Pencil Sketches by Ruth Andrews  

114 Wilson Avenue - Residence of Grace McArthur

A young architect, Charley Tedford, who had close ties to Maryville College, designed the American Colonial-style house at 114 Wilson Avenue.  His father was one of the thirteen students, which comprised the entire student body enrolled at the college after the Civil War. His mother, Mary Wilson Tedford, was the first young woman to receive a BA degree from Maryville College and, in fact, any college in Tennessee.

Charley's life was cut short. A football injury at the college left him seriously handicapped and later contributed to his death. His fine houses at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Court Street remain as his lasting memorial.

J. S. Jones, a busy contractor in Maryville, built this house for Charley in 1910 with two rooms on each of the two floors and four fireplaces with a chimney on each of the four sides of the house. The installation of French doors was very innovative at this time and was a unique feature of this house. Wilson Avenue, at the time, was a gravel lane and it was many years before the street was paved.

The house was sold in 1920 to Dr. and Mrs. J. H. McMurray when he became the Political Science and Sociology professor at the college. Mrs. McMurray taught Home Economics at the college and also founded and operated the College Maid Shop. The success of this industry meant hundreds of Maryville College girls received an education through the depression.
The house welcomed extended family. Workers at "The Shop" lived at 114 Wilson Avenue. A dining room was added and also a sleeping porch across the back. Now grandchildren of the McMurrays often return for a visit recalling those days of a home full of college girls.

In 1949, after the death of Dr. and Mrs. McMurray, Dave and Grace McArthur purchased the house. Two rooms have been added and three of the original fireplaces remain functional.