Tennessee Historical Commission Announces Certificate of Merit Awards

Volunteer Ministry Center for Minvilla Manor (Knox County) – Built by developer Clay Bondurant in 1913 as 13 row houses, Minvilla Manor became the Fifth Avenue Motel in 1962. By 2002 it was condemned by the city of Knoxville. Today this once-threatened architectural jewel has been adaptively reused as housing for the formerly homeless by Volunteer Ministry Center, a non-profit interfaith agency serving Knoxville. This centerpiece of the surrounding historic neighborhood features 57 Energy Star-certified apartment units. 

Nunnelly Community Center (Hickman County) – Finding new use for this beloved former neighborhood school built in 1924, the local community came together to restore and adaptively reuse the property as a community center. Volunteers and community center officers dedicated many volunteer hours to the restoration project. Thanks to their efforts, the building is a formal gathering place for the Nunnelly community, often serving as the setting for weddings, family reunions, fundraising events and local district elections.

Timothy Grindstaff for the McCollum Farmhouse (Loudon County) – In 2009, Timothy Grindstaff purchased and began a faithful and sensitive restoration of this frame farmhouse, originally built by Joseph McCollum in the 1850s. Located in Greenback, this mid-19th century farm had once been the site of tours for area high school students, which was how Grindstaff first came to know the site. The home was listed on the National Register in 1978, but had fallen into substantial disrepair. Grindstaff hired a structural engineer and retained many of the farmhouse’s original elements during his restoration project.

Jon P. McCalla, Penny Saucier Glover, Ruth Blakey Billingsley and Louise Woodbridge Rhodes for People and Towns of Northeast Shelby County and South-Central Tipton County – McCalla, Glover, Billingsley and Rhodes were recognized for an extensive 588-page research and writing project that featured interviews with long-time residents of twelve small communities in a rapidly developing portion of two Memphis-area counties. A project eight years in the making, the book ensures that the unique stories of a broad array of people in the region are preserved for future generations.

Dean Stone for Snapshots of Blount County History, Volumes I-VI – Local history is at the heart of every community and under Editor Dean Stone’s guidance and leadership, the Maryville Daily Times has published one volume of history per year for the last six years – compiling articles and photographs relating to the history of Maryville and Blount County. The result is an extraordinary variety of articles that weave together a fascinating picture of this marvelous area, nestled in the foothills of the Smokies.

Kevin Murphy for Murphy Farmhouse (Knox County) –This seven–month project involved the restoration of the Murphy House in Knoxville – a circa 1841-frame Gothic Revival farmhouse. Built by Murphy’s great-great-great-grandfather, Hugh Murphy, the effort resulted in a magnificent restoration and allows this property to serve a new generation.