| Sources |
- [S47] Sevier County, Tennessee and its Heritage, Sevier County Heritage Book Committee, (1994, Don Mills, Inc.), 332.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 13 Aug 2012.
Upland Chronicles: Public Square once served as center of town
by CARROLL McMAHAN
Since the Sevier County Courthouse was completed in 1896, the courthouse and its surrounding lawn have been considered the heart of Sevierville. However, the the undisputed center of Sevierville for the first century of the town’s existence was the old public square.
Sevier County was established in 1785. The first county court was held at the home of Samuel Newell at Newell’s Station (located in the present-day Seymour). At that time Sevier County was part of the State of Franklin, which existed from 1785 until 1788.
The State of Franklin failed in 1788 and until 1794 the people governed themselves. In 1794 the area became a part of the Territory South of the Ohio River. Isaac Thomas held the first court under this new government in his house.
The Forks-of-the Little Pigeon River was chosen for the county seat in 1795 and the name of the settlement was changed to Sevierville, in honor of Col. John Sevier.
James McMahan donated 25 acres along the south bank of the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River for the purpose of establishing a county seat. Half-acre lots were sold to the highest bidders.
The property owners were given two years to build “one well framed square-logged, brick or stone house at least 16 feet square.” The money from the sale of the lots was used to build the county’s first courthouse, jail and stocks.
Until the first courthouse building was completed, court was held in an old stable. The crude building became so infested with fleas that some of the lawyers hired an Irishman with a bottle of whiskey to burn it down.
The site chosen for the first courthouse which was constructed of logs was near the current location of the BB&T Building on Main Street. The jail and stocks were built near the courthouse.
Timothy Reagan was employed to build the stocks. Being fond of a practical joke Reagan persuaded the sheriff to be locked in the stocks to test them. Whereupon Reagan left Sheriff Buckingham locked up for some time. While the witnesses hollered, pointed and laughed, the high sheriff was not amused.
Soon an area between the courthouse and the river where men congregated to swap horses and tell tales became known as the “jockey lot.”
The public square was created in 1856 after the third courthouse, which stood at the northwest of the intersection of Main Street and Cross Avenue (now Court Avenue), was destroyed by fire along with most of the town. County records were lost and William Marvin McMahan, a young man who was being held in jail for stealing a chicken, perished in the flames.
The tragedy prompted the county commissioners to procure one square acre of land “extending an equal distance from the center of the street each way” and build a new brick courthouse in the middle of the square. The new building faced east and west with no adjoining structures.
During the Civil War, members of the Federal Home Guard were guarding the courthouse, which was being used to hold several Cherokee Indians who were members of a Confederate group known as the Thomas Legion, captured by the Home Guard earlier.
At dawn on the morning of Dec. 8, 1863, the courthouse guards were surprised when a group of about 200 men led by Col. William Thomas attacked, broke open the jail and released the prisoners. Six men were shot, of which only two survived. Jonathan Mize was critically wounded and died on December 14.
After the Battle of Fair Garden on Jan. 27, 1864, the courthouse was converted into a temporary hospital.
This courthouse was used until the present one was finished in 1896. After the building was removed a circle was added to the square in 1924 and planted with grass and shrubs by the Sevierville Garden Club. An ornamental lamp post was placed in the center. It was maintained by the Garden Club until Main Street became a state highway.
Hotels that have operated on the square through the years include Lanning’s Hotel, Mitchell Inn and two Central Hotels, the second of which was later called Hotel Sevier.
The building known as the John B. Emert Brick was constructed shortly after the fire of 1856. At first John Emert operated a general merchandise store on the ground level and he and his wife had living quarters on the second floor.
Later Cameron, Ingle and Co. remodeled the building and operated an ice cream parlor and restaurant there. Next W.H. Teague purchased the building. Teague later sold it to a group of business partners who included Earnest Conner and Sanders Atchley.
Atchley Funeral Home occupied the building from 1933 until 1948 when they moved to their present location. After Atchley Funeral Home the Sevierville Florist and Bashor’s Florist occupied the building. The last business in the old structure was the Cloth Shop, which closed when the building was torn down to make way for the Sevier County Bank in the 1960s.
The Sevier County Bank time and temperature sign is located where the old Emert Brick stood.
J.R. Yett and his brother Miller purchased the northeast corner of the public square in 1892 and constructed a building to use as a general merchandise store. Later Miller Yett left the partnership and J.R. acquired sole ownership of the business. After Will Cox married J.R. Yett’s daughter in 1902 he went into partnership with Mr. Yett and the business became Yett, Cox & Co.
The last business to occupy the old building was Lewelling’s Market.
Sometimes called the Run-a-Round, the public square was given the moniker “Teapot Dome” in the 1920s reflecting the scandal of President Harding’s administration.
The public square remained active until 1948, when U.S. Highways 441 and 411 were widened, destroying the square.
Today the public square has been renovated with brick sidewalks, brick columns and historical markers. A beautiful fountain along with lamp posts, trees and benches now stand near the spot where the circle was constructed in 1924. The funding for the renovation project was headed by the late Sidney P. Wade as a Homecoming ’86 project.
Thanks to Wade, the Public Square Board and its contributors, the Public Square is properly marked for future generations.
Its significance today remains a symbol to how life centered around the old Public Square for over a century.
— Carroll McMahan is the special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage and past of Sevier County. If you have suggestions for future topics, would like to submit a column or have comments, please contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or email to cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or email to ron@ronraderproperties.com.
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