Historic Westwood was designed by Baumann Brothers for artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz and built in 1890 as a “wedding promise” by her husband John Edwin Lutz at a time when the house on Kingston Pike was beyond city limits. It is Knoxville’s best-preserved example of high Victorian-style architecture.
Adelia worked as an artist at Westwood for 40 years where she painted portraits and stiff lifes. A member of the Nicholson Art League, she occasionally hosted meetings for the group here.
Notable features of the house include the impressive wooden staircase lit from the outside by stained-glass windows. The servants used an unusual narrower staircase behind it. In the high-ceiling studio, the fireplace incorporates a series of faded tile portraits depicting the artist’s favorite authors.
Westwood was purchased by the Aslan Foundation and since 2013 has served as the headquarters for Knox Heritage, a preservationist nonprofit with a mission to preserve structures and places of historical or cultural significance.
Located at 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919, Westwood is open for visitors Mon-Thurs from 10am-4pm.
Visit Westwood’s official website to learn more about this fascinating historical treasure managed by Knox Heritage. Westwood is a member of the Historic Homes of Knoxville.