East Tennessee History Center, Knoxville

East Tennessee History Center, Knoxville (must see)

The East Tennessee History Center (ETHC) is housed in a landmark building that has been a federal facility for over 100 years. Constructed in 1874, this was the first federal building in the city and was designed by prominent architect, James Knox Taylor, featuring a mix of Italianate, Renaissance Revival, and Second Empire styles.

Among other things, in the late 19th century, this building made history as a popular hangout of “Fiddlin’ Bob” Robert L. Taylor, a pension agent who used to entertain visitors with his tall tales, jokes, and, most importantly, his masterly fiddle playing. A talented performer, he regularly took part in fiddling competitions in Market Square and did so well, in fact, that his fiddling skills saw him become one of Tennessee’s most prominent politicians. Using fiddle as a political tool (performing at political rallies), Taylor eventually succeeded at becoming a state governor, from 1887 to 1891 and again from 1897 to 1899, and then a U.S. Senator. So much for fiddling, huh...

Originally, the building served as a customs house and post office, until 1934, following which it was repurposed as a courthouse. After being vacated in the 1980s, it was renovated and converted for use as a museum and research center, while retaining many of its original features and historical character.

An expansion completed in 2004 beautifully complements the original structure and provides access to all of ETHC’s resources. Today, the building accommodates the Historical Society, Historical Museum, the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, and the Knoxville County Archives. You will also find the genealogy department of the Knoxville County Public Library here.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Knoxville. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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East Tennessee History Center on Map

Sight Name: East Tennessee History Center
Sight Location: Knoxville, USA (See walking tours in Knoxville)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Knoxville, Tennessee

Create Your Own Walk in Knoxville

Create Your Own Walk in Knoxville

Creating your own self-guided walk in Knoxville is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour

Downtown Knoxville Walking Tour

A small town with big-city amenities and a vibrant music scene (a mix of country, bluegrass, and rock), Knoxville, or K-Town as it's popularly shortened by locals, is also often referred to as “the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains,” for its proximity to the national park area, whose marble quarries, in the past, gave it another moniker, The Marble City.

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Knoxville’s Historical Buildings

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Indeed, Knoxville's eventful and sometimes turbulent past, dating from...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
University of Tennessee Walking Tour

University of Tennessee Walking Tour

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The campus covers nearly 600 acres in downtown’s west end, including over 200 buildings and a faculty of more than 1,700...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles