1015 Court St.
Built in 1921 for Ernest Chalmers “Brownie” Brown (1889 – 1974). He worked at Maryville College (1910 – 1961) as the campus engineer whose service of fifty-one years on the staff set a record that is not likely to be broken. Brownie was also a student at the school and married a Maryville College student, Jessie McCulley. The couple’s three children carried on the tradition and were all Maryville College alumni. Brownie’s son-in-law, Judson Murphy, is considered “father of the motor mile” on Alcoa Highway. Murphy bought the land where several dealerships are located today. In 1981, Ernest Brown’s heirs sold the property to future mayor of Maryville, Joseph “Joe” Swann. Joe served as mayor from 2003 – 2008. He sold the residence in 1987 to Gerald and Vivian Lonas. Current owners, Patrick and Katie O’Neal, purchased the home in 2023.
1007 Court St.
Built in 1930, “The Little House” was bought by Clemmie Jane Henry in 1924. Throughout Clemmie’s career at Maryville College (1918 – 1962, she served in multiple positions including Special Assistant to the President and was one of the first two women on the college Board of Directors.
Clemmie’s needle-working program was known nationwide as it made college feasible for women by giving them a way to raise tuition money. Her efforts raised over $500,000 for Maryville College resulting in her being granted an honorary Doctor of Law degree.
Clemmie shared the house with Dr. Elizabeth Jackson, who taught English for over forty years at Maryville College. Her career included editing the Merriam-Webster New International Dictionary, serving as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune and dialect mapping.
Eventually, the house was sold to Bill Ribble, Director of Maryville College Financial Aid and later willed to the home’s current owner, Dr. Margie Stevenson Ribble.
A Maryville College faculty member for 21 years, Dr. Ribble is known for her love of mathematical patterns, especially the Fibonacci. She is also an accomplished violinist.
304 Indiana Ave.
The residence on 304 Indiana Avenue was constructed circa 1885 for Dr. Royal Jennings (1822-1889) and is the oldest home on this year’s College Hill Home Tour. Later, Dr. Clinton Hancock Gillingham (1877-1955) lived in the house from 1918 to 1921. He taught Bible and religious education (1907-1929) and served as registrar (1907-1926) at Maryville College.
Dr. Horace Eugene Orr (1886-1958) bought the house in 1921 and lived there until his death. He taught Bible, religious education, and philosophy at Maryville College (1920-1958) and served as Chair of the Philosophy and Religious Studies department. In 1965, Orr’s widow then sold the house to Dr. Dorothy Horn (1906-2001) who taught music at Maryville College. This home was last sold to the current owners, Ben and Mary Grace Taylor.
Restored hardwoods & wide plank pine floors, flat panel pegged doors w/original doorknobs, & claw foot tubs name just a few of the amenities adding to the charm of this beautiful historic home.
918 Hunter Ln.
In 1935, E. R. Hunter, college professor, bought this property from Lettie Barnes. He paid $65 for various trees to be planted on the lot. In 1938, construction started on the house at what was then known as 918 Maple Lane. The house cost $6,000 to construct and went on the tax rolls in 1940.
The home was constructed using brick veneer with five bedrooms and two full baths on the main level. Three bedrooms on the lower level were used for a time as a doctor’s office, and later, rented out to students from Maryville College. Professor Hunter taught English at Maryville College until the early 1960’s.
n August, 1964, the property was sold to Arthur Ainsworth for $18,000, and the street was still known at that time as Maple Lane. The house again changed owners several years later when bought by Denny and Rebecca Mobbs before being purchased in June, 1970, by Lamar and Hilda Higdon for $22,000.
Finally, in October, 2013, the residence was bought by current owners, James and Maude Volk, from the Higdon estate. By that time, the street was known as Hunter Lane, named after the original owner.
The Chilhowee Club
223 Clarion Ave.
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 Cub 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 Walker (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 offers a piano and sound system and is now used for multiple types of events such as banquets or as a stage for performing arts.