International Storytelling Center - Jonesborough, TN

The Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall is the headquarters for the National Storytelling Festival which is a big deal for the town of Jonesborough. The festival occurs every October in the central district of Tennessee's oldest town.

Clinchfield Depot - Johnson City, TN

It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railroad Station and Depot." The brick building was built in 1930.

Limestone, TN Depot

Here is a train station that has seen better days... The depot originally built by Southern is barely standing. The main part of the unincorporated town seems to be on a slope. The homes on the other side of the tracks from the depot (that are behind me) look down on the depot. All the mostly deserted storefronts look up at the depot.

Johnson City, TN Coca-Cola Mural

For an old unrestored Coke Mural, this one is rather well preserved.

It looks like there was another building that used to be next to this one. It would have been built after the mural was painted and then torn down more recently. Thus, the bottom half of the fading ad (below the seam) was less exposed to the elements and retains more of the paint.

Delicious and refreshing
DRINK
Coca-Cola
5¢
Relieves Fatigue
Sold Everywhere

Thankful Baptist Church - Johnson City, TN

The following text is from a brouchure entitled "A Historic Tour of Johnson City"
Thankful Baptist Church was the originator of this structure which was built in 1912.
Prior to its construction, a small white chapel in which the congregation worshipped was located on this site. In 1975, Thankful Baptist Church relocated to Watauga Avenue
and, in 1977, sold the Water Street property to Princeton Free Will Baptist Church. The
facility is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Post Card Tuesday: Chester Inn, Jonesborough, TN

Chester Inn - Built 1795 - Sheltered 3 Presidents - Jonesboro, TN

This is a real photo postcard, and is many decades old (may be dated 1944). This building is in better condition today than it was when the post card was made. Back then the town cut the UGH off the end of the town's name and went as Jonesboro. More recently, in an effort to attract tourists based on the town's old heritage, they put the UGH back to restore the name to Jonesborough. When this card was made, the Inn was owned by a florist, and if you look closely, you can see the neon sign at the end. One thing that hasn't changed between then and now is there is always cars parked in front of the building.



Dr. William P. Chester, a native of York County Pennsylvania and an excellent Jonesborough physician, opened the Chester Inn in 1797 on the Great Stage Road. As a physician in a small frontier town, he found it necessary to supplement his income. The Inn is the oldest wooden frame building in the commercial district. The original structure is of the Federal style. The Victorian front porch was added in 1880 and is an example of the elaborate work of the craftsmen of the period. The Inn was known as the finest inn on the Tennessee frontier and played host to three United States presidents-Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson.

In the early 90s, the inn was purchased by Tennessee to restore the building back to its Victorian era glory. It is listed on the National register of Historic Places as part of the Jonesborough Historic District. It is also used during the International Storytelling Festival, whose headquarters is listed next door.

For the full story of the Inn, check out this page on the Tennessee Historical Commission page:
www.tn.gov/environment/hist/stateown/chesterinn.shtml

Christopher Taylor House - Jonesborough, TN

When visiting historic Jonesborough, this two story log cabin is located along Main St. from this historical marker:

About one mile southwest of this location, this log house was built in 1777 by this officer who was a veteran of the French and Indian War and a major in the American Revolutionary War. He is buried in the family cemetery nearby. Andrew Jackson lived here in 1788-89 wile practicing law in Jonesborough. The house was moved intact to this site in 1974 to preserve it from demolition.

Gillespie Stone House

According to the historical marker along nearby US 11E/321:

This was built in 1792 for George Gillespie by Seth Smith, a Quaker stone mason from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. An early fort originally stood on the site, and was the dividing line between Washington and Green Counties in 1783. The house was purchased in 1842 by Jacob Klepper and has been preserved by his descendants.

Today the house is on the National Register of Historic Places as Col George Gillespie House. (The register also lists the address as being on highway US411, but 411 has been decommissioned around here. The road is old TN34.) Also, the county lines must have shifted some as it is now fully in Washington County. The town of Limestone is nearby.

