With the 2010 Tennessee Valley A&I Fair coming up soon, it’s a good time to reminisce about historic Chilhowee Park and its architectural influence on East Tennessee.

The last remaining original part of Chilhowee Park is the marble and stone constructed “Bicentennial Bandstand” originally built in 1910, which stands on a hill overlooking the old 14 acre lake in the middle of the park.  This old “gazebo” was constructed for the 1910 Appalachian exposition and was restored in 1976 by local businessman B. A. Morton Jr. and Lester W. Deaver in loving memory of their ancestors who were board members of the original 1910 Appalachian exposition.

The gazebo, bandstand is still used for musical performances at the Tennessee Valley A&I fair and other events at Chilhowee Park.

A replica of the gazebo was recently constructed at Lakefront Estates; a Watts Bar lakefront residential development nears Watts Bar Dam in Rhea County.  The developer of Lakefront Estates, Walt Dickson, says that he often admired the original one at Chilhowee Park when exhibiting cattle at the Tennessee A&I fair and wanted to copy it and preserve its memory.

Does anyone know that the big gazebo in Lakefront Estates is designed like the antique bandstand at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville?  Circa 1919.  Lots of history there.

Walt