ENJOY A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF DOWNTOWN ELIZABETHTON AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORIC LOCATIONS IN OUR CITY
During this self-guided tour you will learn about the people and events which have shaped this area since Carter County was formed in 1796. We hope you enjoy exploring the locations that have played a significant role in Elizabethton’s rich history.
17. Tweetsie Trail
18. Franklin House
19. Hunter Cottage
20. Dr. Bowers House
21. Range House
22. The Covered Bridge
23. Sycamore Tree
24. Dungan House
25. Rhudy House
26. Antique Fire Engine
27. Bonnie Kate Theater
28. Betsy Walkway
29. Burgie Drug
30. 126 South Main
ALFRED MOORE CARTER HOME
829 E ELK AVE
The Alfred Moore Carter Home shows elements of the Greek Revival Style and was built in 1819 on Forge Street.
CAPTAIN LYNNE FOLSOM HOUSE
824 E ELK AVE
This clapboard-sided Greek Revival style home was built by Henderson Folsom around 1861 on what were the tracks #48 and #49 of the original 77 lots laid out in 1796 (Elizabethton incorporated in 1799). The portion of East Elk Avenue it faces was once called Forge Street due to the location of an iron forge at the base of Lynn Mountain east of here, the first such forge west of the Alleghenies. Major H.M. Folsom, the only commissioned officer from Carter County in the Confederate Army, was also a lawyer and teacher of law. His neighbor on the north side of the street was a famed Union Army officer.
FRASER FIR
The 88-foot Fraser Fir located next to the Folsom House is the tallest Fraser Fir in Tennessee and second tallest in the U.S. The tree was one of two planted by Major H. M. Folsom, Civil War veteran. In the Christmas season of 1988, the tree was decorated for the first time with lights, which are visible for several miles in either direction. The Fraser Fir has been designated the Community Christmas Tree and the lighting of the fir has become an annual event.
SOLDIERS’ MONUMENT
E ELK AVE AND N MAIN ST
Located in the Courthouse Square, the Soldiers’ Monument was constructed in 1912 and dedicated in 1913 to all soldiers from the Revolution to that time. The monument stands approximately 60 feet tall with a 20foot base, and was made of river rock and handmixed concrete. The Civil War Veterans, Union and Confederate, worked together to carry the bedrock to the base of the monument as an act of solidarity. In the 1920s and the 1930s, before radio and TV, hundreds of local residents would gather around the monument on election night to await the results which were read by the clerk of the courthouse. The monument was refurbished in 1989 and dedicated to Carter County soldiers serving in all wars.
CARTER COUNTY COURTHOUSE
801 E ELK AVE
Originally built during the 1850’s. The courthouse has been altered numerous times. It survived severe wind storm damage in March of 1901 and flood damage during the great flood that occurred in May of that same year wiping out twenty-three Elizabethton dwellings and all bridges except the stillintact covered bridge across the Doe River.
ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
815 E 2ND ST
St. Thomas Episcopal Church was formerly the Southern Methodist Church. The United Methodists were among the first organized religious believers in the city, dating back to 1833. They first worshiped in the courthouse, and later in the Duffield School. The Civil War divided the local congregation, and the Southern Methodists built their own church. The building was started in 1861, interrupted by the Civil War, and finally completed in 1867.
WEDDING CHAPEL
201 N MAIN ST
Formerly a Presbyterian Church, this Greek Revival Style building is probably the oldest church in the city, dating back to 1836. Among the first members were the Carters, Taylors, Duffields, Smiths, Stovers, and Camerons. The Civil War almost forced the church to close as many of the leading families were slave owners, and moved away.
DUFFIELD ACADEMY
305 ACADEMY ST
Duffield Academy, named for attorney George Duffield, was established September 13, 1806. The original brick building was erected in 1838. For a brief period following the Civil War, the school was operated by the Presbyterian Church USA and renamed Davies Academy. George Duffield, who was instrumental in getting the school started, was married to Sallie Stewart Carter, a daughter of Landon and Elizabeth Carter.
SHEPHERD HOUSE
217 ACADEMY ST
Built sometime before 1894, this house was constructed by the builder/owners of an overall factory. The basement still includes the river rock from which it was originally built. To the right of the house was the only site in the area where settlers forded the river with horses and wagons.
BANKS LAW OFFICE
641 E ELK AVE
The Riverview Building was built in the late 1930’s atop the foundation of what was originally the tavern where it is said former President Andrew Johnson in 1875 took his last drink. Later that night, at his daughter’s house just a few miles from here, he died from a stroke.
