Circa 1830- Maxwell-Kirby House

The Maxwell-Kirby House was built around 1830.

Location: 8671 Northshore Drive, Knoxville

Regarding the name, the Knox County GIS website calls this house both "Maxwell-Kirby House (Robert Maxwell); Stroud House" and the "William Maxwell House." I'll try to find out some more information about Robert Maxwell, William Maxwell, the Kirby name, and the Stroud name.

This house is hard to see, even in winter, due to the vegetation. Knox Heritage has a better picture online, in their Picasa web album of antebellum homes. Click here to see it.

Excerpt from the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form:

"The Maxwell - Kirby House (Knox Co. Survey No. 3657) is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under criterion A for settlement patterns and C for local significance in architecture and landscaping as determined by the registration requirements of the Historical and Architectural Resources ofKnoxville and Knox County, Tennessee MPL 1994. The Maxwell-Kirby House is an good example of an early circa 1830's heavy-timber framed structure that has evolved into a house with Colonial Revival detailing. This house represents several trends in architectural styling from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries The earliest history of the Maxwell-Kirby House is somewhat clouded in uncertainty; however, much is known of this early structure. William Newton Maxwell purchased the property in two tracts of 143 and 53 acres on February 12, 1847, from Thomas Scott. Maxwell was living in neighboring Blount County at that time with his wife and large family. William Maxwell married Mahala Scott of Knox County on January 25, 1838. The Scott family were early settlers to the area, and undoubtedly built the original portion of the Maxwell-Kirby House circa 1830. It seems very likely the property Maxwell purchased in District 11 in 1847 for $400 contained Mahala Scott's girlhood home. Census and tax records are somewhat confusing, but they seem to indicate Maxwell moved his family from Blount to Knox County by 1852, beginning a seventy year association with the property. Over the course of the next twenty-five years, William Maxwell continued to enlarge his farming operation until he acquired 300 acres of land. With 100 improved acres, Maxwell raised a variety of wheat, corn, and oats. Maxwell and his family prospered, and operated the farm without the assistance of slave labor. The Maxwell's raised cattle, sheep, and hogs in a diversified farming arrangement. William Maxwell was a good representative of the early settlement pattern in the western end of Knox County as discussed in the Historical and Architectural Resources ofKnoxville and Knox County, Tennessee MPL 1994. The lure of fertile land and a good stable water source made this three hundred acre property especially promising. The property's location along a early major thoroughfare that connected with the river traffic was ideal for transporting agricultural products to larger markets. The location and setting of the structure hearken to that early period of river transportation dependence. In May 1883, an aging William Maxwell started to divest some of his assets, and operation of the Maxwell farm passed to William's son Robert Alien Maxwell. Born in April 1847, Robert grew to manhood on his parent's farm, and continued to live there all of his adult life. Robert married Eliza Stinnett on December 23, 1878, and raised a large family. The Stinnett family was prominent in the area, and the nearby Stinnett Post Office served as a central gathering point for this section of Knox County. By 1886, Robert Maxwell enlarged the house making changes to accommodate his growing family.

During the 1883 division of the farm, William Maxwell also deeded to his son James N. Maxwell, 99 acres on the family farm. After William's death in circa 1890, his widow Mahala went to live with her son James. Robert A. Maxwell lived on the farm until his death. Around 1920, the property was sold to Matthew W. Kirby. Kirby evidently made changes to the house, and lived there for a time. Kirby, a farmer, operated a dairy farm in this area, but also was involved in the real estate business. He soon rented the house to a succession of families. The only known family name that survives as a renter from that time is that of Dempster. In 1966, the Maxwell - Kirby House was sold by Matt Kirby to Jack Stroud. The side porch and entry were added to the structure at this time. Jack Stroud, and later his widow Hazel, lived in the house for approximately twenty years before selling it to the present owners. The present owners have done some remodeling and restoration work, retaining the 1920's changes made to the house and preserving the extensive additions and remodeling completed in 1886. Located on the nominated property are several substantial springs. Know historically as Maxwell Springs, this area was a popular stopping place on the Lowe's Ferry Road. The springs area was used as a camping grounds for travelers who sought a safe resting spot, and served as a picnic area for locals seeking the cool spring waters. The rock-lined reservoir with easy access for watering horses and the drinking water was cold and clear. Several of the older workmen, employed during the 1988 renovation because of their skills in working with plaster and old houses, related childhood stories of stopping with their fathers at the Maxwell Springs to drink and water horses before traveling on into Knoxville. The area around the spring was also known as a stopping ground for Native Americans. Prehistoric artifacts discovered near the springs give testimony that various prehistoric cultures were attracted to the springs. This aspect of the site's prehistory and significance has not yet been assessed, and awaits professional evaluation and testing. Additionally, Civil War period artifacts have also been reportedly found by relic hunters using metal detectors around the spring. Given the spring's proximity to Lowe's Ferry, and its location along a major road system, it seems likely Maxwell Springs served as a camp site for troops throughout the Civil War. Another element associated with the Maxwell-Kirby farm is the Maxwell Cemetery. Located along the north side of Northshore Drive approximately half a mile south of the farm is the Maxwell family burying grounds. While outside the boundary of this nomination, this cemetery also contains the remains of the Scott family. Today the cemetery stands in need of preservation as new subdivisions continue to be developed nearby. Grave markers have been allowed to fall or are missing, and general landscaping of the grounds is needed.

The Maxwell - Kirby House, with its Colonial Revival styling and setting, is significant for its

architecture. As urban development proceeds rapidly in western Knox County, few houses from the

nineteenth century have remained. The Maxwell - Kirby House is representative of the traditional

evolved farmstead, that grew with the changes in the families requirements. This property is the

most unaltered of the two comparable properties remaining on Northshore Drive, and is one of very

few in the western part of the county. With its historical associations and setting, and its significant

nineteenth century architectural features, the Maxwell - Kirby House provides an increasingly rare

glimpse into a pre-twentieth century residential architecture in this section of Knox County."