For years, drivers on Lyons View Pike have passed a tall brick wall with no real hint of what sat behind it. This spring, that long-hidden mystery finally comes into view. The Eugenia Williams House, a 1941 Regency Revival mansion perched above the Tennessee River, is slated to open to the public after an extended restoration.
The estate’s broad lawns and river views will be available for scheduled tours, cultural programs, and access to the property’s walking routes. Organizers say a formal grand-opening date is still to come, but visitors can expect limited tours and free grounds access on select days once the site opens.
Restoration and the team
Aslan Foundation purchased the property in 2020 and has led an extensive rehabilitation aimed at preserving original interiors while getting the house ready for public use. Sanders Pace Architecture served as lead designer for stabilization and restoration, working with Harboe Architects and Reed Hilderbrand on preservation and landscape planning, as detailed on the foundation’s architecture page.
Brandon Pace described the work as piecing together a fragmented narrative of the estate, saying the team had to reconstruct its story from scattered clues and that “some of it we were able to kind of connect some dots,” as reported by Knoxville News Sentinel.
Gardens, trails and partners
The estate spans roughly 24 acres of lawn, ravine, and riverfront landscape, and public access will center on restored walking routes, according to the project site EugeniaWilliamsHouse.org. The site also lists a slate of local cultural partners, including the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, and the Big Ears Festival, all set to bring talks, performances, and small exhibitions to the property…