Dandridge, founded in 1792, is one of the oldest towns in Tennessee and is the county seat of Jefferson County (named for Thomas Jefferson then Secretary of State). Dandridge is the only town named after our first, First Lady, Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (she never lived near here or visited here). The Revolutionary War Graveyard is the site of Dean’s Lower Meeting House, where Dandridge wa
s chartered and houses the graves of settlers who were Revolutionary War soldiers. Dandridge’s central square was reserved as Church Land (for use as church and graveyard and not for public buildings). The Hopewell Presbyterian Church had organized and built a log church building on this spot in 1785, eight years prior to the layout of Dandridge. Dandridge was an early western outpost on the French Broad River. Travel and shipping was via the French Broad River and a branch of the stagecoach route form Knoxville to Abington, VA that passed through town. The first permanent settlers arrived in 1782-1783. Many of them came from Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania and were mostly Scots-Irish and English, with a sprinkling of German and French. Dandridge has been part of three states: the States of North Carolina, Franklin, and Tennessee. The first mail service was a sort of “pony express” and was organized in 1792 – it took 21 days to travel from Knoxville to the Jefferson County Courthouse in Dandridge, then to Jonesboro, Abingdon and return by Sullivan and Hawkins courthouses to Knoxville. Four historic taverns remain – Roper Tavern ca. 1878; Shepard’s Inn ca. 1820; Hickman Tavern ca. 1820s; and Thomas Tavern ca. 1843 – all are in use today. The first Bank of Dandridge was incorporated in 1854. This bank was probably located in the Vance Building across the street from the Jefferson County Courthouse. The next year a second bank, the Bank of Jefferson, was incorporated and located in the two story brick building next to the historic Gass Building (formerly known as the Inman Store) on Main Street. The McCuistion family made brick fired in kilns on the eastern end of town. Their brick was likely used for the construction of the current Jefferson County Courthouse completed in 1845. The builders were the Hickman brothers. James Hickman lived in the Hickman Tavern, now occupied by Dandridge Town Hall. The Jefferson County Courthouse museum houses Davy Crockett’s Marriage Bond, among other artifacts of Dandridge’s history. Overnight stops at Dandridge’s historic taverns included stays by three United States Presidents – Andrew Jackson, James K. During the War Between the States, Dandridge families and church congregations were split, with some loyal to the Confederacy and others to the Federal government. The Hynds House, middle of Gay Street, housed both commands. The Battle of Dandridge centered on capturing the food and other resources found in the French Broad River floodplain. TVA constructed the 1,000-foot d**e to keep Dandridge from flooding when Douglas Lake was impounded in 1943. The reservoir was constructed to provide power for Oak Ridge as part of the Manhattan Project. If it hadn't been for the d**e, the lake waters would have flooded the town up to the top steps of the Jefferson County Courthouse. Dandridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Properties in 1972. Dandridge is a certified National Trust and Tennessee Main Street community. Located two miles from I-40 Exit 417, Dandridge provides an historic respite in a beautiful landscape on a lake with views of the Great Smoky Mountains. We are 30 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 30 minutes from downtown Knoxville, TN and slightly over an hour from Asheville, NC. http://www.gozaic.com/Explore/Destinations/Dandridge-Tennessee/Historic-Downtowns/
