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Hawkins County Rich History Hawkins Electric Provides
AN OVERVIEW
Hawkins County Rich History
Hawkins County is rich in local history heritage. Several locations to visit while in the area are listed below.
The Heritage Association of Rogersville and the Rogersville/Hawkins County Chamber of Commerce have a pamphlet available of a walking tour of Rogersville.
ROGERSVILLE
Historic Rogersville, is one of the state’s oldest towns, was founded in 1775 by Joseph Rogers and settled by the grandparents of Davy Crockett.
Whether you are a history buff or just enjoy the scenery, you are sure to be charmed by the architecture and brick side walks, lined with period lighting in the downtown district, which is on the National Register of Historic places.
Once a part of the famous Wilderness Road, Main Street is home to Federalstyle buildings surrounding the town square, and has remained virtually intact since 1789.
Rogersville flourished due to its location on an important stage road that connected Atlanta to Washington, DC, with routes to Kentucky and the Cumberland settlements. As a result several inns and taverns were built here, including Rogers Tavern, at 205 South Rogers Street (1786). One guest who stayed at the tavern was future President Andrew Jackson. Another Tavern that Jackson stayed at was McKinney’s Tavern, now named Hale Springs Inn.
Rogersville has had an illustrious history, reflected both in brilliant statesmen and businessmen and in its many productive industries. Today it reflects its gracious past in its homes and buildings and in the cordial manner of its citizens. oldest continuously-operated inn in Tennessee. It is one of the contributing properties in the Rogersville Historic district.
John McKinney, a local lawyer and businessman, built the inn in 1824-25. He built it in order to compete with Rogers’ Tavern, which was operated by the founder of Rogersville, Joseph Rogers.
McKinney constructed a massive, three-story Federal style building that housed a tavern and guestrooms.
McKinney’s plan was to build a larger, brick inn directly on the road to compete with both of Rogers’ buildings. In 1823, he began construction on a massive, three-story, Federal style building that would house facilities for a true tavern bar, but also individual guest rooms on the different floors. The building also featured an impressive balcony over its door that would feature prominently later in its history. Noted guest to the inn during the 19th century were U.S. Presidents Andrew Johnson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson.
During the American Civil War when the Union forces captured the town, they used the inn as their headquarters. Ironically when the Confederacy retook Rogersville during the battle of Big Creek in 1863, they used the Kyle House as their headquarters, which was across the street from the inn.
In 1988 the inn closed and was Tennessee’s oldest continuously operating inn. The Rogersville Heritage Association purchased the inn in 1998 and launched a renovation project which exceeded 2.1 million in 2009. https://www.halespringsinn.com/ Hale Springs Inn is located at 110 W. Main St. beth Hedge Crockett received a 281 acre land grant and built a log cabin near a large spring. It became known as Crockett Spring. It is now home to Crocket Spring Park and Arboretum. It is the centerpiece of the downtown Rogersville area. In September of 2013 the Certified Tennessee Arboretum was dedicated and features 36 varieties of trees. It is the perfect location for pictures, weddings, picnics or strolls. The park features a gazebo which can be rented for special occasions. For more information, call the Rogersville Heritage Association at 2721961. https://www.rogersvilleheritage. org/crockett-spring-park Crocett Spring Park is located in the historic downtown area at 200 Crockett St.
Joseph Rogers Tavern
In 1786, Joseph Rogers built an inn on what is now 205 S. Rogers St. The original log-and-stone structure is now under clapboard siding.
Legend tells about an early visitor to Rogers Tavern. One day, a stranger came to the inn and asked for a room. The landlady showed him a room that he could share with two other gentlemen. The stranger proceeded to make disparaging remarks about a town that could not offer a gentleman a private room. Another guest at the inn overheard the remarks and seized the stranger by the arm ushering the stranger to the corncrib out back and threw him in. Once locked inside, the stranger was asked if he was willing to apologize and accept the first-offered room. He agreed. The guest who requested the apology was none other than Andrew Jackson. https://www.rogersvilleheritage.org/joseph-rogers-tavern
Swift Memorial College complex is a restored building that now serves as memorial museum and warm, accommodating public gathering space and is all that remains of the sprawling institution. This is the story below as copied from their website, swiftmuseum.org.
In East Tennessee, at the close of the Civil War, the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America found itself somewhat adrift and disorganized. In taking its bearings and considering its re-organization in 1863, it discovered that it had a new factor to deal with in taking up anew the work of the Master. That new factor was the newly-emancipated Freedmen. The change of affairs and relations which had been produced in their condition before the war, made it necessary for the Church to reconsider them in its re-organization and rehabilitation, and to determine not only its attitude toward them, but what they would do with them and for them.
It began the organization of Presbyterian Churches and parochial schools among the Freedmen, and threw open the doors of Maryville College for their higher education. The churches and schools grew and prospered to such an extent, and the local conditions became such that it was soon manifest the Maryville College did not and would not do the work which was needed to be done, and that something else should be done to relieve the situation. The conclusion was reached that another school similar to Maryville College should be established somewhere for the benefit of the Freedmen.
