Island Home

The Island Home area is a real gem of South Knoxville. The area is extremely scenic, between a hilly landscape, flourishing trees and plants, and of course the access to the beautiful Ijams Park—one of the highlights of the city of Knoxville.
The homes are medium-small and all look similarly laid out. Plenty of houses in the area have small lawns as well as small decks.
The area’s access to the South Knoxville shopping center is ideal as well, but it’s off the busy Chapman Highway quite a bit so it still feels like a suburban area, despite only being a couple miles south of the Tennessee River. The area sits just east of Chapman Highway.
All the homes are well-kept and there are a few small subdivisions in the area, though many of the houses sit on major roads.
Island Home provides easy access to the downtown area, but it lacks Interstate accessibility, making a commute to any other areas of the city somewhat lengthy. On the other hand, heading South down Chapman Highway leads to Seymour County and eventually to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area in Sevier County. Furthermore, getting to Maryville is easier, as well.

If you are the type of individual who enjoys charming and quaint bungalow style homes, then you will adore the Island Home area. Island Home has to be one of the hidden gems that Knoxville keeps secret.
Island Home neighborhood is located south across the Gay Street Bridge and down Sevier Avenue Island Home, which is an easy drive to both downtown and the University of Tennessee Campus. It is also easily accessible by Interstate 40 and the South Knoxville Connector Interchange.

The Island Home neighborhood was named for the model farm and second home of Perez Dickinson, who was a Massachusetts born merchant, banker, and educator prominent in the Knoxville and Knox County area, who owned the land from 1875 to 1899. Mr. Dickinson, who maintained a large, elegant home in downtown Knoxville as his primary residence, used his "Island Home" as a summer cottage, a guest residence, and an agricultural and horticultural center.

The citizens of Knoxville became interested in Island Home after the Gay Street Bridge was constructed in 1898. Before the bridge was complete, a trolley company had been granted an easement to install tracks across the Gay Street Bridge. Prior to installation of the trolley, South Knoxville had always been fairly isolated from the developing city on the north side of the Tennessee River.

It began its life as a simply streetcar suburb when it was founded in 1899. The median what now divides Island Home Boulevard was once where the streetcar tracks ran through the very neighborhood. The median is now a grassy strip with intermittent mature landscaping and trees. However, rounded curb cuts that allowed the streetcars to cross intersecting streets are still visible in the roadway.

Currently, the Island Home neighborhood consists of eight-one historical homes and thirty-seven historical out buildings. It seems that almost everything within this neighborhood has a colorful history. There is low turnover within this neighborhood as well, which is why choice homes will often sell simply by word of mouth even before they have a chance to be listed on the market.

The architectural styles in the neighborhood reflects styles prevalent in the early 1900s such as Craftsman, Bungalow, Tudor Revival and Colonial Revival, and Minimal Traditional. The dominance of the Bungalow styling contributes greatly to the significance of Island Home Park Historic District. Also, the use of cobblestone contributes to their significant character detailing in foundations, balustrades, porch posts, and columns.

Island Home is best known by nature lovers due to the wonderful parks as well as Island Home Park and Ijams Nature Center. Ijams Nature Center is an hundred sixty acre wildlife sanctuary within the Island Home Park Neighborhood complete with walking trails. Ijams has regular events such as Owl Prowls, Concerts, and Bat Nights. Island Home Park is a three acre city park which features picnic tables, tennis courts, playground, water access for launching canoes, and access to the Will Skelton Greenway.

This neighborhood has one of the biggest collections of craftsman style houses I have ever seen! They are beautiful! As with many historic neighborhoods, some homes have been lovingly renovated, and some still need some attention. There are other types of homes and they are all very nice. There are lots of activities for families to get involved in thanks to the Home Owners Association. The park on the river is beautiful! Island Home's main road is lined with beautiful trees, there is a place to put your canoes in the river, a tennis court, a ball field, great fishing locations, the Will Skelton Greenway, paved walking trails, picnic tables, and is adjacent to the Ijams Nature Center. The Will Skelton Greenway begins in the neighborhood and for the most part, enhances Island Home's beauty. There are more paved walkways that run through the Ijams Nature Center and ends at a huge wildlife area. This is such a beautiful area barely touched and changed by man. The only drawback to this area being close to the Island Home neighborhood is that from the end of August till the end of February hunters are allowed in the wildlife area. At that time, you are not allowed to ride bikes or walk off of the Greenway. Kinda scary if you have kids, or really even if you don't! The Ijams Nature Center has more picnic tables, walking trails and boat access, and the entire Greenway and Ijams Nature Center is adjoined by the Tennessee School for the Deaf. You couldn't ask for more amenities in a neighborhood and couldn't be closer to parks and excellent schools.