Parkridge Park History

Parkridge is a 1980s name for an 1880s neighborhood. Back when the houses of Parkridge were first built, the subdivisions were called Poplar Springs, Elmwood Park, Edgewood Park, Cold Springs, and Hazen Hill. These were residential additions developed in the 1880s east of the town of Knoxville and north of the village of Shieldstown.

Parkridge Park is the result of a cooperative effort by the Parkridge Community Organization and the City of Knoxville. The Parkridge Community Organization raised about $200,000 from city, county, state, and federal sources to clear the land and relocate residents of the buildings there. Developers of the nearby Park Place Condominiums helped to contribute, along with the East Tennessee Foundation’s neighborhood development fund. Additional money needed to complete the project was collected from members of the community.