FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                CONTACT:  KIM TRENT, (865) 523-8008

 

                                                                                                                                                                       

knox heritage announces six events to celebrate

national preservation month in may

 

Knoxville, TN (April 25, 2007) – Citizens in Knox County will join Knox Heritage and thousands of individuals around the country as part of a nationwide celebration of the 2007 National Preservation Month in May. “Making Preservation Work!" is the theme of the month-long celebration, which is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

 

Since the National Trust created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities with events ranging from architectural and historic tours and award ceremonies, to fundraising events, educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the National Trust extended the celebration to the entire month of May and declared it Preservation Month to provide an even longer opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and states and enable more Americans to become involved in the growing preservation movement. The first official Preservation Month was observed in 2005.

 

Here in Knoxville the Preservation Month 2007 celebration will be spearheaded by Knox Heritage. Six events have been planned that will allow residents and visitors to experience the unique history of Knox County and learn how they can help with preservation efforts in their community. The schedule of events includes:

 

Sunday, May 6th – Restore America Open Houses

Knox Heritage will open the doors to the most exciting initiative in its 33-year history. Visitors are invited to tour the two George Barber-designed houses Knox Heritage is completing in partnership with HGTV’s Restore America and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The houses are located at 1618 and 1620 Washington Avenue in the historic Parkridge Neighborhood. The open house is free and open to the public from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.

 

Knox Heritage’s Restore America initiative is made possible with local support from:

HGTV

Schaad Companies

Modern Supply

The Haslam Family

WBIR’s Style

Knoxville News Sentinel

Pilot

Charlie and Moll Anderson

Beaver Creek Nursery

Custom Marble and Design

Belstone & Tile

Ross/Fowler Landscape Architecture

Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace

High Oaks Construction

Graybar Electric

 

Thursday, May 10th - Lunch & Learn About Knoxville’s

Historic Theatres with Wallace Baumann

Mr. Baumann will educate and entertain with his slide presentation on Knoxville’s historic theatres. From the Tennessee Theatre and The Bijou to Staub’s Opera House and The Lyric, attendees will see the full range of entertainment options enjoyed by generations of Knoxvillians.

 

The Lunch and Learn will be held at 11:30 a.m. at The Foundry on the Fair Site. The cost for lunch will be $10 for Knox Heritage members and $12 for non-members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Knox Heritage office at (865) 523-8008 by May 9th.

 

Saturday, May 12th - Preservation Network:

Landscaping the Restore America Houses with Beaver Creek Nursery

Knox Heritage’s free, monthly workshop will focus on the landscaping plans for Knox Heritage’s Restore America houses. Mike Stansberry, owner of Beaver Creek Nursery, will share his gardening expertise and provide information on plants included in the Ross/Fowler designed landscaping plan for the Restore America houses. The Preservation Network is held on the second Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m. in the Time Warp Tea Room (1209 N. Central Avenue). The event is free and open to the public.

 

Located off Emory Road, Beaver Creek Nursery grows a wide variety of plants, but specializes in plants not readily available from other nurseries. Their goal is to provide plants that will deliver wonderful ornamental appeal for most of the year. Beaver Creek is a full service landscape design and installation company.

 

Saturday, May 12th - 1791 Heritage Society Spring Luncheon:

Discover Knoxville’s Only Harrie T. Lindeberg Country House

Knox Heritage’s 1791 Heritage Society will explore another Knoxville treasure and learn of its national importance. The group will gather at the former Hugh Sanford house, designed by Harrie T. Lindeberg, behind First United Methodist Church on Kingston Pike. After a presentation by the country’s leading expert on the importance of Lindeberg as a designer of country houses in America, the group will tour the house and then gather for lunch at the home of Jim and Kay Clayton.

 

Knox Heritage’s 1791 Heritage Society is made up of supporters who donate $1,000 or more to the organization annually. For more information on becoming a member and attending the luncheon, please call Knox Heritage at (865) 523-8008.

 

Thursday, May 15th - Fragile Fifteen Press Conference

Every May during National Preservation Month, Knox Heritage releases its list of Knox County’s most endangered historic buildings and places in order to educate the public and local leaders about the plight of significant historic resources. Often, the endangered buildings and places are representative of other endangered parts of our heritage. Knox Heritage is committed to acting as an advocate for the endangered properties we identify each year. We invite the community to join us in our efforts to save our endangered heritage through advocacy and action. Event time and location to be announced.

 

Saturday, May 19th –Neighborhood Trolley Tour:

Lyons View Pike & Sequoyah Hills

Each year during National Preservation Month, Knox Heritage partners with the Knoxville Junior League to present a trolley tour of historic neighborhoods. This year we will feature Lyons View Pike and Sequoyah Hills. Tours will depart from The Episcopal Church of the Ascension (800 Northshore Drive) at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Tour sponsored by Elizabeth Eason Architecture.

 

During the tour Knoxville Junior League volunteers will share the history of notable historic places along the route, including information on the families who called them home. The highlight of the tour will be a visit to the hilltop garden of Caesar and Dorothy Stair. Guests will enjoy the breathtaking views of the Tennessee River as they wind through the garden created by internationally acclaimed garden designer Ryan Gainey.

 

The cost for the tour will be $10 for Knox Heritage members and $15 for non-members. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling the Knox Heritage office at (865) 523-8008 by May 18th.

 

For more information about National Preservation Month and local activities please go online to visit http://www.nationaltrust.org/preservationmonth/ or www.knoxheritage.org.

 

Knox Heritage is the non-profit preservation advocacy organization for Knoxville and Knox County, Tennessee. We advocate for the preservation of places and structures with historic or cultural significance. Founded in 1974, the organization provides information and technical assistance on the economic and community development benefits of preservation; homeownership opportunities in targeted low-to-moderate income historic neighborhoods through the acquisition and restoration of blighted properties; advocacy for policies and programs that utilize historic preservation as a tool for community revitalization; educational activities for the public about the history of our community and how architecture tells its story; and provides numerous events and programs to support our mission. For more information, visit Knox Heritage’s website at www.knoxheritage.org.

 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable.  Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust was founded in 1949 and provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize communities.  Its Washington, DC headquarters staff, six regional offices and 28 historic sites work with the Trust’s 270,000 members and thousands of local community groups in all 50 states.  For more information, visit the Trust’s web site at www.nationaltrust.org.

 

 

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