The historic preservation effort that our region richly deserves began to take root several decades ago and continues to grow stronger. This region has a rich architectural heritage, with structures dating from as early as the late 18th Century when this “Overmountain” region was among the first settled beyond the original 13 colonies of the United States and was known, for a time, as the State of Franklin.
The preservation movement arrived here shortly after the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was passed by Congress. Jonesborough established the first National Register Historic District in Tennessee and, even today, is one of the few communities that has successfully enacted and enforced an ordinance to prevent Demolition by Neglect. Within our region Jonesborough, along with Abingdon, Virginia, provides a premier example of preservation for small communities within the United States. Historic preservation activities in many other communities in our region have also produced impressive results.
Our work is to build upon these past accomplishments and to spread the knowledge gained to others to help further the historic preservation movement.