with Steven Woodworth at 11:30 AM, with the program and luncheon beginning at 12:00 PM. WBIR's Robin Wilhoit will perform the duties of Mistress of Ceremonies. Advance single tickets are $50; a table of ten is $500. Purchase tickets through www.hhknoxville.org or by calling 865-523-7543. Advance reservations are requested by September 28.

The Historic Homes of Knoxville is a partnership that shares resources and participates in joint marketing to present the history, culture, and heritage of Knoxville and East Tennessee.

The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Published September 4, 2018