Blount Mansion Association has been selected to receive a $30,000 grant from Rohm and Haas which will be used to paint and preserve the Mansion. Built in 1792, Blount Mansion is Knoxvilles only National Historic Landmark and strives to be a leader in the region for historic house museums.

Blount Mansion was the home and capitol of the first and only governor of the Southwest Territory, William Blount. Blount, a signer of the US Constitution, played a pivotal role in Tennessee becoming the sixteenth state.

According to Blount Mansion Executive Director Billye Chabot, Blount Mansion is in urgent need of a facelift. Having recently completed an evaluation administered through the National Institute for Conservation, a preservation architect agreed that the number one priority for conservation of the Mansion is painting.

Preserving and protecting the Mansion is a top priority of the Association. "The past remains ever present at Blount Mansion," notes Chabot. "The site is central in telling the story of how Knoxville became a community and how Tennessee became a state."
 
This priority matches the goals of the Rohm and Haas initiative which is to enhance the aesthetic qualities of fenceline neighborhoods and positively impact the overall quality of life in the Knoxville community.

Mayor Haslam and officials from the Blount Mansion Association and Rohm and Haas will conduct a press event on Friday, January 30 at 1:30 pm in front of the Blount Mansion. Tours of the Mansion will be available.

Blount Mansion is located at 200 W. Hill Avenue. For more information please call 865-525-2375 or visit www.blountmansion.org.