In canvassing the situation, it was thought by those most prominent and interested in the matter, that Rogersville, was the place for the school. For the founding and propagation of the See HISTORY | 6
From HISTORY | 5
school, the providence of God pointed to Mr. W. H. Franklin, of Knoxville, a student of Maryville College. Mr. Franklin graduated from Maryville College in 1880. In 1883, he completed his theological course at Lane, and in June of the same year, entered upon the work to which he was chosen. In September, 1883, he began the work of teaching in a rough and open frame building which was made possible by underpinning and putting newspapers on the unplastered walls. The school grew from that small beginning through the most strenuous, persistent and bitter opposition, until it has become favorably and widely known as Swift Memorial College. The success of the work has been due to the fact that God was in the work; labor, faith and prayers behind it; the help of a great Church beneath it, and the pressing need of a great race before it.
The Board of Missions for Freedmen, desiring to honor a great and good man, and true friend of the race, suggested that the school be called Swift Memorial Institute, in memory of the Rev. E. E. Swift, D.D., who was for many years, the beloved pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Allegheny, and the esteemed President of the Freedmen’s Board at his death.
The objective of the school were to give colored youth a solid education in arts and sciences, to train and prepare them for domestic duties and the practicla business of life, to equip and prepare eficient and suitable teachers for the public and other schools, and to make good, intelligent citizens and to provide Christian workers for the duties and requirements of the church.
The College consisted of three buildings situated on six acres, more or less, for the accommodation of its students. The main building was a modern brick building of three stories. It is an attractive building, and is used as a dormitory for girls, class rooms, domestic and general purposes. The rooms for young ladies were large, comfortable, well lighted and ventilated. They were provided with all necessary furniture, including bedding. The boy’s building was also a brick structure. It had three stories and an attic for dormitory purposes. Provisions were made for students to do their own laundry work in both buildings. Park Cottage is a small frame building, situated between the two buildings above and is used for the accommodations of little girls. A limited number of small girls can be accommodated and cared for in it. www.rogersvilleheritage.org/swift-museum The Swift Museum is located at 203 W. Spring St.
Tennessee Newspaper and Printing Museum
In the year 1791, George Roulstone, the first printer to enter the State of Tennessee, took his press apart in Fayetteville, North Carolina, packed it on horses’ back or in wagons and trekked over the trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Holston Valley where Kingsport now stands. There, on the banks of the Holston River at James King’s Boat Yard, he loaded it on a flatboat and floated it down to Rogersville where he set it up and started printing the Knoxville Gazette, the first piece of printing ever attempted in Tennessee.
In crossing over the valley to reach the river, Roulstone passed over the spot where the Kingsport Press, once the largest book producing plant in the world, would one day operate. And when he finally got to Rogersville and started his hand press, he was within fifteen miles of the future site of Pressman’s Home, the home of the International Pressman and Assistants’ Union in the early 20th century.
Roulstone and his partner, Robert Ferguson, published the first issue of the Knoxville Gazette on November 5, 1791. Roulstone remained in Rogersville until October 1792. www.rogersvilleheritage.org/tn-newspaper-and-printing
The museum is located at 401 S. Depot St.
Rogers Cemetery
Joseph Rogers, founder of Rogersville, and his wife, Mary Amis Rogers are buried here. Also here are the grandparents of David Crockett, original owners of the land, who were killed by Indians in 1777. The cemetery is located 8.1 miles from Rogersville.
Pettibone House
(Old Tavern House), c. 1795 – 207 – 209 South Rogers Street – This double house is built of logs under the clapboard exterior. It was connected to the original Rogers Tavern (no longer there) across the street by a covered walkway.
Stone Sidewalks
The large limestone blocks incorporated into the concrete sidewalks were used as the original sidewalks, built by stonemasons who also built railroad bridges. Sections of the original limestone – block sidewalks can still be seen on East Broadway and Colonial Road.
Rogersville City School
Rogersville City School was originally the site of the Rogersville Syndical College (1850), a private Presbyterian School for women. The building burned down in 1920 and the Rogersville Grammar & High School was erected. The oldest part of the building was built after a fire destroyed the original school in 1928. The large boxwoods remaining in the front yard are more than 150 years old.
CHURCH HILL
Church Hill was established as a trading post and stagecoach stop called Spencer’s Mill and Patterson Mill in the late 18th century. It obtained it’s name following the establishment of a Methodist church on a hill overlooking the Holston River valley, which still stands today on Grandview St. Church Hill was incorporated in 1958. Church Hill is located 19.1 miles from Rogersville.
A number of locations are on the Tennessee Historical Commission Historic Markers list. They are as follows: Carter’s Store, Patterson’s Mill, Rice’s Mill, Smith Place.
Amis House
Amis House was built by Thomas Amis, the father-in-law of Joseph Rogers, as a pioneer settlement. His stone house served as an inn for travelers. A tavern, general story, distillery, saw mill and grist mill was later established by Amis. The buildings were surround by a stakewall for protection.
The Amis House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and ownership has remained in the Amis family. The house is located 3.3 miles from Rogersville at 677 Burem Road.
