I love historic buildings, particularly those built of stone and brick. They express a look and feel of permanence, encompassed in cobblestone walkways, stone columns, dental work, and wide staircases of brickwork. Nothing material lasts forever, of course, but although they become weathered, blemished, and re-purposed, buildings can be a bridge to the past for us.
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| timeless storefronts, downtown Maryville |
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They provide a bit of timelessness and tradition in a rapidly changing world.
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| Palace Theater, downtown Maryville |
Maryville has some amazing history, as does much of this entire region. Settled in 1785 when a Revolutionary war veteran built a wooden palisade around Fort Craig, the settlement was later incorporated in 1795. This station was originally built to protect Euro-Americans from Cherokee attacks. Talk about history coming to life! One such Cherokee village was in walking distance from our house. This place is brimming with reminders of stories past.
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| New Providence Presbyterian, downtown Maryville. We call it the "castle church" |
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| relics from old train station, downtown Maryville |
Perhaps one thing that is so fascinating to me, is the longevity of documented history in this region. There is so much to learn about the Cherokee tribal history, as well as Revolutionary War history, Civil War history, WWI, WWII, right on up to present day. To see tangible evidence of all these periods in time intermingling is riveting.
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old Maryville library
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| new Maryville library, one of our favorite places |
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During the Civil War, Maryville was predominantly Union. Confederates set fire to many buildings, including the courthouse, in order to expel Union soldiers in hiding. An African-American slave, Polly Toole, is credited with saving the majority of documents therein.
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| Blount County Courthouse at present, photo credit Deb Campbell |
Maryville was a center of abolitionist activity in the early 19th century, largely supported by Isaac L. Anderson, founder of Maryville College.
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| Maryville College, founded 1819 |
So many beautiful buildings, each with multiple stories to tell, which weave in and out through many generations.
Writing this post, I'm positively giddy to begin exploring these topics more thoroughly. It's one of the first things on my list after finishing this 31 day blogging commitment. Now I just have to choose which area to begin with...
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