House Holds History for New Residents and Old

Part of the fun of having an old house is searching for information on past occupants. After an exhaustive search for the original occupants of their Oklahoma Ave. home, Old North Knoxville residents Andrew Polynak and Kevin Jeske located Alma Grace Householder-Oxendine, their home's oldest living resident. Alma's parents, the Householder's were the first occupants of the home, and Alma was born in what now serves as the dining room.

Alma so loved telling people that she was born in Kevin and Andrew's dining room that they decided to hold her 95th birthday party at their home. On July 21st, Alma, her son Harry and his wife, and an assortment of other guests and ONK residents celebrated at the circa 1895 Victorian. During the festivities, a plaque was dedicated to the memory of the home's original occupants. The plaque reads "Householder, Constructed 1895, Original home of Joseph C. and Mary W. Householder and their 4 daughters, Nellie, Maud, Margaret, and Alma." Andrew and Kevin remain in contact with Alma by exchanging letters as she continues to tell them tales of the house they now call home. 

Editor's note: This house is on the upcoming annual Old North Knoxville Victorian Holiday Home Tour, December 7th and 8th.

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