Lonsdale (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Encyclopedia
Lonsdale is a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee
, USA, located northwest of the city's downtown area. Established in the late-19th century as a land development project, Lonsdale incorporated as a separate city in 1907, and was annexed by Knoxville in 1917. After a period of decline in the latter half of the 20th century, Lonsdale has recently undergone several major revitalization efforts.
rises to the north of Lonsdale, Second Creek flows to the east (Interstate 275
runs roughly parallel to Second Creek), and the East Fork of Third Creek runs through the heart of the neighborhood. Lonsdale is traditionally bounded by Texas Avenue to the west, Heiskell Avenue to the north, and the Western Heights housing development to the south. Knoxville College
and Mechanicsville
lie to the south, on the opposite side of Western Heights.
and its housing developments in Mechanicsville, Ragsdale decided to embark upon a similar venture for his property. In 1890, he recruited several dozen investors and established the Lonsdale Land Development Company, the name "Lonsdale" being a combination of his mother's maiden name, Lonas, and the "dale" in his father's last name, Ragsdale. In May of that same year, Ragsdale established the Lonsdale Mill Company to produce flour
and provide employment for the new community. This company erected a four-story mill that produced 200 barrells of flour per day, which it marketed under the brands "White Rose" and "Sunrise."
Early Lonsdale developed in a manner similar to nearby late-19th century neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park and Old North Knoxville
. A number of Queen Anne-style houses from this early period still stand in Lonsdale. Streets in the new neighborhood were named for Civil War
generals (e.g., Burnside
, Sherman
, and Stonewall
) and Union
states. In 1892, the Lonsdale-Beaumont Water Company procured water rights, which helped draw more industry to area. These new industries, along with existing companies such as Brookside Mills
, whose factory stood along Second Creek just southeast of Lonsdale, provided steady employment for the neighborhood's residents.
During the 1920s and 1930s, as local industries shut down in the aftermath of the Great Depression
, moonshining and bootlegging became problematic in Lonsdale, and raids by the local police were not uncommon. Honky-tonks and dance halls, with names like the "Twilight Zone," the "Hound Dog," and "Sugar Hill," sprang up throughout the neighborhood. After World War II
, many of Lonsdale's long-time residents moved away, leading to a large number of absentee owners, and many of the neighborhood's houses began to deteriorate.
. In the 1990s and 2000s, Lonsdale United for Change, the Knoxville Community Development Corporation, and the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission initiated a series of efforts aimed at revitalizing the neighborhood. These efforts focused on the removal or restoration of blighted properties, the restoration of public parks, and a massive overhaul of Lonsdale Homes, a 65-building housing complex constructed in 1952. Several companies have recently opened stores or warehouses in the area, most notably SYSCO Food Services's 350000 square feet (32,516.1 m²) distribution center.
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, located northwest of the city's downtown area. Established in the late-19th century as a land development project, Lonsdale incorporated as a separate city in 1907, and was annexed by Knoxville in 1917. After a period of decline in the latter half of the 20th century, Lonsdale has recently undergone several major revitalization efforts.
Location
Lonsdale is located just over a mile northwest of Downtown Knoxville. Sharp's RidgeSharp's Ridge
Sharp's Ridge is a steep limestone ridge in Knoxville, Tennessee, north of the city's downtown. A area of the ridge is maintained as Sharp's Ridge Memorial Park, a city park dedicated to the honor of the area's war dead. The ridge also is the site of a transmitting antenna farm that serves most...
rises to the north of Lonsdale, Second Creek flows to the east (Interstate 275
Interstate 275
Interstate 275 may refer to:*Interstate 275 , a loop through Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton in Florida*Interstate 275 , a western bypass of Detroit, Michigan...
runs roughly parallel to Second Creek), and the East Fork of Third Creek runs through the heart of the neighborhood. Lonsdale is traditionally bounded by Texas Avenue to the west, Heiskell Avenue to the north, and the Western Heights housing development to the south. Knoxville College
Knoxville College
Knoxville College is a historically black liberal arts college in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America, the school has an enrollment of approximately 100 students, and offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Studies and an Associate...
and Mechanicsville
Mechanicsville, Knoxville
Mechanicsville is a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, located northwest of the city's downtown area. One of the city's oldest neighborhoods, Mechanicsville was established in the late 1860s for skilled laborers working in the many factories that sprang up along Knoxville's periphery...
lie to the south, on the opposite side of Western Heights.
History
In the late-19th century, what is now Lonsdale was part of a 240 acres (97.1 ha) farm owned by entrepreneur William Ragsdale. Noting the success of the nearby Knoxville Iron CompanyKnoxville Iron Company
The Knoxville Iron Company was an iron production and coal mining company that operated primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, and its vicinity, in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The company was Knoxville's first major post-Civil War manufacturing firm, and played a key role in bringing heavy...
and its housing developments in Mechanicsville, Ragsdale decided to embark upon a similar venture for his property. In 1890, he recruited several dozen investors and established the Lonsdale Land Development Company, the name "Lonsdale" being a combination of his mother's maiden name, Lonas, and the "dale" in his father's last name, Ragsdale. In May of that same year, Ragsdale established the Lonsdale Mill Company to produce flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
and provide employment for the new community. This company erected a four-story mill that produced 200 barrells of flour per day, which it marketed under the brands "White Rose" and "Sunrise."
Early Lonsdale developed in a manner similar to nearby late-19th century neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park and Old North Knoxville
Old North Knoxville
Old North Knoxville is a neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, located just north of the city's downtown area. Initially established as the town of North Knoxville in the late-19th century, the area was a prominent suburb for Knoxville's upper middle and professional classes until the 1950s...
. A number of Queen Anne-style houses from this early period still stand in Lonsdale. Streets in the new neighborhood were named for Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
generals (e.g., Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
, Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
, and Stonewall
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
) and Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
states. In 1892, the Lonsdale-Beaumont Water Company procured water rights, which helped draw more industry to area. These new industries, along with existing companies such as Brookside Mills
Brookside Mills
Brookside Mills was a textile manufacturing company that operated in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company's Second Creek factory was the city's largest employer in the early 1900s. Brookside Village, a neighborhood in North Knoxville, was originally...
, whose factory stood along Second Creek just southeast of Lonsdale, provided steady employment for the neighborhood's residents.
During the 1920s and 1930s, as local industries shut down in the aftermath of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, moonshining and bootlegging became problematic in Lonsdale, and raids by the local police were not uncommon. Honky-tonks and dance halls, with names like the "Twilight Zone," the "Hound Dog," and "Sugar Hill," sprang up throughout the neighborhood. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many of Lonsdale's long-time residents moved away, leading to a large number of absentee owners, and many of the neighborhood's houses began to deteriorate.
Revitalization efforts
During the 1970s and 1980s, Lonsdale suffered from increased crime rates and urban blightUrban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
. In the 1990s and 2000s, Lonsdale United for Change, the Knoxville Community Development Corporation, and the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission initiated a series of efforts aimed at revitalizing the neighborhood. These efforts focused on the removal or restoration of blighted properties, the restoration of public parks, and a massive overhaul of Lonsdale Homes, a 65-building housing complex constructed in 1952. Several companies have recently opened stores or warehouses in the area, most notably SYSCO Food Services's 350000 square feet (32,516.1 m²) distribution center.