Tour Homes
Explore the five homes featured on the 2026 College Hill Historic Home Tour and discover the people and stories that have shaped them over more than a century.
203 Wilson Ave
BUILT C. 1919
Built around 1919, this Wilson Avenue residence has longstanding ties to Maryville College. Early owners included Rosa Mead Cawood and Fred L. Proffitt, who served as treasurer of Maryville College. Around 1920, the home was acquired by Dr. George Alan “Daddy” Knapp, a professor of mathematics and physics at the college, who completed payment on the property in 1928.
In 1941, the house was purchased by Blanche Bayliss Bailey, who worked at The Maryville Times. The home passed through subsequent owners over the decades and was acquired in 2024 by Carrie Poteat and Trevor Iaconis.
256 Wilson Ave
BUILT C. 1938
Built around 1938, this Wilson Avenue residence dates to the period when Walter H. Martin acquired the property from Fay Hershey. By 1941, the home was being leased to J. O. Albright. In 1944, it was purchased by Elwood Harold Key, proprietor of Broadway Shoe Shop in downtown Maryville.
The property remained connected to the Key family until 1985, when Bernice Key sold it to Dale Best. It later passed to Tony and Diana Steele in 1999, and Chris and Jennifer Hackler acquired the home in 2004.
122 Goddard Ave
BUILT C. 1916
Built in 1916, this Goddard Avenue residence was constructed after William B. Chandler acquired the property from Montgomery May. Chandler attended Maryville College and later worked as a real estate dealer.
Following Chandler’s death, his widow, Hattie, remained associated with the property until selling it in 1964 to Lewis and Laverne Reagan. Brandon Herriage has owned the home since 2017.
135 Miller Ave
BUILT C. 1907
Built around 1907 by contractor Robert Butler Oliver, this Miller Avenue residence is connected to one of the more remarkable figures represented on this year’s tour. Oliver’s work included construction of a railroad connecting Maryville with southern Blount County, operation of the Maryville Hosiery Mills, and work on the Panama Canal.
Oliver sold the property in 1910 to Jennie Newby Kithcart, whose husband, Robert Kithcart, operated a harness shop in downtown Maryville. The home was sold to Lou Goddard Henry in 1923 and remained in the Henry family for decades. Bessie Henry Olin sold the property to Ronald Horne in 1979. Today, the home is owned by Keith and Sandy Jones.
203 Miller Ave
BUILT C. 1908
Built around 1908 by contractor Robert Butler Oliver, this Miller Avenue residence later became closely associated with the Gamble family. In 1926, Joe H. Gamble, clerk and master of Blount County, sold the property to his unmarried sisters Mollie, Alice, and Martha Gamble.
The sisters were daughters of Maj. Alexander Marion Gamble, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War and later served as superintendent of Blount County Schools from 1884 to 1887. Martha Gamble sold the home in 1954 to Robert and Iva Henderson. David and Alexa Parnell have owned the property since 2024.
Chilhowee Club
223 Clarion Ave.
BUILT C. 1908
The second oldest Federated Women’s Club in Tennessee, the Chilhowee Club was founded in 1891 by six women connected with Maryville College. In 1894, ladies from another area of Maryville organized the Tuesday Club. The two clubs united in 1939 under the Chilhowee Club name. This is why, even today, the Chilhowee Club meets on a Tuesday.
In 1931, before the two clubs joined, they collaborated on efforts to open Blount County’s first public library in Maryville. Over the years, club members have supported many community initiatives including the Blount County Library, Clayton Center for the Arts and the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Chilhowee and Jr. Chilhowee members worked collaboratively with others to open Haven House, a safe haven for victims of domestic violence in need of transitional
housing.
Susan Cooper Wallace (builder of Morningside in the Woods, now RT Lodge) donated three lots on the corner of Cates and Elm (changed to Clarion). Here is where the Clubhouse was completed in 1940 and is considered an architectural treasure. It is a charming venue that is now used for multiple types of events such as banquets or as a stage for performing arts and offers a piano and sound system.