For more info:
freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~snipper/wau/st...

First Presbyterian Church - Jonesborough, TN

The congregation that eventually built this building started as the Hebron Presbyterian Church in 1790. In 1816, the congregation moved to Jonesborough and bought land between 2nd and Washington on the north side of Main St.

This building was built in a Greek Revival style in 1850. Plans for the building were drawn up by a Mr. Clise of nearby Kingsport. The bricks and window shutters were all handmade and are originals.

The original design specified wide outside front steps but female modesty wanted that changed. (One's ankles should not be revealed while wearing a hoop skirt!) While the view is partially obstructed, you won't see steps. The terrace surrounding the steps were enclosed, and they became indoor steps. Thus, the main entrance to the building looks like it is on a second story balcony behind the six columns.

Well Preserved Mail Pourch Tobacco Ad - Jonesborough, TN

A.B. Cummings, Groceries, coal, Hay 8c.
Trademark West Virginia Mail Pouch Tobacco for Chewing and Smoking.
MAIL POUCH
Bloch Bros. W-VA.

This ad is painted on the side of an 1889 building that was at one time a saloon, but today is a gift shop known as the Mail Pouch Building.

Mail Pouch is much better known for their painted barns, but they have a few wall ads also. It's rare to see one as well preserved as this one.

It was originally painted in 1902. Not too long after that, an adjacent building was built next door and the paint was kept from the elements for a few decades. In the 60's, that building was torn down and this sign was rediscovered. Compare it to this one in Cookeville which may be just as old.

First Presbyterian Church - Jonesborough, TN

The congregation that eventually built this building started as the Hebron Presbyterian Church in 1790. In 1816, the congregation moved to Jonesborough and bought land between 2nd and Washington on the north side of Main St.

This building was built in a Greek Revival style in 1850. Plans for the building were drawn up by a Mr. Clise of nearby Kingsport. The bricks and window shutters were all handmade and are originals.

The original design specified wide outside front steps but female modesty wanted that changed. (One's ankles should not be revealed while wearing a hoop skirt!) While the view is partially obstructed, you won't see steps. The terrace surrounding the steps were enclosed, and they became indoor steps. Thus, the main entrance to the building looks like it is on a second story balcony behind the six columns.

The Salt House - Jonesborough, TN

Salt is needed for curing meat, but during the civil war it was in short supply. In Jan. 1864, Washington County purchased 4500 dollars worth of salt to be distributed for $15 per sack. That salt was stored here in a building by the train tracks and roughly a couple of blocks from the town square.

The building was recently renovated and there were plans to turn this into a restaurant, but with the for sale sign in the window (Sept. 2009), I suppose that's not happening.

Eureka Inn - Jonesborough, TN

Located in Tennessee's oldect City, this building has quite a history.

In 1797, the Mitchell family built a home here with wood joists, stone foundation and four fireplaces. In 1851, William Maxwell added a two story addition, a parlor on the ground floor and a large second floor room that held sequestered juries. In 1869, Laura Gosnel bought the house to use it as a boarding house.

In 1910, Peter Miller bought the house and added on to make it a hotel. The most prominent addition was the full length second story porch. His additions were so seamless that it made the entire building look like it was all built at once. This was the beginning of the Eureka Hotel.

In 1910, JR Russell bought the hotel and added even more, such as running water and the three third floor windows. Now, it was known as Hotel Russell.

In 1922, H.M. Gresham was the next owner to rename it after himself. The Gresham Hotel operated for 40 years, but to offset decline hotel occupancy ran the property as a restaurant, grocery store and taxi business on the ground floor. The next four decades saw the building gradually fall into disrepair until it was purchased by local investors in 1997 and spent three years and $3 Million restoring the Eureka to it's previous glory. The Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Jonesborough Historic District