EDWARDS ISLAND PARK
211 N RIVERSIDE DR
This piece of land is flanked by the Doe River on the east side and the mill race on the west. Even before the weir dam which exists upstream today, an earlier dam had served the purpose of diverting water to the stream for the purpose of providing mills in the area with power to turn the wheels.
OLD POST OFFICE
625 E ELK AVE
At least one account has it that in 1908 the post office moved into this building which was owned by Postmaster E. C. Alexander. In July 1920, Dr. C. C. Hacker opened medical offices in this building.
BARNES BORING HARDWARE
623 E ELK AVE
Barnes Boring was officially established as a corporation on February 26, 1900 with J. M. Barnes and J. R. Boring as principal stockholders. A few years later others joined Barnes and Boring as owners and the hardware store moved across the river to the “handsome building on Elk Avenue”. The two gentlemen died just months from each other nearly 30 years after beginning their partnership.
PUBLIC LIBRARY
201 N SYCAMORE ST
The older (eastmost) portion of this building, Classical Revival in design, originally served as Elizabethton’s main post office. James A. Wetmore, working for the WPA, designed the building in 1931, and it was constructed in 1933. The renovation of this building to accommodate its current function as a public library took place in 1992.
VETERANS WALKWAY AND MONUMENT
441 E ELK AVE
The Veteran’s Walkway is a commemorative monument dedicated to the men and women from Carter County who served in the armed forces. Military personnel names are engraved in each panel making up the walkway. Across the street is the Veteran’s Memorial dedicated to the men and women in Carter County who lost their lives while serving our country.
RITZ THEATER
527 E ELK AVE
Originally one of four movie theaters in downtown Elizabethton, this building was constructed in the late 1920’s by local building contractor, Thomas Construction Company. The Art Nouveau style building is the only one of its type in Elizabethton. Note the masks of comedy and tragedy and the decorative pattern in the concrete.
S.H. KRESS BUILDING
423 E ELK AVE
S. H. Kress & Co. was the trading name of a chain of “five and dime” retail department stores in the United States, established by Samuel Henry Kress, which operated from 1896 to 1981. The Kress chain was known for the architecture of its buildings. Samuel H. Kress envisioned his stores as works of public art that would contribute to the cityscape. A number of former Kress stores are recognized as architectural landmarks and many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
TWEETSIE TRAIL CROSSING E ELK AVE
What is now the ten mile Tweetsie Trail was once part of the ET&WNC Railroad which spanned thirty-four track miles from Johnson City, TN to Cranberry, NC. The trail gets its distinct name, Tweetsie, from the sound that was made by the locomotives’ whistles. Now, you can walk or bike the once busy tracks from Johnson City to Elizabethton.
FRANKLIN HOUSE
215 S RIVERSIDE DR
Both the Franklin House and Hunter Cottage were built by Dr. E. E. Hunter, for his children. Both feature elaborate fireplaces and beautiful woodwork. Neither of the houses originally included a kitchen since the daughters and their families were expected to take meals at the “big house.”
The Franklin House, built in 1901, was reportedly the first house in Elizabethton to have an indoor bathroom. A stained glass window, a wall-mounted razor strap, and the floor and wall tile remain from the original construction.
HUNTER COTTAGE
213 S RIVERSIDE DR
Built in 1902, Hunter Cottage displays an English architectural influence in the barley twist spindles that line the lovely oak staircase and in the pocket doors which lead into the dining room.
DR. BOWERS HOUSE
209 S RIVERSIDE DR
The house known as the Dr. Bowers House was built around 1906 by Dr. E.E. Hunter and his wife, Molly Jobe Hunter, daughter of Dr. Abraham Jobe, after a fire destroyed their previous home. Dr. Hunter also operated a drugstore in the city, served for a short time as postmaster, and oversaw the construction of the covered bridge.
RANGE HOUSE
203 S RIVERSIDE DR
Owned by Gov. Robert L. Taylor in the 1880’s, the Range House, located on the corner of Hattie Avenue and Riverside Drive, was built by Dr. Abraham Jobe. The earliest known landowner of acreage in the Hattie Avenue vicinity, Dr. Jobe was engaged in the mercantile business, was an Indian agent, and served as postmaster. Hattie Avenue was named for his daughter, Hattie Jobe Taylor who married Nathaniel Taylor, brother of Tennessee Governors Robert and Alfred Taylor.
