1842- Leroy Keener House

The Leroy Keener House was built in 1842.

Location: 3505 Woodlawn School Road, Knoxville

According to the Knoxville/Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission's "2012 South County Sector Plan,":

“This two-story brick, Federal-styled house with servant’s quarters, smokehouse and other outbuildings is representative of early settlement and architecture. Peter Keener and his wife moved to south Knox County from Pennsylvania in 1809. They had two sons, Abraham and Leroy, and operated a grist and saw mill. Abraham followed in his father’s footsteps, working the mill and Leroy farmed in the area. After marrying Mary Jane McCallie, Leroy built the home on present day Woodlawn School Road in 1842. Their descendants maintained ownership until 1913 when it was sold to the Kelly family; the present owners purchased the home in 1972” (p. 64).

In September 2003, the Knoxville Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission published "The French Broad River Corridor Study." On page 28 of this report, it says:

"The Keener-Hunt House, typical of early prominent Tennessee houses, is a two-story Federal style brick house with arched windows and corbeled brick at the cornices. The Keener family had settled in the area in the early 1800s and built the house around 1830. Reportedly, the widow Keener moved to this area from Pennsylvania with her seven children. The Keener’s first home was probably made of logs. This second home was a significant improvement, reflecting the family’s prosperity after decades of working their farm." (p.28)

According to the Knox County GIS website, this house was also known as Fairview.

I haven't had the opportunity to go out and photograph this house yet. In the meantime, here is a screen shot that I saved from Google Maps. Knox Heritage also has a good picture of this house in its Picasa web album of antebellum homes. Click here to see it. On that site, Knox Heritage also calls this house the "Keener Hunt House."