By Ralphine Major
It is among Knoxville’s historic treasures linking the past with the present.
I first learned about Blount Mansion as a fifth grader. Our teacher was a social studies major, and she made sure to schedule a field trip for our class to visit Blount Mansion. The trip to downtown Knoxville was a big deal for our fifth-grade class, though I am not sure any of us could truly appreciate the significance of Blount Mansion in our city’s history.
William Blount became the territorial governor of Tennessee in 1790.
Years later, he became a United States Senator.
Building his home on the banks of the Tennessee River gave William Blount access to the river which, in those days especially, was of utmost importance for transportation purposes. Touring the beautiful home and grounds was like stepping back in time. It was fascinating to visit a place in downtown Knoxville that holds such prominence in our state’s history.
The Blount Mansion still stands proudly on the banks of the river not far from the Old Knox County Courthouse and the City-County Building. It will always hold a special place in the history of Knoxville and Tennessee.