THE COVERED BRIDGE
Built in 1882, the Covered Bridge is believed to be the oldest such bridge in the state that is still in use. Constructed at a cost of $3,000 by contractor Dr. E. E. Hunter, George Lindamood and three carpenters, it spans the river for 134 feet, resting on earth and limestone abutments. Hunter hired Colonel Thomas Matson, who had engineered the elevated railroad tracks in New York City, to design the bridge and serve as construction chief. The original structure was made almost entirely of wood; mainly mountain oak and white pine beams that were hauled down the steep slopes of the mountains by draft horses and mules, weatherboard of mountain poplar, and shingles cleaved by mallet and froe from chestnut. Hand forged steel spikes and hand threaded bolts fastened together the massive pieces of oak flooring.
SINCE 1882 OF THE QueenDoe OF THE QueenDoe
Termed an “engineering feat,” and listed in the Historic Engineering Record, the Covered Bridge survived numerous floods, including the great May flood of 1901, which destroyed all the other bridges in the county that crossed the Doe River. It is one of two bridges in Tennessee identified by a Tennessee historical marker and is included on the National Registry of Historic Sites.
SYCAMORE TREE
S RIVERSIDE DRIVE - BESIDE COVERED BRIDGE
The first republic established west of the Appalachians was the Watauga Association, which was formed in May 1772 under the shade of an old Sycamore tree, located on the banks of the Doe River. Very little is known about the first court except that five magistrates and 13 commissioners were chosen to lead the government that existed until 1776. Tradition holds that Andrew Jackson may have also held court under the tree or in a house nearby. The famed tree, cut down in 1987 (after many efforts to save it), was located across the street from this memorial where a concrete pedestal marks the hallowed spot where the court arising from the first written compact made by a free and independent American people was held.
DUNGAN HOUSE 619 HATTIE AVE
The Dungan House, located at 619 Hattie Avenue, was constructed by Judge W. P. Dungan in 1892, and is believed to be the first house built in the New Town. One of the more elaborate homes built in the city during the 1890s, the Victorian home in the Eastlake Style reflected the success, prosperity and status of its owner, a town builder for more than 30 years. It was the first house in Elizabethton to have electric lights, a residential telephone, and its own private water system which supplied water, during its early years, to the old Lynnwood Hotel which originally stood two blocks away.
RHUDY HOUSE 615 HATTIE AVE
This handsome brick dwelling was built by Capt. L. H. Rhudy and Carrie Dungan Rhudy in 1894 and remained in the family until 1992. Capt. Rhudy was a businessman and industrialist and along with his brother-in-law, Judge Dungan, developed much of what is now the downtown area. The interior and exterior walls of the Queen Anne Style home are solid brick. Although extensively remodeled, the interior still retains most of the original oak and maple woodwork and 8 of the 10 original fireplaces.
ANTIQUE FIRE ENGINE
121 S SYCAMORE ST
This 1921 T Model fire engine carried chemicals rather than water for extinguishing fires. Several years ago firemen and friends restored the vehicle to its present “cherry” red condition. Each year, the fire engine is the first vehicle leading the Elizabethton Christmas Parade along the route.
BONNIE
KATE THEATER
115 S SYCAMORE ST
The Bonnie Kate Theater was built in the classic revival style of architecture. It was named after Miss Katherine Sherrill Sevier, the wife of the first governor of Tennessee, John Sevier. The theater opened to a house of 500 from the 1920’s to the 40’s. In the 1970’s it became a split-screen movie theater which lasted until it closed its doors as a cinema in late 2012. It now serves as a home for live music, plays, and parties.
BICENTENNIAL WALKWAY
608 E ELK AVE
This walkway now exists where once the Grand Theater, the first theater in Elizabethton, stood. The Grand burned in the fall of 1927 and was remodeled and reopened in December of the same year. The theater was later named the “Betsy Theater.” The theater was demolished and became the “Betsy Walkway,” and later the “Bicentennial Walkway.” In 1999 a time capsule was placed in this walkway, not to be opened until 2099.
BURGIE DRUG
610 E ELK AVE
Established in 1892 by Harry Burgie, Burgie Drug, a revered establishment which was visited frequently by Elizabethton residents, served the community as a pharmacy and convenience store. A location change in 1975 moved the business from this location to West G Street, where it is currently operating. Jiggy Rays, a popular pizza restaurant which often features live music, now occupies the space.
126 SOUTH MAIN
126 S MAIN ST
Charming Carpenter Gothic Style trim graces the gable ends of this nearly 100 year old house about which little else is known.
Continue Your Tour...
Thank you for completing the Downtown Elizabethton Walking Tour. Continue your journey through the history of Carter County by experiencing some of the popular annual events and other historic locations throughout our community.
