Living in Fountain City
Fountain City sits in North Knoxville between Sharp's Ridge to the south and Black Oak and Beaver ridges to the north. I-640 runs along its southern edge and I-75 crosses its western side, so downtown is a short drive down Broadway (US 441). Broadway is the main street, and it becomes Maynardville Pike as it heads north to Halls.
Fountain City was its own community for more than a century. Knoxville annexed it on February 12, 1962, when it was one of the largest unincorporated communities in the country, and it has kept a strong small-town identity.
Homes and history
The community grew around the Fountain Head Campground, a Methodist camp meeting site from the 1820s. Developers bought the land in 1885, the Fountain Head Hotel opened in 1886, and Fountain City Lake was finished in 1890. Homes range from older houses near the park and Broadway to mid-century and newer homes on the surrounding streets and ridges.
Parks and things to do
- Fountain City Park: about 12 acres on the old campground site, along the spring that feeds First Creek.
- Fountain City Lake, the heart-shaped "Duck Pond," completed in 1890.
- Fountain City Ball Park, built in 1954.
- Fountain City Art Center, in a building that opened as a library in 1964.
Schools
Public schools serving the area include Central High School, Gresham Middle School, Fountain City Elementary, Shannondale Elementary, and Sterchi Elementary. Zoning is set by address, so confirm any home's assigned schools with the Knox County Schools zoning lookup or ask us to look it up.