Last House on Cement Hill

I had a paper route in the late 50s that included the homes on Cement Hill.  It was a difficult bike ride up, but a thrill going down (I misjudged one time and ended up in a pile of gravel).  The homes were quite nice, with the ones on the Industry Drive side having mysterious (to me) back yards that went down the side of the hill to the woods.  This home was on the curve of the road on the Kingsport side.
lasthouse

4 thoughts on “Last House on Cement Hill

  1. Debbie DaGrosa

    Hi! My grandparents lived on the very top of the hill in the last house on the right. My grandfather worked at Penn Dixie in the 60’s and 70’s. My grandmother was a kindergarten teacher at First Broad St. Methodist Church. I was wondering if you have any pictures of those houses at the top of the hill. I loved that house and have such fond memories visiting my grandparents on Cement Hill.

    Reply
    1. Bob Lawrence Post author

      When I was going to John Sevier and had a paper route downtown, I delivered to the homes on Cement Hill. I also had an Argus double lens reflex camera and took as many pictures that my dad could afford to fund the processing for. In the time between then (1957) and now, all those pictures have been lost. I think the Kingsport Archives might be able to help you.

      Reply
  2. JE Wall

    Hi Bob,
    I had an aunt and uncle that lived on Cement Hill. He worked for Penn-Dixie. One thing that always amazed me was that, while plumbed, the bathrooms were located outside the main house in a small building similar to an outhouse. Any time our parents were downtown shopping, my brother and I would slip off and go play with our cousins on Cement Hill.

    Reply
    1. Bob Lawrence Post author

      When I was in high school, we lived in a building like that, with the facilities in a separate building out back. It was an improvement over a privy, like the one I had to use when I visited my stepfather’s sisters, but it was literally cold comfort in winter.

      Reply

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