The Historic Restoration winner is Knollwood, which was built atop Bearden Hill on the eve of the Civil War by Major John Reynolds. A few years ago, the property was purchased by a Nashville developer, who intended to develop a strip commercial center and demolish the house. Through the efforts of the Council of West Knox Homeowners and Knox Heritage, and with the support of Jean Teague, then on City Council, and Frank Leuthold, former County Commissioner, the house was saved and a historic overlay was placed on the property. That ended chapter one in the preservation effort.

Chapter two started when Schaad Properties purchased the house with the goal of reusing it for their offices and as the centerpiece of the property's development. The Schaad's consulted with George Ewart and Michael Versen in creating the restoration and landscape plans. The attention to detail is most impressive. Knollwood, you may know was General Longstreet's headquarters as he planned to attack the Union positions in Knoxville. The interior restoration would still be familiar to the General. For instance, the dining room where he planned his attack is now a conference room. The Commission found this project to be a very good example of the way in which a historic house that rests on a large tract of land can be the focus of new development, rather than a hidden after-thought.

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