Statesview
Encyclopedia
Statesview, or States View, is a historic house located on South Peters Road off Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee
, USA. Built in the early 1800s by early Knoxville architect Thomas Hope
and rebuilt in the early 1820s following a fire, Statesview was originally the home of surveyor Charles McClung
(1761–1835). Following McClung's death, newspaper publisher Frederick Heiskell (1786–1882) purchased the house and estate, which he renamed "Fruit Hill." The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
for its architecture and political significance.
brick house, located on a wooded lot opposite the intersection of South Peters Road and George Williams Road. The house consists of a main section, a smaller (but still two stories) northeast wing, and a modern rear addition. The main section consists of a central entry hall flanked by rooms on either side, with a staircase leading to the second story. It is unknown how closely the current house, reconstructed following a fire in 1823, resembles the original house, or if it includes any part of the original.
. McClung drew up the original 1791 plat of Knoxville, and surveyed what is now Kingston Pike during the same period. Construction on Statesview, then located in an isolated area west of Knoxville, began around 1804, and was completed in 1806. To build the house, McClung hired Thomas Hope, an English-born architect and house joiner who had previously built the Ramsey House in east Knox County.
Following McClung's death in 1835, his heirs sold the house and estate to Frederick Heiskell. Heiskell had cofounded the Knoxville Register
, the city's leading newspaper, in 1816. Prior to purchasing Statesview, however, he sold his interest in the paper and retired. Heiskell renamed the estate "Fruit Hill."
By the time Heiskell purchased Statesview, the estate consisted of 1200 acres (485.6 ha), and included a gristmill along nearby Sinking Creek (modern Ten Mile Creek) known as "Mansion Mill" (replaced circa 1870 by the current Ebenezer Mill), as well as a sawmill. Heiskell planted extensive orchards throughout the estate, where he grew apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums, and quince
s. He also raised horses, cattle, and hogs.
Around 1880, Heiskell, then in his early 90s, moved back to Knoxville. The ownership of Statesview passed to his stepson, James Fulkerson.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, USA. Built in the early 1800s by early Knoxville architect Thomas Hope
Thomas Hope (architect)
Thomas Hope was an English-born American architect and house joiner, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Trained in London, Hope moved to Knoxville in 1795, where he designed and built several of the city's earliest houses...
and rebuilt in the early 1820s following a fire, Statesview was originally the home of surveyor Charles McClung
Charles McClung
Charles McClung was an American pioneer, politician, and surveyor best known for drawing up the original plat of Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1791. While Knoxville has since expanded to many times its original size, the city's downtown area still roughly follows McClung's 1791 grid...
(1761–1835). Following McClung's death, newspaper publisher Frederick Heiskell (1786–1882) purchased the house and estate, which he renamed "Fruit Hill." The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
for its architecture and political significance.
Design
Statesview is a simple, two-story Federal-styleFederal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
brick house, located on a wooded lot opposite the intersection of South Peters Road and George Williams Road. The house consists of a main section, a smaller (but still two stories) northeast wing, and a modern rear addition. The main section consists of a central entry hall flanked by rooms on either side, with a staircase leading to the second story. It is unknown how closely the current house, reconstructed following a fire in 1823, resembles the original house, or if it includes any part of the original.
History
Statesview was built for early Knoxville surveyor Charles McClung, a son-in-law of Knoxville founder James WhiteJames White (general)
James White was an American pioneer and soldier who founded Knoxville, Tennessee, in the early 1790s. Born in Rowan County, North Carolina, White served as a captain in the county's militia during the American Revolutionary War...
. McClung drew up the original 1791 plat of Knoxville, and surveyed what is now Kingston Pike during the same period. Construction on Statesview, then located in an isolated area west of Knoxville, began around 1804, and was completed in 1806. To build the house, McClung hired Thomas Hope, an English-born architect and house joiner who had previously built the Ramsey House in east Knox County.
Following McClung's death in 1835, his heirs sold the house and estate to Frederick Heiskell. Heiskell had cofounded the Knoxville Register
Knoxville Register
The Knoxville Register was an American newspaper published primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the 19th century. Founded in 1816, the paper was East Tennessee's dominant newspaper until 1863, when its pro-secession editor, Jacob Austin Sperry , was forced to flee advancing Union forces at the...
, the city's leading newspaper, in 1816. Prior to purchasing Statesview, however, he sold his interest in the paper and retired. Heiskell renamed the estate "Fruit Hill."
By the time Heiskell purchased Statesview, the estate consisted of 1200 acres (485.6 ha), and included a gristmill along nearby Sinking Creek (modern Ten Mile Creek) known as "Mansion Mill" (replaced circa 1870 by the current Ebenezer Mill), as well as a sawmill. Heiskell planted extensive orchards throughout the estate, where he grew apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums, and quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
s. He also raised horses, cattle, and hogs.
Around 1880, Heiskell, then in his early 90s, moved back to Knoxville. The ownership of Statesview passed to his stepson, James Fulkerson.
See also
- Alexander Bishop House
- Knollwood (Bearden Hill)Knollwood (Bearden Hill)Knollwood is an antebellum house at 6411 Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It is also known as Knollwood Hall, Major Reynolds House, the Tucker Mansion and Bearden Hill...
- James Park HouseJames Park HouseThe James Park House is a historic house located at 422 West Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. The house's foundation was built by Governor John Sevier in the 1790s, and the house itself was built by Knoxville merchant and mayor, James Park , in 1812, making it the second-oldest...
- Colonel John Williams HouseColonel John Williams HouseThe Colonel John Williams House in Knoxville, Tennessee, was built in 1825-1826 by Melinda White Williams, wife of Colonel John Williams, while he was away serving as Charge'de Affairs to Guatemala for President John Quincy Adams...