Knoxville Neighborhood of the Week: Historic Mechanicsville
© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.
This week Neighborhood of the Week revisits the western edge of downtown to take another look at a small community with a big history: historic Mechanicsville.
© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.
Not only does old Mechanicsville have a colorful history, it also contains perhaps the largest collection of 19th century architecture in Knoxville. From the Knox Heritage website:
The area of present day Mechanicsville which contains the most intact number of historic structures was developed initially as Deaderick’s Addition, J.W. Swann’s Addition, and Moses Fairview Addition. This area contains the larger Queen Anne and Italianate houses built for factory owners and area businessmen, and the smaller cottages of factory workmen…
Mechanicsville derives its name from the large number of factories that developed just outside its boundaries during the late 18th and early 20th centuries. It was settled around 1880. By 1883, Mechanicsville had a population of over 2,000. Most residents of the Mechanicsville worked in the factories and mills that surrounded the neighborhood. Mechanicsville, with its railroad and water source (Second Creek), quickly became the center for industrial activity in Knoxville…
One of the first industries to locate in Mechanicsville was the Knoxville Iron Company, incorporated in 1868 … The Knoxville Iron Company manufactured bar iron, nails, and railroad spikes, as well as ornamental iron. Ornamental iron fences and trim on houses in Mechanicsville are probably products of the Knoxville Iron Company.
Other industries in Mechanicsville included Knoxville Brewing Company, Knox Standard Handle, W.H. Evans & Son (suppliers of Italian marble), The Pottery and Pipe Works, Knoxville Box & Keg Factory, a railroad turntable factory, a broom factory, a soap factory, Cudley Planning Mill and Knoxville Car & Wheel…
In addition, the Mechanicsville area is home to Knoxville College, founded in 1875.
© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.
Knox Heritage has even more on the history of the area, as well as an online tour. If you’re more
interested in architecture, Restore Knoxville has a great write up on the neighborhood’s many architectural styles.
© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.
The Mechanicsvile area is still very much in transition, and while some of the homes have been restored to their former glory, others are still waiting for urban renewal to come their way. Since homes are priced according to the level of restoration they’ve undergone, expect prices to be somewhat disparate.
So, if you’re looking for an emerging area close to downtown and rich in history and architecture, and don’t mind the possibility of some sweat equity, definitely check out historic Mechanicsville.
Note: While there is newer construction near the older part of Mechanicsville, for the purposes of this NOTW I’m only going to be looking at the small area that most people consider to be the “historic” section of Mechanicsville.
Here’s historic Mechanicsville by the numbers -
Mechanicsville*
Current On-Market Listings – 1
Asking Price: $34,500
Details: 1 BR, 1 BA, 700+ sq ft updated Victorian cottage
Current Pending Sales - 1
Asking Price: $259,900
Details: 3 BR, 2 BA, 2500+ sq ft completely restored from 1889)
Closed Sales – 3rd Quarter 2008 – 2
Average Asking Price – $53,200
Average Sales Price – $39,500
Average Square Ft- 1822
Average Days on Market -40
Closed Sales – 3rd Quarter 2007- 0
Average Asking Price – NA
Average Sales Price – NA
Median Sales Price – NA
Average Days on Market – NA
*Data taken from KAARMLS on 12/15/08 does not include condos, PUDS, adjacent neighborhoods or multi-family units.
As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.
If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Mechanicsville Listings” or “New Mechanicsville Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Nobody wants Spam for Christmas.
I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting places to feature on NOTW. If you have a suggestion, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Author: Suzy
Hard working Knoxville real estate agent by day. Intrepid Knoxville real estate blogger by night.
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