James White's Fort

Knoxville has a considerable amount of history to it. Founded in 1786, it is the second oldest of Tennessee’s major cities (Nashville is just seven years older). Knoxville was Tennessee’s first state capital, from 1796 until 1819. The city was named for the nation’s first Secretary of War, Henry Knox.

James White was the founder of Knoxville. He came to what is now Knoxville from North Carolina in the early 1780s. A veteran of the Revolutionary War, White was given a land grant of 1,000 acres for his service. White built a two-story log home in 1786. Then known as White’s Fort, the settlement was renamed Knoxville by William Blount when he moved his territorial capital there in 1791.

The Fort itself was built near what is today the corner of State Street and Clinch Avenue in downtown Knoxville. White lived in the Fort until 1793, when he moved upriver near what is now the South Knoxville Bridge. White was later a general in the War of 1812 and gave land to establish Blount College, which later became the University of Tennessee.

Visitors to the Fort, which was opened to the public in 1970, can experience what life was like in frontier Tennessee, including black-smithing, spinning and open hearth cooking. Special events are held throughout the year.

James White’s Fort is located at 205 East Hill Avenue, just across the street from the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Free parking is available nearby. The Fort is open from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday from April to December. It is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday from January to March. Call 865-525-6514 or visit visit www.discoveret.org/jwf for more information. Click here visit www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/map/mapdowntown.pdf for a map of downtown Knoxville.

Attraction Details

Concessions	Gift Shop	Live Music	Rides	Cost	Age
				$	N/A