Sequoyah Greenway and Park History

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Knoxville, Sequoyah Hills is known for its beautiful homes and views of the Tennessee River.

The subdivision was annexed by the City of Knoxville in 1917. The first housing development in the area was known as Talahi, which encompasses a portion of the current neighborhood. The Talahi Improvements are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The neighborhood design included distinctive parks, fountains and sculptures. The development chose Cherokee names for the streets such as Kenesaw, Tugaloo, Iskagna, Taliluna and Keowee. The Cherokee legend of the “underground panther” was the inspiration for the Panther Fountain in the park. It was designed to symbolize the monumental grandeur of Talahi, the first planned and the most aesthetically designed Knoxville subdivision of the 1920s.

Notable residents of Sequoyah Hills have included Senator Howard H. Baker Jr., Jim Clayton, Alex Haley, members of the Haslam family, Cormac McCarthy, Patricia Neal, Anthony Quayle, Robert R. Neyland, David Keith, and presidents of the University of Tennessee.