Copyright 2007 * All rights reserved
J.C. (Jim) Tumblin, OD, DOS
3604 Kesterwood Drive, East
Knoxville, Tennessee 37918-2557
(865) 687-1948

Many of these articles have their genesis in an act of kindness rendered by one of the readers. None are kinder and no one supplies as many leads as Fountain City’s eminent historian—Evelyn Goddard Kirby.

Some time ago Mrs. Kirby gave the author a stack of newspaper clippings including a vintage one under the late News-Sentinel columnist Bob Cunningham’s byline entitled, "Land Deal Reveals Tale of Loyalty During Revolution." The first two paragraphs read as follows:

"One of history’s unwritten chapters on the Revolutionary War, revealing a link in the unpleasant fate of Ferguson, the British commander at the Battle of King’s Mountain, was disclosed in the purchase yesterday of 25 acres of land four and a half miles north of Knoxville by Asa Ambrister.

"The land, situated in the angle formed by the Fountain City and Smithwood roads, was part of a section which the North Carolina legislature in 1791 granted to John Adair for his contribution to the victory at King’s Mountain. It will be developed into a subdivision called ‘Adair Gardens.’" (Emphasis added.)

Unfortunately, the newspaper article was undated and, although the first part of it ended with "Continued on page 10," the second part was missing. Other projects intervened and the clipping languished in a file for a year or two, then resurfaced in an unrelated search.

Many of us like a good mystery. Fortunately, Eric Head at the Knox County Archives in the East Tennessee History Center is a good detective. He suggested we go to the Warranty Deed Index and look up a property transaction for 25 acres in which Ambrister was the grantee. That took a while since Ambrister was very busy in Knox County real estate development and had numerous transfers of property. Eventually a deed was found that contained this first paragraph:

"This indenture, made the 19^th day of January, A.D. 1928, between James H. Smith, (widower), of Knox County, State of Tennessee, of the first part, and Asa R. Ambrister, of Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, of the second part."

James Harvey Smith (1840-1932) had sold the remnant of John Adair’s original 640-acres for a consideration of $22,098. Only the Smith homestead fronting the Tazewell-Jacksboro Turnpike remained. Lt. Smith had served for three years during the Civil War with the 1^st Tennessee Cavalry (USA). He was 88-years old at the time of the sale and had been born in the large handmade brick home built by his father John Smith in about 1839. James had spent his entire life there, except for his service in the war. His mother was Mariah Christian Smith, John Adair’s granddaughter.

With the date of the deed in hand, the next task was to find the continuation of the Cunningham article. A search of the newspaper microfilms in the McClung Historical Collection turned up the article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel on January 22, 1928.

The previously missing part revealed that Ambrister planned an elaborate development. It was already on a streetcar line with a right away set aside for the proposed new boulevard (boulevard!) to run from Greenway to Fountain City. (Research indicates that present-day Broadway was then little more than a farm lane bordering the streetcar line.) He planned to start construction soon on a house for his family--the first house in the subdivision. His use of "enriched" concrete for the roads proved wise as, some 70 years later, a city engineer observed that Adair Drive had never needed major repair.

Asa Robert Ambrister was born on Sept. 2, 1897, the son of Floyd L. Ambrister Sr., a Blount County native, who had been active in real estate and in Democratic politics. Floyd had developed Tallassee Springs and the Tallassee Springs Hotel on the Little Tennessee River. The property was later sold to Alcoa Aluminum. Asa had assisted his father at Tallassee and had personally developed homes in Forest Heights and in the Whittle Springs area.

Asa and the former Bessie Bye (1898-1985), daughter of Jesse Woollens Bye Sr. (1850-1930), a native of Pennsylvania, and Frankie J. Bye (1864-1933) were married on Dec. 24, 1921 at Broad Street Methodist Church. The bride’s father owned a large farm just south of Greenway, near the Whittle Springs. There was a large spring on Bye’s property, which bordered First Creek.

Bessie Bye’s brother, John Gates Bye (1889-1950) knew "water" and would spend 41 years with the Knoxville Water Company and its successor, the Knoxville Utilities Board. He eventually became assistant superintendent for the water division. His knowledge, no doubt, became very helpful when water was piped from the Bye spring to supply early Adair Gardens.

Asa Ambrister was a 1918 graduate of Central High School and an outstanding center and captain of the football team under head coach Cox and assistants Bill Emory and Frank Callaway. He served in World War I. The Ambristers were parents of three children, Asa Jr. (CHS 1942), Frank (CHS 1945) and Mary Ann (CHS 1947). Frank followed his father into the field of real estate and now lives in Holston Hills.

After his productive life of 77 years, family and friends of Asa R. Ambrister Sr. mourned his passing at Shannondale Health Center on July 29, 1974. Following services in Mann’s Bearden Chapel, he was interred in Greenwood Cemetery.

Frank Ambrister’s recollection confirms that Asa Ambrister built the first home in Adair Gardens in 1928 soon after he purchased a portion of the Smith property. He and his family lived there for several years. The 1994 application for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places, which was subsequently granted, described the classic Dutch Colonial Revival house at 119 East Adair Drive:

"Two story frame with brick veneer wall covering. Side gables with jerkin head extension on east and west elevation and full length front and rear shed dormers. Slate roof covering with rectangular louvered attic vents. Six over six double hung and four light and eight light casement windows. Gabled front portico and scrolled knee braces. Two interior end brick chimneys. Brick foundation. Rear added about 1960 with aluminum siding wall covering. Irregular plan. Ashlar limestone wall and piers along front of property." The interior woodwork, the crown molding and mantels are in elegant early 20^th Century golden-grained gum.

The Ambrister family moved to the Tallassee Development on the Little Tennessee River about 1931, but returned to Fountain City later to live on Oak View Drive. All three children attended Smithwood Grammar and Central High School.

Their former home in Adair Gardens had a succession of owners including S.T. Reagan (land appraiser) in the 1930s, John H. Mullins (L&N Railroad dispatcher) in the 1940s and Carl E. Wells (manager of Hill’s Smithwood Food Mart) in the 1950s. Stanley H. and Ellen Clancy Pickering purchased the house in 1965. Their eight children and their mates and 16 grandchildren still enjoy the spacious living room and the warmth of the fireplace on numerous family occasions each year.

If it "takes a lot of living to make a house a home," and it does, 119 East Adair Drive is a home.

Author’s note: Thanks to Frank Ambrister, Eric Head, Evelyn Goddard Kirby, Charles J. Morris Jr. and Ellen Clancy Pickering for their assistance with this essay. When they first occupied the house at 119 Adair, the Pickerings noted a 1924 date on the boiler to further confirm that it was built after that date. Future articles on other subdivisions, including Harrill Hills and Tatewood, are planned. Anyone with information on the first house constructed in those two subdivisions is encouraged to call (687-1948) or Email (jctchs44@nxs.net) the author.