Lenoir City, Tennessee, is home to a surprising set of fascinating historical spots. Please take a look at our list of favorite historical locations in and near the city. You’ll be surprised by what you find.
Historic Loudon Tennessee
Just 15 minutes away from Lenoir City, you’ll find a charming little town steeped in southern hospitality and history. Situated at 1075 Highway 321 North, this place is packed with quaint shops, excellent southern food, and kind people. Get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and discover the spirit of a place with a recorded history that dates back to the late 1700s.
In the early days, Loudon was bare, having only a steamboat landing and a few small buildings. With the coming of the railroad in the 1850s, the area was utterly transformed. This place is a stop on both the Civil War Trail of Tennessee and the Appalachian Quilt Tour, so if you are involved in them, make sure to mark Loudon on your map.
The Lenoir City Museum
Opened in 1997, this museum was originally the town’s city hall. Its contents document the city’s past from the time of settlement in the early 1800s to the arrival of the railroad and the city’s boom, through the Civil War, and up to Lenoir’s official establishment as a city in 1907. Different aspects of the city’s growth are highlighted here, including facts on residential, industrial, and commercial growth.
The Lenoir Car Works, long the economic lifeblood of the city, is featured prominently in the exhibit. The roles of the people of Lenoir in United States military history and in the religious, social, and educational growth of the city are on display as well. The museum rests at 110 Depot Street in downtown Lenoir City.
The Lenoir City Mills
Dotted across Lenoir city are the remains of a number of cotton mills that were hotly contested during the violent days of the Civil War between the United States and the Confederate States. Cotton was the economic lifeblood of the south, as it made up the majority of the region’s exports. During the war, the area was burned by the Union army as their advance south progressed.
For their time, the mills were quite advanced in terms of industrial capabilities, and the north desired to deny confederate sympathizers that source of income. A new restoration of the structure is taking place, as the first reconstruction was destroyed by arsonists, but visitors are always welcome.
The National Campground
In nearby Greenback, Tennessee, sits a place that is dear to the hearts of civil war history enthusiasts everywhere: The Bivouac of Reconciliation. In this place, on the grounds of The National Campground, Confederate and Union sympathizers together created a site meant for deep Christian fellowship and forgiveness. Its purpose was to end the bitterness and pain caused by the war, and there was much to be had. General Sherman devastated the area as he burned his way south prior to the Siege of Atlanta. The tabernacle shed houses the annual meetings and September services.
Lenoir City has a deep and rich history that runs deep in the hearts of its citizens. Take in these historic sites there, and you’ll see what they love so much about the place.
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