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Feature article
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Blountville hopes to draw more tourists
By J.H. Osborne
The major business of Blountville, as the county seat of Sullivan County, is government.
Offices for most functions of Sullivan County government are located in and around Blountville, including the county’s Department of Education — among the top 10 employers in the county, based on number of employees — and the county jail, set to expand in coming months.
But county leaders hope to build on the unincorporated town’s rich history, through tourism, to enhance economic development.
The Blountville Historic District, created a few years ago, is the centerpiece of that effort, with multiple restoration projects under way along the portion of Highway 126 that constitutes its main thoroughfare. Historic Blountville is located about a mile off Interstate 81’s exit 69.
The larger general area known as Blountville is home to Tri-Cities Regional Airport, Northeast State Community College, and upscale housing near and around Boone Lake — including Grande Harbor subdivision.
According to the county’s Web site, sullivancounty.org:
- Sullivan County was formed in 1779 by division from Washington County and named for Gen. John Sullivan, an officer in the Continental Army. On Feb. 7, 1780, the county court was organized at the home of Moses Looney.
- Blountville, the county seat, was laid out as a town in 1795, with the first courthouse built of massive logs. A jail was located in the back of the courthouse. That building was replaced in 1825 by a brick courthouse and jail. The present courthouse was built in 1853. It was burned in 1863 by Federal forces during the Civil War, rebuilt within the walls in 1866, remodeled in 1920, and added on to in 1958. A new jail was built in 1956. In 1988, the jail was moved to the County’s Justice Center.
The old sheriff’s home, located behind the historic Sullivan County Courthouse, is among restoration projects being spearheaded by the Sullivan County Historic and Preservation Association. It will be a welcome center.
While a restored Old Deery Inn is expected to be the “centerpiece” of the Blountville Historic District, a long-range plan for the heart of this county seat sets forth a town-wide vision of historic preservation.
Restoration of the Old Deery Inn has been under way for several months. Volunteers have been clearing and improving the inn’s lawn and have begun preservation work on outbuildings.
Major restoration of the inn, its next-door neighbor the Rutledge House, and the nearby “old sheriff’s home” — all happening thanks, in part, to a $1 million-plus grant — is expected to move ahead quickly this year.
A master plan for Historic Blountville includes an overall focus on improvement and expansion of green spaces, while making the entire town more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, by widening existing sidewalks and adding new ones to link the courthouse end of the Great Stage Road (the name of Highway 126 as it passes through the district) to the other end of town, where a county office building is located.
One goal of the association’s restoration of the Rutledge House is to help create an open-air venue for old-time musical performances.
Dining out options in Blountville include a number of fast food options. Other choices are Shoku Japanese Steakhouse, Pizza Plus and the Tomato Shack.
Blountville is served by the Sullivan County school system, with Blountville Elementary, Blountville Middle and Sullivan Central High schools.
Blountville
2000 population -- 2,959
Total households -- 1,065
Own home -- 82%
Men and women living alone -- 27%
Married couples with children -- 20%
Married couples with no children -- 42%
High school graduate or higher 74%
Bachelor’s degree or higher 12%
Per capita income $16,173
Note: Percentages have been rounded off.
Source: Census 2000
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