The History of the
House on Dandridge
Learn about the Beck House: a historic home preserved by generations and now the site of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.
Stop 0: The Beck House/Beck Cultural Exchange Center
1927 Dandridge Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915
Welcome to the Beck Cultural Exchange Center Cultural Corridor. You are currently located at Stop 0 of the Corridor Trail: The Beck House. Located here is the Beck Cultural Exchange Center which is comprised of the original Beck home established in 1912 and additional extensions of the Margaret Carson Library, the Gallery Room, and the Avon Rollins Exhibit Hall.
Beck Museum
The Beck Cultural Exchange Center brings together history and culture in a historic space that preserves Black history and also pays it forward. The original mansion, established circa 1912 on Dandridge Avenue in East Knoxville, has been beautifully preserved and welcomes visitors from all over the world daily. Since its establishment as a cultural center in 1975, additional space was added throughout the years to accommodate Beck’s vision leading to the installment of the Margaret Carson Library in 2005, the Gallery in 2007, and the Exhibit Hall and Archive Studio in 2010.
Three Generations of Families
1912
The first family to live in the home was a wealthy white couple, James H. Cowan and his wife, Alice Maud Cowan (Saxton). James had the English-style home built in 1912 in the Dandrige Pike area as a gift to his wife.
During Knoxville’s pioneer days, this area was known as Mabry Addition since Joseph Alexander Mabry owned all from First Creek and Ft. Loudon Lake (upper Tennessee River). Mabry Addition was inhabited by wealthy landowners desiring to be near the town and river. As time passed, the residential community remained very exclusive to white families until the Lennons would purchase the Cowan estate in the 1940s.
1946
In 1946, Dr. E. F. Lennon purchased the Cowan estate. He and his wife, Helen Mae Lennon, were among the first Black families to move into the area.
His purchase of the house caused a stir, prompting threats and a cross-burning by the KKK in efforts to force to Lennons not to move in the area.
The Lennons were unmoved and remained at the home.
1968
James Garfield Beck and Ethel Benson Beck, a prominent Black couple in Knoxville, made a fortune in real estate. They purchased the Cowan-Lennon house in 1968 and would be the last family to live in the house. After repairs were fixed, the couple moved in in 1969.
The Becks would only be in this house for a short time before James would pass away that same year. Mrs. Beck passed away a short time later in August 1970.
1970-1974
Urban Renewal
In December of 1970, the Knox News Sentinel announced that Ethel Beck’s estate was to be up for auction in January of 1971. The house had an estimated value of $12,000.
Knoxville Housing Authority announced interest in renting the Beck home for a field office for the Morningside Urban Renewal Project soon after the initial announcement. The house itself was excluded from all auction advertisements afterward. The Beck estate auction attracted a crowd of over 150 people on its first day.
The people's project
The Beck Cultural Exchange Center is a living testament to what a community can build when united by purpose. Its story begins with a collective response to change, loss, and the urgent need for preservation in the wake of Urban Renewal.
As the Morningside Urban Renewal Project neared completion, residents were asked to imagine the future of their neighborhood. Their answer was clear: they wanted a cultural center, one that would preserve their history and reflect their community. From that vision, a dedicated group of leaders, advocates, and residents came together to form what would become the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, making this a true People's Project.
Through determination and collaboration, funds were secured, the historic Beck home was purchased, and volunteers stepped forward to transform the space. Community members offered labor, resources, and support - each contribution shaping the foundation of what Beck would become.
TODAY
While the number on the house has changed over the years, it is the same house that was built in 1912. The house, today known as 1927 Dandridge Avenue, became the official home of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, May 15, 1975.
