Historic Old North Knoxville - Granddaddy Dogwood Tour

2003 Granddaddy Dogwood Tour

Summertime black oak champion tree As part of the Dogwood Arts Festival April 11-April 27, several driving tours are traditionally featured in order to showcase some of Knoxville's most beautiful dogwood trees in bloom. This is the third year for the Granddaddy Dogwood Trail, which celebrates some of Knoxville's oldest dogwoods and other significant species of trees. Old North Knoxville is honored on this tour, with its Tennessee State Champion Black Oak, located at 226 West Glenwood Avenue. Currently measuring 18 feet in its circumference, this oak predates the Civil War!

The Granddaddy Dogwood Trail features a selection of the largest dogwood trees in Knox County on a 1 1/2 hour driving tour. There are 13 trees on the tour, including six dogwoods and several "champion" trees. The Granddaddy Dogwood Trail begins at Gay St. and Fifth Avenue. Turn right on Fifth and go one block to reach the first tree.

The trees on the tour are:

Yaupon Holly (Tennessee State Champion) - 109 W. 5th Ave. on the corner of Fifth and King St., to your left. Continue to the red light, turn left onto N. Central, go 1 block, turn right onto Fourth Ave., go 2 blocks, then turn left on Morgan and go one block.
White Dogwood (88 points - national ranking system) - Cleveland Park, 729 Morgan Street - 49-inch circumference, 30-foot height, 37-foot spread. At stop sign turn right on Third Avenue, go 2 blocks, then left on Luttrell St.
Common Pear (Knox County Champion) - 911 Luttrell St. at the right rear of the house. Continue down Luttrell 2 blocks.
Bald Cypress (Knox County Champion) - 1111 Luttrell Street, on the left behind the house. Continue down Luttrell 3 blocks to W. Glenwood, turn left and cross Broadway, and go 2 blocks up Glenwood.
Black Oak (Tennessee State Champion) - 226 West Glenwood Avenue, on the left behind the house. Continue 2 blocks, turn left on E. Scott, travel down E. Scott until it runs into N. Central. Turn right on N. Central, then right on E. Columbia Avenue.
Pink Dogwood (115.5 points) - Oakwood Baptist Church, 111 E. Columbia Avenue - 69-inch circumference, 35-foot height, 46-foot spread. Continue down E. Columbia 0.3 miles, turn left at Glenwood, then immediately right onto Oglewood. After you pass Christenberry Elementary School, take the next road to the left (Hennegar St.), which dead ends into Atlantic Avenue. Turn right and go one block.
Incense-Cedar (Tennessee State Champion) - 1009 Atlantic Avenue, on the left. Continue down Atlantic to Broadway, turn right, and go one block.
White Dogwood "Most Photogenic" - 86 points) - Second Baptist Church, 2909 Broadway on the right- 49-inch circumference, 26-foot height, 42-foot spread. Continue down Broadway, travel 0.6 miles on Broadway to the Interstate Loop. At the red light on Grainger and Broadway, bear to the right like you are getting on the interstate, but get in the left lane and cross over I-40. This road changes into Fifth Avenue. At the stop sign turn right, then immediately left at the red light to Randolph which is two blocks to Magnolia Avenue. Turn left on Magnolia, cross bridge, turn right at first red light (Jessamine St.), travel 3 blocks, turn left onto McCalla, go five blocks, turn right on S. Vangilder which dead ends into Martin Luther King Blvd. At the stop sign you are looking at the Main entrance of Catholic Diocese of East Tennessee. Calvary Cemetery directly across the street. Cross MLK Blvd. to enter Cemetery grounds.
Pink Dogwood (National Champion - 126.5 points) - Catholic Diocese of East Tennessee Calvary Cemetery, 1916 Martin Luther King Blvd. - 82-inch circumference, 34-foot height, 42-foot spread, located in the back center. Bear to the right, follow around loop to get to the center. Departing the Cemetery grounds, turn left on MLK Blvd. After approx. 2 blocks the road changes name to Hill Ave. Go 3 red lights and turn left at Riverland. Travel across the South Knoxville Bridge and take the first exit to Sevier Ave., bearing to the right. Turn right onto Island Home Blvd., and travel 0.7 miles to Island Home Community. Go straight through the pillars, where the road changes to Spence. Take the first street to the right (Maplewood) and go 1 block then turn left.
White Dogwood (109 points) - 2020 Island Home Blvd - 70-inch circumference, 29-foot height, 41-foot spread. 3 houses down on the right. Continue approx. 2 blocks, turn right at Fisher Place, go 2 blocks and turn right on Hillsboro.
White Dogwood (Knox Co. Champion/Tennessee State Co-Champ - 125 points) - 2250 Hillsboro Heights - 78-inch circumference, 36-foot height, 45-foot spread, second house on the left. Follow Hillsboro until it dead ends into Maplewood, turn left. Maplewood dead ends into Spence, then turn left to take you out of the neighborhood. Return back down Island Home Blvd. to Sevier Ave. At the stop sign go straight. You are now on Sevier Ave. Follow it to the Henley St. bridge. Turn right to cross bridge staying in the right lane. Turn right on Hill Ave. On the corner of Gay and Hill look to the left.
Horse Chestnut (Tennessee State Champion) - Old Knox County Courthouse, across from 912 Gay Street - in the courthouse lawn on your left. Turn left on Gay St., immediately right on Main St., then immediately left onto State St.
Hackberry (Knox County Champion) - First Presbyterian Church Cemetery, 620 State Street, 2 red lights down on the right.

Employees of Cortese Tree Specialists install lightening rods in the 226 W. Glenwood Ave. Black Oak in February 2000 (click on each to see an enlarged view).