Potential
Historic and Neighborhood Conservation Districts
As the history of the early suburbs such as Oakwood and Lincoln Park has
come to be better understood and with an appreciation of more recent architectural
styles, new opportunities for preservation are envisioned. The neighborhoods
that are potential candidates for historic preservation or neighborhood
conservation programs are outlined below.
- The
Morningside Drive-Prospect Place neighborhood: This area started to
develop in the early 1900s on a grid system with Four Square and Craftsman-style
houses. Later, Prospect Place developed on the small ridge to the
south with good examples of Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival houses.
In addition to preservation, appropriate infill is needed along East
Granville Terrace. This would help clean up areas that are used to
discard trash by providing a “neighborhood watch” from new residents.
-
The McCalla Avenue neighborhood: Located between Martin Luther King,
Jr. Avenue and Magnolia Avenue, a series of streets such as Linden
and McCalla Avenues include a large number of Victorian cottages and
Craftsman-style houses. They are all constructed on narrow lots formed
by the grid street system extending from Downtown.
- Oakwood-Lincoln
Park neighborhoods: These early suburbs were created to form neighborhoods
to serve the skilled workers associated with railroad and industrial
enterprises, particularly in the Second Creek valley. They include
good examples of Craftsman-style and various forms of Victorian architecture.
Oakwood was created by Clay Brown Atkin who installed streets and
sidewalks (although they appeared to be gravel streets and boardwalks
in a 1905 photograph), streetlights and other utilities. A trolley
line was extended, providing service to downtown every 15 minutes.
The houses were constructed with a minimum setback of 25 feet to provide
an adequate front yard. The Edgewood Improvement Company created Lincoln
Park. Like Oakwood, it was built with sidewalks and alleys. It also
included a school, churches and a grocery in its early development.
Both neighborhoods are largely in good condition and have potential
as conservation or historic districts.
- The
Chicago Avenue area (west of Nadine Street, north to Washington Pike):
This potential district includes a variety of late 19th and early
20th century housing. A few late Victorian-era homes are found along
Washington Pike, while good examples of Craftsman-style homes highlight
the neighborhood streets. Sidewalks, occasionally separated by planting
strips, enhance many of the local streets.
- The
Emory Place/5th Avenue area: The row houses, commercial buildings
and mixed-use buildings, such as the Beaman Building and Knoxville
High School, are tied to this potential district. Compatible infill
development, zoning that would encourage mixed use, and extensions
of this district to the interstate would be positive in the revitalization
of the area and would provide a better linkage to Downtown.
- The
west end of Fort Sanders: This small neighborhood composed of Craftsman
and revival style houses was recognized in the Fort Sanders Neighborhood
Plan as a potential conservation district.
- The
north side of Kingston Pike: This area contains some of the architectural
gems of the city including structures by the Barber architectural
firm and an eclectic mix of apartment buildings and revival style
architecture.
Programs
that are related to neighborhood conservation include:
- Down-zoning:
some areas that are still single family housing areas, like much of
Lincoln Park and Oakwood, are zoned for General Residential (R-2)
purposes, potentially allowing multi-family housing that is out of
scale and character with the traditional homes of the neighborhood.
Down-zoning is a potential solution in conserving such neighborhoods.
- Code
enforcement: pride and perceived value can be undermined when cars
are parked on planting strips and sidewalks, and when trailer rigs
are on neighborhood streets. City code prohibits such blighting influences.
- Traffic
calming: people sometimes park cars off the pavement because they
are concerned about damage to their parked vehicles from passing cars
or trucks. “Bulb outs” at corners and intermediate points along local
streets can help solve parking problems and make it safer for residents
to cross streets.
- Alley
improvements, including public improvements and guidelines for accessory
building and garage locations.
|
Morningside
Drive-Prospect Place
The
McCalla Avenue Neighborhood
Oakwood/Lincoln
Park
The
Chicago Avenue area
The
Emory Place/5th Avenue area
The
west end of Fort Sanders
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