Knoxville College, Historic college in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville College is a cluster of historic buildings on a hillside in the northwestern part of the city, showcasing a mix of brick and stone architecture from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The grounds spread across several street blocks with trees between the structures and pathways leading to the different buildings.
The institution was established in 1875 as an initiative by the Presbyterian Church to support education for formerly enslaved people and their descendants in East Tennessee. Over the decades it grew into an important center for teacher training and academic programs, until financial difficulties in the 21st century led to a shift toward distance learning.
The name honors a 19th-century statesman and today the surviving structures draw historians interested in post-Civil War architecture. Some rooms still feature the original interiors with high ceilings and large windows that channeled daylight into the former classrooms.
Visitors can view the buildings from the outside along the public streets, as the grounds are not a museum and not open for general access. Walk along the hillside roads to see the different structures from various angles.
In November 2024 a fire destroyed the 126-year-old Elnathan Hall, a tower-marked building that had stood as the oldest surviving structure on campus for over a century. Around 40 firefighters were needed to contain the blaze, which neighbors saw burning from a distance.
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