Craighead-Jackson House
Encyclopedia
The Craighead-Jackson House is a historic two-story, brick house in Knoxville
, in the U.S. state of Tennessee
. The home was constructed by John Craighead in 1818 across the street from the William Blount Mansion. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The Craighead family lived in the house until 1855, when it was sold to William Swan. Swan, who later was a member of the Confederate Congress, soon sold the house to George Jackson. The George Jackson family then lived in the home until around 1885. The state of Tennessee and the City of Knoxville purchased the property in 1957 and in 1962 transferred it to the Blount Mansion Association. The house has been renovated, and is open to the public.
to the southeast. The river's Volunteer Landing waterfront lies at the base of the embankment to the south and southwest.
After William Blount
selected White's Fort as the capital of the newly-created Southwest Territory
in 1791, the fort's owner, James White
, and his son-in-law Charles McClung
drew up a grid of 64 half-acre lots that would eventually become the core of the city of Knoxville. The Craighead-Jackson House is located on what was originally designated "Lot 15" on McClung's grid. Lot 15 was sold to William Blount in October 1791, although Blount eventually disposed of the lot and instead built his mansion on the adjacent lot (Lot 18) which he purchased from John Carter in 1794. Tennessee historian Stanley Folmsbee suggested that the Blount family's temporary cabin (where they lived while the mansion was being built) may have been located at Lot 15, rather than on the Hill
, as local history has long dictated.
John Craighead (1783–1826) purchased Lot 15 in 1818 and built the current house. Craighead served as a Knoxville city alderman
in 1824, was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church, and is buried in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery. George Jackson, a Knoxville physician, obtained the house in the late 1850s. According to a local legend, the house is haunted by the ghost of one of Jackson's servants, who burned to death after her skirt caught fire while working in the house's kitchen.
In the 1950s, the Blount Mansion Association, which had restored Blount Mansion in the 1930s, expressed interest in acquiring the Craighead-Jackson House. In 1957, the house was offered to them for $15,000. The state of Tennessee offered to pay half the cost if a Knoxville resident or residents would pay the other half. The City of Knoxville subsequently paid the other half, and in 1962 transferred the house to the Blount Mansion Association with the stipulation that it be used and that restoration begin within six months. The Association set up a display of pioneer relics at the house in the late 1960s, and used the house for its offices until it moved to a new office on Gay Street
.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, in the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The home was constructed by John Craighead in 1818 across the street from the William Blount Mansion. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The Craighead family lived in the house until 1855, when it was sold to William Swan. Swan, who later was a member of the Confederate Congress, soon sold the house to George Jackson. The George Jackson family then lived in the home until around 1885. The state of Tennessee and the City of Knoxville purchased the property in 1957 and in 1962 transferred it to the Blount Mansion Association. The house has been renovated, and is open to the public.
Location
The Craighead-Jackson House is situated at the corner of West Hill Avenue and State Street in downtown Knoxville. The house's back porch overlooks the confluence of First Creek and the Tennessee RiverTennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
to the southeast. The river's Volunteer Landing waterfront lies at the base of the embankment to the south and southwest.
History
William Blount
William Blount, was a United States statesman. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention for North Carolina, the first and only governor of the Southwest Territory, and Democratic-Republican Senator from Tennessee . He played a major role in establishing the state of Tennessee. He was the...
selected White's Fort as the capital of the newly-created Southwest Territory
Southwest Territory
The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States as the State of Tennessee.The Southwest Territory was...
in 1791, the fort's owner, James White
James White (general)
James White was an American pioneer and soldier who founded Knoxville, Tennessee, in the early 1790s. Born in Rowan County, North Carolina, White served as a captain in the county's militia during the American Revolutionary War...
, and his son-in-law Charles McClung
Charles McClung
Charles McClung was an American pioneer, politician, and surveyor best known for drawing up the original plat of Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1791. While Knoxville has since expanded to many times its original size, the city's downtown area still roughly follows McClung's 1791 grid...
drew up a grid of 64 half-acre lots that would eventually become the core of the city of Knoxville. The Craighead-Jackson House is located on what was originally designated "Lot 15" on McClung's grid. Lot 15 was sold to William Blount in October 1791, although Blount eventually disposed of the lot and instead built his mansion on the adjacent lot (Lot 18) which he purchased from John Carter in 1794. Tennessee historian Stanley Folmsbee suggested that the Blount family's temporary cabin (where they lived while the mansion was being built) may have been located at Lot 15, rather than on the Hill
The Hill (Knoxville)
The Hill is the colloquial name for the location of various academic buildings on the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's campus. It comprises the oldest part of the university, and is located at the eastern side of the campus. There are two concentric roads around the Hill. University...
, as local history has long dictated.
John Craighead (1783–1826) purchased Lot 15 in 1818 and built the current house. Craighead served as a Knoxville city alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in 1824, was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church, and is buried in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery. George Jackson, a Knoxville physician, obtained the house in the late 1850s. According to a local legend, the house is haunted by the ghost of one of Jackson's servants, who burned to death after her skirt caught fire while working in the house's kitchen.
In the 1950s, the Blount Mansion Association, which had restored Blount Mansion in the 1930s, expressed interest in acquiring the Craighead-Jackson House. In 1957, the house was offered to them for $15,000. The state of Tennessee offered to pay half the cost if a Knoxville resident or residents would pay the other half. The City of Knoxville subsequently paid the other half, and in 1962 transferred the house to the Blount Mansion Association with the stipulation that it be used and that restoration begin within six months. The Association set up a display of pioneer relics at the house in the late 1960s, and used the house for its offices until it moved to a new office on Gay Street
Gay Street (Knoxville)
Gay Street is a street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, that traverses the heart of the city's downtown area. Since its development in the 1790s, Gay Street has served as the city's principal financial and commercial thoroughfare, and has played a primary role in the city's historical and cultural...
.
Design
The Craighead-Jackson is a white brick house consisting of two stories and a basement. The first story consists of a hallway that spans the center of the house from east to west and contains the house's two main entrances and staircase, with a sitting room on the north side of the house and a parlor on the south side. The second story has two bedrooms, with the south side bedroom being slightly larger than the north side bedroom. The basement has a dining room and a large "unfinished" room. Chimneys are located at both the north and south ends of the house. A small porch graces the door along the front (west) facade of the house, and a larger covered porch is located at the rear of the house.See also
- Alexander Bishop House
- Chisholm Tavern (Knoxville)Chisholm Tavern (Knoxville)Chisholm Tavern was a historic building at Front and Gay streets in Knoxville, Tennessee. It stood on the same block as William Blount Mansion. Construction was completed circa 1792, and it remained for almost 200 years until it was demolished as a part of urban renewal in the 1960s...
- James Park HouseJames Park HouseThe James Park House is a historic house located at 422 West Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. The house's foundation was built by Governor John Sevier in the 1790s, and the house itself was built by Knoxville merchant and mayor, James Park , in 1812, making it the second-oldest...
- Ramsey House (Knoxville, Tennessee)
- StatesviewStatesviewStatesview, or States View, is a historic house located on South Peters Road off Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Built in the early 1800s by early Knoxville architect Thomas Hope and rebuilt in the early 1820s following a fire, Statesview was originally the home of surveyor Charles...
External links
- Blount Mansion Association — maintains the Craighead-Jackson House