McEntire Home

503 Canal Street N.E.

Circa 1914

At the corner of Canal and Cherry streets, 503 Canal offers a quiet reminder that the character of Old Decatur is found in the homes that have shaped everyday neighborhood life for generations. Dating to approximately 1914, this Folk Victorian belongs to the early twentieth-century chapter of the city’s architectural story. In its early years, the home was occupied by Leroy McEntire, Sr. and his wife, Kathleen, for whom the home received its name. Historical property records describe 503 Canal as a single-story, wood-sided residence. It showcases several unique exterior features. The rock-faced concrete blocks used on the front porch were popular nationally for porches and foundations as a substitute for natural stone. The ornate front window design repeats the leaded glass sidelights and transom across the front facade. The house stands within the Old Decatur neighborhood closely connected to the city’s growth as a Tennessee River and railroad community. By the time it was built, the city had experienced decades of commercial ambition, rebuilding, and change. During this time, Canal Street provided places for families to put down roots only steps from downtown’s shops, churches, and civic institutions. Inside, the residence includes a formal living and dining room, along with other spaces that have continued to serve household life as tastes and needs have changed. The surviving wood floors are a particularly fitting feature in a house of this period. For Christmas Tour visitors, 503 Canal Street offers the opportunity to appreciate the craftsmanship of the folk Victorian era decorated for the holidays. Its early twentieth-century origins, traditional materials, and lovingly cultivated setting speak to the enduring appeal of this home lovingly woven into the life of its neighborhood. More than a century after its construction, the house remains part of the everyday history that makes Old Decatur worth preserving.