Our Hometown In The Smokies! - Sevierville Chamber of Commerce

Sevierville History
THEN & NOW
Founded in 1795, and incorporated in 1901, Sevierville (Severe
ville) is Sevier County’s business activity hub and county
seat. Named for John Sevier, the first governor of Tennessee,
Sevierville is also the oldest and largest of Sevier County’s
four cities (Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Pittman
Center).
As the eighth oldest town in the state of Tennessee, Sevierville
is brimming with history and local iconic structures. One of
the most recognizable buildings in all of Sevier County is
the courthouse. The fifth Sevier County Courthouse (the first
four burned mysteriously), is the current one in operation.
Designed by the McDonald brothers as an example of the
Beaux-Arts classical style and utilizing bricks manufactured
by African-American mason and Sevierville resident, Isaac
Dockery, the Sevier County Courthouse cost a grand total of
$21,041.93 when it was completed in 1896. The courthouse
rises 130 feet above the surrounding city of Sevierville and
contains a traditional four-sided Seth Thomas clock set into
its elegant tower. Even after a remodeling in 1970 and an
expansion in the 1980s, the Sevier County Courthouse still
maintains its graceful appearance in the heart of Sevierville.
The lawn of the Sevier County Courthouse is a historic spot as
well, with many notable local political activities and traditional
events taking place there. But the lawn is also a place of honor
for Sevierville and Sevier County’s most notable citizens.
Three monuments stand on the lawn honoring veterans and
police. Perhaps the most recognizable monument is the statue
of hometown girl, Dolly Parton. Her bronze statue, which was
sculpted by local artist Jim Gray and unveiled by Ms. Parton
herself on May 2, 1987, is a popular spot for photos. Dolly
even proclaimed the dedication of the statue as her proudest
moment in a recent CMT special.
streets. Hungry visitors will find cafés and restaurants along
the hometown streets. For those seeking information on the
past, the Sevier County Heritage Museum is just a block from
the square in the old Sevierville Post Office and guides visitors
through Sevier County’s past – from the Eastern Woodland
Indians to Scotch-Irish mountain settlers and on.
Currently, area visitors may drive or hop aboard the Sevierville
Fun Time Trolley (north route) to reach downtown Sevierville.
Historic Downtown Sevierville is soon set to undergo
renovations, including widening the sidewalks, placing utilities
underground and adding parking. All of these improvements
are intended to make the downtown area even more
pedestrian and visitor friendly.
A Sevierville By Any Other Name…
Sevierville (Severe ville) is named for John Sevier, one of
the leading figures in the history of Tennessee. Sevier was
a frontiersman, soldier, war hero and politician who served
under George Washington in the American Revolution and
distinguished himself at the battle of King’s Mountain.
In 1874, he became the first governor of the State of Franklin,
a new state that had been carved out of the land around
Watauga, an area now located on the border of Tennessee
and North Carolina. Later, Franklin became part of North
But Sevierville’s downtown is not simply statues, monuments
and historic buildings. Life and business are bustling there
and many visitors stroll through the streets to visit the quaint
galleries, shops and specialty stores lining the downtown
SEVIERVILLE, TN 39