Bleak House

Also known as Confederate Memorial Hall, this Tuscany-style villa is owned and managed by the United Daughters of Confederacy. It was built by Robert Houston Armstrong who named it Bleak House after the Charles Dickens’ 1853 novel.

During the Siege of Knoxville (Nov. 17-Dec. 4, 1863), during the Civil War, the home served as headquarters for Confederate Gen. James Longstreet and Gen. Lafayette McLaws. The tower, featuring cannonball holes, and a sketch of three Confederate sharpshooters, is particularly noteworthy.  Union Gen. William Sanders was believed to have been fatally shot from the tower.

The house features a fine collection of paintings by Eleanor McAdoo Wiley, the sister of notable Knoxville artist, Catherine Wiley.

Bleak House, and its terraced gardens, is used for meetings and weddings.

Learn more about Civil War connections around Knoxville here.

Located at: 3148 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Admission Charge. Hours and guided tours vary seasonally. Visit Bleak House’s official website to learn more about visiting hours and other information.

Please note: Bleak House is not a member of “Historic Homes of Knoxville” and admission is not included in HHK combo passes.