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 A young architect, Charley Tedford, who had close ties to Maryville College,
designed the American Colonial-style house at 114 Wilson Avenue. His father was one of the thirteen students which comprised the entire student body enrolled at the college after the Civil War. His mother, Mary Wilson
Tedford,
was the first young woman to receive a BA degree from Maryville College and, in fact, any college in Tennessee.
Charley's life was cut short. A football injury at the college left him seriously handicapped and later contributed to his death. His fine houses
at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Court Street remain as his lasting memorial.
J. S. Jones, a busy contractor in Maryville, built this house for Charley in
1910 with two rooms on each of the two floors and four fireplaces with a
chimney on each of the four sides of the house. The installation of French
doors was very innovative at this time and was a unique feature of this
house. Wilson Avenue, at the time, was a gravel lane, and paving came many years later.
The house was sold in 1920 to Dr. and Mrs. J. H. McMurray when he became the Political Science and Sociology professor at the college. Mrs. McMurray
taught Home Economics at the college and she also founded and for years operated the College Maid Shop. The success of this industry meant hundreds
of Maryville College girls received an education through the depression.
The house welcomed extended family. Workers at "The Shop" lived at 114
Wilson Avenue. A dining room was added and also a sleeping porch across the back. Now grandchildren of the McMurrays often return for a visit recalling
those days of a home full of college girls.
In 1949, after the death of Dr. and Mrs. McMurray, Dave and Grace McArthur purchased the house. two rooms have been added and three of the original
fireplaces remain functional.
Drawing of the McArthur House is by Ruth Andrews.
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