Mabry-Hazen House

An 1858 hilltop mansion that served as headquarters for both Confederate and Union forces during the Civil War, with three generations of the family buried on the grounds.

Perched on Mabry's Hill overlooking downtown Knoxville, this Italianate mansion was built in 1858 by Joseph Alexander Mabry Jr. The house's strategic hilltop position made it valuable during the Civil War — it served as headquarters for both Confederate and Union forces at different points during the conflict. Three generations of the Mabry-Hazen family lived and died in the house, and many are buried in the family cemetery on the grounds. Joseph Mabry and his son were both killed in a downtown Knoxville shootout in 1882. The museum staff report hearing footsteps on the upper floors when the building is empty, and visitors have photographed unexplained mists and orbs near the family cemetery. The rocking chair in the parlor has been observed moving on its own, and the smell of pipe tobacco occasionally wafts through the hallways.