Baker Peters House
Encyclopedia
The Baker Peters House is an antebellum
house located on the south side of Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee
, near the intersection of Peters Road and Kingston Pike. The house is a two-story Greek Revival structure. It has a porte-cochere
on the east side for carriages, and a rear wing that projects out on the southwest side of the house. It also has a column
ed, two-story front porch. The main body of the house is brick, but the rear wing was originally finished in wood siding.
It was constructed circa 1840 by Dr. James Harvey Baker, a local physician. He continued to own the house until his death during the Civil War
. Harvey Baker is listed in some sources as "neutral" and other sources as a "secessionist". However, his son Abner was a Confederate soldier. Baker was killed by locally raised Union
troops while treating wounded Confederate
soldiers in the house. The troops fired through a barricaded door in the home, and hit Dr. Baker. His son Abner was not at home at the time of the incident, but is reported to have killed the informant suspected of reporting Dr. Baker's activities to the Union soldiers. Abner was jailed and later hanged for the killing. The house was sold in the late 19th century to George Peters.
The Baker Peters House was one of several antebellum
plantation homes on Kingston Pike. Mabry Hood House, located to the west on Kingston Pike, was demolished in the late 20th century to make way for Pellissippi Parkway
. The Baker Peters House avoided a similar fate, but the site has been compromised by commercial uses. The building itself now houses a restaurant/nightclub, while the land around it is occupied by parking lots and businesses. Crescent Bend
(The Armstrong-Lockett House), Bleak House, and Knollwood
, all located farther to the east on Kingston Pike, remain in good condition.
The Baker Peters house is currently a jazz club and restaurant. It is also the home of the Baker Peters Cigar and Literary Society.
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
house located on the south side of Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee
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...
, near the intersection of Peters Road and Kingston Pike. The house is a two-story Greek Revival structure. It has a porte-cochere
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
on the east side for carriages, and a rear wing that projects out on the southwest side of the house. It also has a column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
ed, two-story front porch. The main body of the house is brick, but the rear wing was originally finished in wood siding.
It was constructed circa 1840 by Dr. James Harvey Baker, a local physician. He continued to own the house until his death during the 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...
. Harvey Baker is listed in some sources as "neutral" and other sources as a "secessionist". However, his son Abner was a Confederate soldier. Baker was killed by locally raised Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
troops while treating wounded Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
soldiers in the house. The troops fired through a barricaded door in the home, and hit Dr. Baker. His son Abner was not at home at the time of the incident, but is reported to have killed the informant suspected of reporting Dr. Baker's activities to the Union soldiers. Abner was jailed and later hanged for the killing. The house was sold in the late 19th century to George Peters.
The Baker Peters House was one of several antebellum
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
plantation homes on Kingston Pike. Mabry Hood House, located to the west on Kingston Pike, was demolished in the late 20th century to make way for Pellissippi Parkway
Pellissippi Parkway
The Pellissippi Parkway is a highway in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee. It extends from State Route 62 at Solway in Knox County to a terminus east of U.S. Route 129 in Blount County...
. The Baker Peters House avoided a similar fate, but the site has been compromised by commercial uses. The building itself now houses a restaurant/nightclub, while the land around it is occupied by parking lots and businesses. Crescent Bend
Crescent Bend
Crescent Bend is a historic home at 2728 Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee. The building is known as Crescent Bend because of its location on a bend of the Tennessee River. It is also known as the Armstrong-Lockett House, Longview and Logueval...
(The Armstrong-Lockett House), Bleak House, and Knollwood
Knollwood (Bearden Hill)
Knollwood is an antebellum house at 6411 Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It is also known as Knollwood Hall, Major Reynolds House, the Tucker Mansion and Bearden Hill...
, all located farther to the east on Kingston Pike, remain in good condition.
The Baker Peters house is currently a jazz club and restaurant. It is also the home of the Baker Peters Cigar and Literary Society.
External links
]- Knoxville MPC Historic List
- Metro Pulse Article Online: Baker Peters House
- http://www.bakerpetersjazzclub.com/bp/Baker Peters Jazz Club and Restaurant