GATLINBURG, TN (November 15, 2019) - Anakeesta was honored to receive the East Tennessee Preservation award last night at Knoxville’s Bijou Theater. Knox Heritage and the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance recognized outstanding individuals, organizations, and projects contributing to historic preservation efforts within a sixteen-county region. Anakeesta received this prestigious award for partnering with the local community to relocate four historic structures impacted by the projects development so that their stories would be continued to be told.

Structures included the historic Ogle Cabin which was donated to the City of Gatlinburg and moved to the Gatlinburg Visitor Center and the historic Clinic Building which was donated to the Sevier County school district and moved to Pittman Center to be repurposed as a living history museum. Two additional historic structures were also relocated and now serve as Anakeesta offices. “We are committed to preserving this important chapter of Gatlinburg’s history and were honored to receive this award.” said Karen Bentz, co-owner of Anakeesta. “Finding a home for these remarkable structures will allow the community to learn from and enjoy their stories for generations to come.” Knox Heritage was established in 1974 as a non-profit historic preservation organization. Their mission is to preserve structures and places of historic or cultural significance for the community.

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