This house is currently for sale by the City of Knoxville, Tennessee is currently accepting applications to purchase and develop properties through the Homemakers Program.
The minimum bid $6.000. It is also being promoted by some people as being an important part of our Black History and by others as the home of Joseph Knaffl, a well known local photographer.
Let's look at the these claims:
The only connection I can find between this house and Cal Johnson is that it is located on Speedway Circle. I have not found a home address for Cal Johnson, except for the State St address listed on his death certificate. Cal John died in 1925. His second wife died in 1927, and her address is also listed on State St.
Let's look at the these claims:
The only connection I can find between this house and Cal Johnson is that it is located on Speedway Circle. I have not found a home address for Cal Johnson, except for the State St address listed on his death certificate. Cal John died in 1925. His second wife died in 1927, and her address is also listed on State St.
In 1920, Joseph Knaffl was at the original location (918 S Gay). The information on the offer for sale says:
According to a KNS article (1926), the Knaffl house was torn down and J R Stephens built a replica, using materials salvaged from the old house. The house was built in Burlington, and the stone facade is made from stones from the Knaffl house, the staircase and paneling were also used.
James Rogers Stephens was a contractor. The address on his death certificate is 3738 Speedway Circle.
"It originally stood at 918 Gay Street, but was moved sometime between 1926-1928 when construction began on what was then a luxury hotel originally known as the Tennessee Terrace with the name later changing to honor president Andrew Johnson – present day’s A.J. Building."
According to a KNS article (1926), the Knaffl house was torn down and J R Stephens built a replica, using materials salvaged from the old house. The house was built in Burlington, and the stone facade is made from stones from the Knaffl house, the staircase and paneling were also used.
James Rogers Stephens was a contractor. The address on his death certificate is 3738 Speedway Circle.
Cyndy, the story about the house being moved is certainly a good one. I think Jack Neely covered it once. More likely though, is that the KNS article is correct. The Knaffl house was clearly three stories and had a bay window on the second floor. That would mean that the second floor was removed if the Speedway Circle house is the same. I would wager that materials were reused but that the house was not moved nor rebuilt. Here's a photo. http://cmdc.knoxlib.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p265301coll7/id/1627/rv/singleitem/rec/5
ReplyDeleteCheck the link. I only got an error.
DeleteThanks for the comment. I should have said that Stephens hired an architect to design the house. He wanted a stone facade, and he wanted to use the paneling from the dining room, an original staircase, and he wanted the front porch to be replicated.
ReplyDeleteHi Cyndy -- just wondering, does UT of The McClung Collection have any documents on the house?
ReplyDeleteMore likely you would find something at the East Tennessee History Center on Gay ST. It has the Knox County Archives on the second floor and the Calvin McClung Historical Collection on the third floor.
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