The Old City's name might be misleading, but it's still rich with history | Know Your Knox

Ryan Wilusz, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read

Just as Market Square is not equal on all four sides, the designation of northeast downtown as “the Old City” is misleading in its own right.

Just how old is it? Depending on your age, there’s a chance you were around when it got its name.

Perhaps you’ve heard the area labeled other ways: the Bowery, the Bottom, Irish Town or the Jackson Avenue Warehouse District, to name a few.

All of these places, Knoxville historian Jack Neely told Knox News, have formed a junction over the years that comprise the modern Old City – a hub for restaurants, retail and nightlife.

What is the oldest part of downtown Knoxville?

Today, the Old City is one of the fastest growing areas of Knoxville, with the promise of a minor league baseball stadium set to open next door in 2025.

That’s a far stretch from the swampy wetlands hunters and fisherman would frequent in the early 1800s until the railroad arrived and turned the area industrial.

Truth be told, the oldest part of downtown is just about as far away from the Old City as can be. The area closest to the river, where the courthouses and Bijou Theatre are located, was the original downtown when the city was founded in the 1790s, Neely said via email.

How well do you Know Your Knox? We answer the questions you really want to know

How did the Old City get its name?

By the 1970s, Neely said, "a lot of Knoxville had been torn down and replaced." But the area now known as the Old City, specifically near the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Central Street, maintained a high concentration of 19th century commercial buildings that likely led to the name.

Around that time, developer, hairdresser and restaurateur Kristopher Kendrick first heard “Old City” used by Coca-Cola bottling executive Pat Roddy III, Neely said.

“Kendrick took that name and ran with it,” he said. “It wasn’t widely known until later, in the 1980s.”

Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project, has an entire book dedicated to this ever-changing neighborhood: “The Old City: A Short History.” The book is available, along with more information about the Old City, at knoxvillehistoryproject.org.

Knoxville's Old City, including Jackson Avenue, is characterized by a concentration of 19th century commercial buildings that survived the era of older buildings being torn down elsewhere in the city.
Knoxville's Old City, including Jackson Avenue, is characterized by a concentration of 19th century commercial buildings that survived the era of older buildings being torn down elsewhere in the city.

Know Your Knox answers your burning questions about life in Knoxville. Want your question answered? Email knowyourknox@knoxnews.com.

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff. 

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Old City in downtown Knoxville is historical, but is it the oldest?