Eugenia Williams House and History Tour

The Aslan Foundation welcomes the community to tour one of Knoxville’s most interesting properties. Jack Neely from the Knoxville History Project will lead the tour of the home and its extensive grounds.

Built in 1941, the Eugenia Williams House sits on twenty-four acres overlooking the Tennessee River. Noted Houston architect John Fanz Staub designed the home for Ms. Williams. Staub was a Knoxville native and a childhood acquaintance of Ms. Williams and is noted for his design, among others, of the President’s home at Rice University; Bayou Bay, now part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Ms. Williams passed away in 1998 at the age of ninety-eight. In her will, Ms. Williams donated the house and property to the University of Tennessee in honor of her father, David H. Williams, a local doctor who gained fortune in the early days of Coca-Cola bottling. In 2020, the Aslan Foundation purchased the property from the University of Tennessee to restore this significant piece of Knoxville’s architectural history and make it accessible to the public.

As work progresses on the home to restore it to its former glory and on the grounds to eliminate invasive plants, the Aslan Foundation invites the public to watch the transformation through tours twice per month.

Tours will last between sixty and ninety minutes and include indoor and outdoor spaces. Please come wearing warm clothing, comfortable walking shoes, and a mask.

Tours will be limited to twelve individuals because of the nature of the restoration project. Individuals with accessibility needs should email EWH@aslanfoundation.org. Due to the limited number of tours during restoration, please do not sign up for more than one tour every six months.