| Sources |
- [S101] 1880 Census, Boyds Creek, Sevier County, Tennessee, 471D.
Scott Trundle household
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 15 Nov 2014.
Upland Chronicles: Buckingham House is a historic treasure
CARROLL MCMAHAN
Scott Trundle (right) and Charles Trundle (left) are pictured standing in front of Buckingham House around 1900. Scott was the father and Charles a brother of Paul Trundle, who purchased the house in 1904.
Built in 1794, Buckingham House as it appears now.
The Buckingham House elevations and floor plans as drawn in 1934 by Historic American Building Survey.
Located at the end of a long drive on the south bank of the French Broad River, the Buckingham House is reputedly the oldest brick structure in Sevier County and the third oldest in Tennessee. Framed by two large oak trees, the picturesque brick building was completed by Thomas Buckingham and his brother Ephraim in 1795. A brick on the front façade reads, "T. & E. B.," verifying the builders and the construction date.
The walls of the Buckingham House are of Flemish bond on the front and back and English bond on the side facades. Bricks were made on the site by slaves. The front porch has been renovated several times, though originally the dwelling did not have a porch.
In "The History and Architecture of Sevier County, Tennessee" author Robbie D. Jones wrote, "The Buckingham House is reminiscent of the late Georgian architecture that dominated the English colonies during most of the eighteenth century. Georgian architecture emphasized classical details and is named in honor of George I, George II, and George III – kings of England during the style's reign."
The structure is, Jones wrote, "a good example of a small cottage-type house that features a steeply pitched roof and exterior-end brick chimneys on each facade end. This type of cottage was common in the coastal regions of Virginia and North Carolina in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries."
In 1794 Thomas Buckingham was the sheriff of Jefferson County, which at the time included the present Sevier County. In the same year when the territorial legislature decided to divide Jefferson County, Buckingham was one of five commissioners who were appointed to locate the courthouse in the county of Sevier. He served as sheriff and as collector of taxes until 1796.
When the constitutional convention met in Knoxville in 1796, Thomas Buckingham was one of five Sevier County delegates. When the first court for Sevier County under the constitution of the state of Tennessee met on July 4, 1796, Thomas Buckingham was sheriff. From 1803 to 1805 he served in the House of Representatives at the 5th General Assembly, representing Sevier County.
Descendants believe that Thomas Buckingham saw the island now called Buckingham Island when he was a scout for Col. John Sevier and scouted the area before the Battle of Boyd's Creek. After the war, he moved the family there and claimed the 300-plus-acre island and 600 acres on the south side of the French Broad. For years, the property was entangled in the North Carolina-Tennessee-Territory South of the Ohio River debacle, which wasn't straightened out until Gov. John Sevier and the state of Tennessee granted claims to Thomas Buckingham's sons, Nathaniel and Thomas Jr.
Buckingham Island is also rich in history. The island was once a sanctuary of swans and wild geese, and the Great Indian Warpath crossed it. The famous path opened the gateway to the Overhill Indian villages, with one of its branches snaking into the towns and villages of Tellico, Chota and Hiwassee. It became the chief migratory route for the early settlers in the 1780s.
About 1700, one of the most important men in Cherokee history was born on the island. Attakullakulla, known to some as White Owl, went on to make a name for himself in this country, as well as in England, where he dined with King George II.
John Sevier retreated victorious to the island from the Battle of Boyd's Creek, but his celebration was cut short when his ponytail was shot off by a Cherokee warrior who was not quite ready to surrender. The future governor regrouped.
After fighting to save his nation from the British and then driving them from the area, John Sevier personally claimed a portion of the island.
The death date and place of burial of Thomas Buckingham are unknown. Nathaniel Buckingham sold the island farm to William Burns, after which the Buckingham brothers are said to have left Sevier County. Although written records are sketchy, the property changed hands a few more times before 1904, when Paul William Trundle purchased a 70-acre section that included the house. The property was adjacent to a big farm owned by his family.
Born June 29, 1873, Paul Trundle was one of four children of Winfield Scott Trundle and Rachel Emma McMahan Trundle. He married Mattie Blanch Dickey in 1897 and they had six children: Benton (Sr.) Anna Kate (Ellis), Nellie (Hammer), Paul Raymond, Lena (Catlett), and Stella. Paul and Mattie raised their family in the old Buckingham house.
Members of the Trundle family occupied the house until Stella Trundle moved to Fort Sanders-Sevier Nursing Home. Stella died Jan. 28, 2014, at age 98. After retiring from H.U.D., Stella moved back to her childhood home to live with her sisters Anna Kate Ellis and Lena Catlett, who had moved back to the house after their husbands died.
In 1971, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Advertised as the Trundle Estate 7-acre riverfront farm and historic Buckingham House, the storied old house was sold at public auction on Oct. 18, 2014. The historic property was purchased by a group of investors.
Carroll McMahan is special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce and serves as Sevier County historian.
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 cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S112] Census, 1920.
Name: Paul W Trundle
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1920
Event Place: Civil District 14, Sevier, Tennessee, United States
District: 153
Gender: Male
Age: 46
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Can Read: Yes
Can Write: Yes
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Own or Rent: Own
Birth Year (Estimated): 1874
Birthplace: Tennessee
Immigration Year:
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Sheet Number and Letter: 1A
Household ID: 10
Line Number: 48
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T625
GS Film number: 1821762
Digital Folder Number: 004390948
Image Number: 00490
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Paul W Trundle M 46 Tennessee
Wife Mattie Trundle F 44 Tennessee
Son Benton Trundle M 21 Tennessee
Daughter Anna Kate Trundle F 17 Tennessee
Daughter Nellie Trundle F 14 Tennessee
Son Raymond Trundle M 10 Tennessee
Daughter Lena Trundle F 8 Tennessee
Daughter Stella Trundle F 4 Tennessee
- [S73] Rawlings Funeral Home, Book 2, 7 Aug 1965.
Trundle, Paul W. June 29, 1873 Tn Aug 7, 1965
Father: Trundle, Scott
Mother: Mc Mahan, Emma
Sons: Benton, Raymond
Daughters: Mrs. Anna Kate Ellis, Mrs. Paul Hammer, Mrs. Lee Catlett, Stella
Cemetery: Trundle
- [S34] In the Shadow of the Smokies, Smoky Mountain Historical Society, (1993), 265.
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