From farmland to railroad community to suburb: Oakwood-Lincoln Park
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
Nestled between North Broadway, Old North Knoxville and the Southern Railway the neighborhood of Oakwood-Lincoln Park prides itself on history and sports two listings on the National Register of Historic Places, the Lincoln Park United Methodist Church and the Christenberry Club Room.
In the early 1900s, developer C. B. Atkins converted farm and forest land three miles north of Knoxville to target the employees of the nearby Southern Railway, the city’s largest employer at the time. Atkins developed housing for some 1,600 employees and located his furniture manufacturing plant there. The new community was served by an electric streetcar to get residents to the railyard and downtown. The neighboring community of Lincoln Park developed about the same time and both were annexed into Knoxville in 1917.
“The Oakwood-Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association meets at the OLPNA Clubhouse located at 916 Shamrock Ave usually the first Monday of every month. We’re the second largest neighborhood in Knoxville, spanning from Woodland Ave to Sharp’s Ridge and I-275 to Broadway,” President Michelle Ivester told The Focus. The neighborhood is a member of the Uptown North Community, a collective district of vibrant historic neighborhoods and commercial districts north of downtown.
Ivester said that all neighbors who live, work or play in the neighborhood are welcome to join the neighborhood association.
OLPNA’s mission is ”to foster community, create awareness and build relationships among all the residents, businesses and friends of the neighborhood,” according to Inester.
“We’ve helped in promoting responsible infill housing development for our neighborhood. We’ve partnered with various local groups to help support the OLPN Burwell Garden, add benches and entrance pergolas to the Sharp’s Ridge Park as well as hosting a yearly KKB Cleanup,” she said.
The neighborhood is represented on Knoxville City Council by resident Charlie Thomas and both Commissioners Courtney Durrett and Dasha Lundy.
”We interact with all of them when needed,” Ivester said.
Oakwood-Lincoln Park has many parks and businesses to be proud of including Sharp’s Ridge Veteran’s Memorial Park, Fountain Lanes Bowling Alley, OLPN Burwell Gardens, numerous breweries on Central Ave, as well as popular restaurants on both Central and Broadway. The area is also home to thriving local small businesses such as Crown Upholstery, World Spice Co. Inc., Finders Keepers Thrift Store, Mid Mod Collective, Wild Love Bakery, as well as many other great businesses large and small.
“We are also fortunate to be able to utilize our Clubhouse as a wonderful rental property for all sorts of events,” the association president told The Focus.
The group has at least one or two cleanups each year and, prior to the pandemic, they hosted an annual Holiday Maker’s Market.
“We hope to resume the market once again this year,” Ivester said.
Oakwood-Lincoln Park is on the internet and Facebook.
