Knox Heritage has embarked on its next restoration project! Together with Knoxville’s Cardinal Development and Kinsey Probasco Hays of Chattanooga, Knox Heritage announced in May of 2009 the final phase of the restoration of the Victorian-era houses at the World’s Fair Park in the Historic Fort Sanders neighborhood. As part of that plan, the development firms donated a circa 1888 house to Knox Heritage.
That generous donation marked several important milestones for Knox Heritage. It launched the organization’s “Gifts of Heritage” program, a new initiative designed to encourage donations and bequests of historic buildings to Knox Heritage so they can be permanently protected with preservation easements before being sold to new owners dedicated to their preservation. In cases of endangered properties, Knox Heritage will stabilize or restore them, and then make them available for purchase. The program is based on successful models in cities and states across the country where historic properties have been permanently protected while providing funding for preservation organizations to continue their work.
The house at 1011 Victorian Way (formerly 1011 Laurel Avenue), the tenth property acquired for restoration and resale by Knox Heritage, will also be the organization’s first to qualify as a LEED for Homes project. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs in sustainable practices such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to its impact. This project embodies the ideal merging of historic preservation and “green” building practices and will be a model for other communities. The goal is to have the Fort Sanders house certified at the LEED for Homes Silver level or greater.
Knox Heritage is partnering on this project with the City of Knoxville through its Solar America Cities program. The house will be a demonstration project, and grant funding will be used to install two types of solar energy devices to generate electricity and hot water. In addition, educational sessions will be provided for local contractors and citizens interested in utilizing solar technology. As one of twenty-five cities to be awarded a Solar America Cities grant by the U.S. Department of Energy, Knoxville is working to accelerate local adoption of solar energy technologies. Program initiatives are designed to remove market barriers by educating citizens about solar power, strengthening local solar technology supply and demand markets, increasing the visibility of solar power, and serving as a model for other cities in the region.
Additional grant funding for this project is being provided by the 1772 Foundation of Connecticut. The 1772 Foundation was established by Stewart B. Kean in 1984 for the purpose of preserving and enhancing American historical organizations, especially for entities with particular interest in farming, industrial development, transportation and unusual historical buildings. Specifically, the foundation provided funds for Knox Heritage’s J. Allen Smith Endangered Properties Fund which will be utilized in this project.
Project financing is being provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Clayton Bank and Trust. The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize communities. Staff at the Washington, DC, headquarters, six regional offices and 29 historic sites work with the Trust’s 270,000 members and thousands of preservation groups in all 50 states.
Corporate sponsorship support is being provided by Daikin, Modern Supply, Home Choice Windows and Doors, Insultech, Valspar Paint, BioBased Insulation, Cooper Drywall, Cortese Tree Specialists, Winco Tile, and ITS. Other corporate sponsors are expected to participate as the project proceeds. There will also be several opportunities for Knox Heritage members and the general public to tour the house throughout the process, so we hope you’ll attend those special events. Watch for updates, including photos and videos, on our web site.
The restoration would not be possible without volunteer assistance from many local architects and interior designers with experience in LEED certification and historic restorations. Knox Heritage would like to recognize and thank the following volunteers: Elizabeth Eason, Elizabeth Eason Architecture; Lee Ingram, Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects, Inc.; Sean Martin, Cockrill Design & Planning; Richard Foster, Cockrill Design & Planning; Robert Marlino, Smee + Busby Architecture; Arin Streeter, Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects, Inc.; Thomas Ingram, Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects, Inc.; Brad Raines, Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects, Inc.; Forrest Kirkpatrick, Benefield Richters; Susan Ballard, Smee + Busby Architecture; Michelle Garlington; Randall De Ford, C. Randall De Ford Architecture; Brian Pittman, McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects; Emily Hardin, Adams Craft Herz Walker; and Margaret Ann Jeffries, Pellissippi State Community College.