POPULAR EVENTS IN CARTER COUNTY
APRIL
Spring Naturalist Rally
Carter Mansion Celebration
MAY
Music & Miles Half Marathon
JUNE
Carter County Omnium Bike Race
Liberty! The Saga of Sycamore Shoals
Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival
JULY
Fourth of July Boat Parade at Watauga Lake
Elizabethton Independence Day Celebration
SEPTEMBER
Elizabethton Covered Bridge Days
Overmountain Victory Trail March
OCTOBER
Roan Mountain Fall-O-Dendron Festival
Downtown Elizabethton Trick-or-Treat
NOVEMBER
Colonial Harvest Celebration
Elizabethton Christmas Tree Lighting
Downtown Business Christmas Open House
DECEMBER
Roan Mountain Christmas Tree Lighting
Downtown Elizabethton Christmas Parade
Christmas at the Carter Mansion
SEASONAL EVENTS
Elizabethton First Friday - MaytoAugust
Covered Bridge Jams - JunetoSeptember
Elizabethton Farmers Market - JunetoSeptember
Elizabethton River Riders Baseball - JunetoAugust
Skate by The Doe Ice Rink - November to December 15
EXPLORE CARTER COUNTY
SYCAMORE SHOALS STATE HISTORIC AREA
As the home of Tennessee’s Official Outdoor Drama “Liberty! The Saga of Sycamore Shoals,” the park pays an annual tribute to the nation’s earliest settlement called The Watauga Association. The outdoor play is performed during the last three weekends of July.
Guests can also take a stroll along the Overmountain Victory Trail to see where volunteer Revolutionary War heroes crossed the Watauga River to muster for battle. Furnished cabins and structures within a reconstructed replica of Fort Watauga demonstrate 18th century life.
An interpretive museum, located within the park’s visitor center, shares the nationally significant history of Sycamore Shoals. The Carter Mansion and Sabine Hill are both managed by the park as additional historic locations.
CARTER MANSION
1031 BROAD ST.
Built between 1775-80 by John and Landon Carter, the Carter Mansion is the oldest standing frame house in the state of Tennessee. Both John and Landon were strong business, political and military leaders in the Watauga Settlement in the late 18th century. The interior of the home is noted for its elaborate architecture which include hand carved panels, crown molding, and chair railing.
SABINE HILL
2328 W G ST.
Considered the oldest paintings known in the state, two over-mantle paintings can be seen over the fireplace in Carter’s office and upstairs in the master bedroom.
Built about 1818 by Mary Patton Taylor, widow of Gen. Nathaniel Taylor, of the War of 1812. Both are buried in the cemetery nearby. Among their great-grandsons were Governors Alfred A. and Robert L. Taylor, of Tennessee, and Nathaniel Harris, of Georgia. The two-story Federal style building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
EXPLORE CARTER COUNTY
ROAN MOUNTAIN
STATE PARK
From sunrise to sunset, the park offers guests chances to fish, hike, camp, and bike. Park rangers host exciting programs every year to inspire creativity and promote environmental education. The park is also home to several cabins, a conference center, party pavilions, and a playground.
The Miller Farmstead, built in 1908, is a preserved reminder of the way folks used to live in these mountains. The farmhouse is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, and weekends in October. Programs and other events are hosted at the park and farmstead throughout the season. In 2015, the farmstead was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL
A community tradition since 1947, the Rhododendron Festival is held annually each June by the Roan Mountain Citizens Club. This festival celebrates the display of natural beauty of the Rhododendron Gardens located atop Roan Mountain, typically blooming in June.
Discover even more history ...
CARVER’S GAP
Carvers Gap ELEVATION 5512 FT.
National Forest
PISGAH-CHEROKEE
Make the scenic drive up to Carver’s Gap along TN-143 to access the Appalachian Trail and hike Roan Mountain’s famous balds. You can also see the world’s largest natural rhododendron garden which blooms around June. The road to the gardens is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and is open from Memorial Day through September.
WORLD’S LARGEST
Natural
Garden
CLOUDLAND HOTEL
Around 1870, General John T. Wilder bought 7,000 acres along the top and sides of Roan Mountain. It was Wilder who built the road to Carver’s Gap. He also constructed a 20-room log inn near the summit of Roan High Knob in 1877, then replaced it with the luxurious Cloudland Hotel. For about 20 years, guests
enjoyed the “pure air, the delightful temperature, the clear cold spring water and the perfumeladen woodlands.” Today little evidence remains of the once grand hotel.
