Westwood

Historic Westwood (Photography courtesy of Mike O’Neill)

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 Armstrong Lutz, circa 1875 (McClung Historical Collection)

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.

Adelia’s impressive studio. (Photography courtesy of Mike O’Neill)

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.