The One Small Town In Tennessee With More Historic Buildings Than Most Others
By Chris Dodge|Published September 19, 2022
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Chris Dodge
Author
My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
There is one historic town in Tennessee that has an undeniable charm to it. You will find a bustling downtown area, lots of festivals, and wonderful people that take pride in their hometown. This little town has history everywhere you look and it is easy to get wrapped up in the story of historic Jonesborough.
Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee; it predates our state by 17 years.
In fact, during the early stages of Tennessee becoming a state, Jonesborough served as its capital. It was known as the State of Franklin named after Benjamin Franklin. However, congress never recognized this effort to create a new state and it was lost to history but not forgotten. Now you will hear the term "Lost State of Franklin" or even see it represented around East Tennessee through street names and such. We wanted to feature a few of the historic buildings you can find in Jonesborough but we encourage you to explore the town. There are more than 70 historic buildings in this little town so you can spend plenty of time seeing them yourself.
First up is the Chester Inn. In The late 1980s, this Inn was purchased by the State of Tennessee and restored to look like it did in the late 1800s.
This Inn was considered the "finest inn on the western front" back in the day and was frequented by prominent explorers and political leaders. Now you can visit the property and be treated to a lovely little museum. The exhibits may rotate from time to time but the upstairs rooms are preserved to look the way the inn would be kept in the late 1800s. You can plan a trip to the Chester Inn and spend a great time learning about the history as a whole family.
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Sisters Row was built in the 1820s by a man named Samuel D. Jackson. He built this building for his three daughters and the porches were added sometime in the 1880s.
This historic Victorian-style structure has many period pieces throughout the rooms and serves an amazing breakfast. The bed and breakfast is closed for now but they are looking to reopen at a later date. See the Jonesborough town website for updates.
Perhaps one of the most interesting of all of the historic buildings in Jonesborough is the Christopher Taylor House.
This old log cabin was built in 1777 by a veteran of the American Revolution. Andrew Jackson even lived in this house from 1788-1789. The downtown site it sits on now was not its original location but it was moved there from about a mile away to protect it from demolition.
Perhaps the most iconic is the Washington County Courthouse. This building sits on the site of the original courthouse. Although it is not the original it is still a centerpiece in the downtown Jonesborough area.
There are many more buildings to explore and enjoy in this quaint historic town in Tennessee. The history is fascinating and we highly encourage you to explore and visit it yourself. It is a charming town with a long history of proud people who call Jonesborough their home.
If you enjoy history and the outdoors then why don’t you travel on over east of Jonesborough to explore the very same mountains that were traversed to settle this region?
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