Circa 1840- Baker-Peters-Rogers House

"The Baker-Peters-Rogers House

The Baker-Peters-Rogers House is significant for its history and its architecture. The surroundings of the house have changed drastically since its construction c. 1840. The house was the center of an extensive farm in west Knox County. It faced Kingston Pike, the overland route to settlements west of Knoxville, and sat on a much larger tract of land than it presently occupies. As development occurred around the house, its surrounding acreage was sold until, in 1989, only a small portion of the original tract remained. However, the house still faces Kingston pike, and is located on its original site.

Kingston Pike offered good transportation access to Knoxville and more western settlements. The Baker-Peters-Rogers House follows the location patterns of many of the larger houses of Knox County built before the Civil War, which were located to capture river access or along one of the major roadways. Kingston Pike has continued to provide that accessibility, which has contributed to the desirability of the property for commercial uses. The house has been the site of several restaurants, and its location led Phillips Petroleum Company to select it as a potential station location in late 1988.

The Baker-Peters-Rogers House was built as the home of Dr. James Harvey Baker, a prominent local physician. Some accounts of Dr. Baker's activities during the Civil War report him as being aligned with Confederate troops, while others recount his neutrality. Whatever his allegiances, his son Abner was fighting with the Confederates. Dr. Baker was at home in 1864 and had been treating wounded Confederate soldiers. Union soldiers visited the home and, racing upstairs to a bedroom, shot and killed Dr. Baker through the barricaded bedroom door.

When Dr. Baker's son Abner returned after the war, at the age of 22, he shot and killed the Knoxville postmaster William Hall in an attempt to avenge his father's death. Several of the postmaster's accomplices heard of Abner's action, and ambushed and killed him. A marker on the front lawn of the house memorializes Abner Baker. It was erected by the Abner Baker Chapter of the United Daughter's [sic] of the Confederacy.

Dr. Baker's house was sold in the 1800's to the George Peters family, which lived there until the V.M. Rogers family purchased the house and 300 acres early in the 20th century. In recent years the house has been used as a restaurant, first as Jeremiah's, and more recently as the home of Hawkeye's Corner Too. Phillips Petroleum, after purchasing the property, became aware of the strong citizen interest in saving the structure through a special public meeting on January 3, 1989 attended by 400-500 persons concerned about possible demolition of the house. Phillips Petroleum then made a commitment to assist the community in preserving the landmark structure. The service station was then located to the west of the house on a separate parcel expanded for that purpose. The house was subsequently sold to Dr. Larry Tragesser for use as offices, retaining its historic fabric."