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Feature article
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Jonesborough Tennessee’s oldest town
By Leigh Ann Laube
Jonesborough, located in Northeast Tennessee in Washington County, is Tennessee’s oldest town. The town was established in 1779 by the General Assembly of North Carolina as county seat of Washington County and was named after Willie Jones, one of the few North Carolina legislators who approved of the state’s westward movement.
Jonesborough had been established for 14 years when Tennessee became the 16th state in 1796. The town was the first in Tennessee to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Jonesborough’s entire downtown is a National Historic District. Many of the houses and buildings are as old as the town, making it an active tourist stop.
Historic Main Street is known for its galleries of fine arts and crafts, antiques shops, and specialty stores that offer one-of-a-kind treasures — Celtic jewelry, Old West attire, gemstones, rare books and heirloom quilts.
Main Street is also home to the International Storytelling Center, which hosted the first National Storytelling Festival in 1973. The festival, now in its 32th year, is acclaimed as one of the Top 100 Events in North America.
Excel Polymers is one of the biggest employers in Jonesborough, with 126 employees. Bush Hog broke ground on a new 300,000-square-foot facility in 2001 to manufacture Bush Hog and Great Bend front-end loaders and the complete line of Bush Hog zero-turn mowers.
Part of the Washington County School System, Jonesborough has an elementary and middle school, plus one school which serves children in kindergarten through eighth grade — Lamar School. These schools feed into David Crockett High School, which has an enrollment of more than 1,300 students.
Sulpher Springs, also a K-8 school located in Jonesborough, feeds into Daniel Boone High School.
Jonesborough has about 30 restaurants in the historic district and along the 11-E Bypass, including Arby’s, Burger King, McDonalds and Hardee’s.
Because of the town’s mostly moderate climate and four distinct seasons, Jonesborough has a full calendar of events each year. Annual events include Cruisin' Memory Lane in May; Music on the Square concerts on the courthouse steps from May through September; Historic Jonesborough Days in July; Quiltfest in July; the National Storytelling Festival in October; the Christmas Doll Show & Sale in October; the Christmas Craft Show & Sale in November; and Christmas in Historic Jonesborough in December.
Jonesborough Repertory Theater, located in downtown Jonesborough, features musicals, theater performances and concerts.
The Wetlands Water Park at Persimmon Ridge offers waterslides, a lazy river, swimming areas, a cafe, sand volleyball, an arcade and hiking trails. The park holds several special events each summer.
Positive Solutions through Stories & Tours provides walking and specialized tours of Historic Jonesborough. Walking tours are held Mondays through Saturdays, leaving from the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 10 a.m. each day.
Jonesborough
2000 population -- 4,168
Total households -- 1,668
Own home -- 69%
Married couples with children -- 17%
Married couples with no children -- 35%
High school graduate or higher 76%
Bachelor’s degree or higher 19%
Per capita income $18,768
Note: Percentages have been rounded off.
Source: Census 2000
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