Preservation

The historic preservation effort that our region richly deserves has taken root over the past few decades and continues to grow stronger. This region has a rich architectural heritage with structures dating from as early as the late 18th Century when this "over-mountain" region was among the first settled beyond the original 13 colonies of the United States and was known, for a time, as the State of Franklin.

The preservation movement arrived in this region shortly after the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was passed by Congress. Jonesborough established the first National Register Historic District in Tennessee and, even today, is one of the few communities that has successfully enacted and enforced an ordinance to prevent Demolition by Neglect. Jonesborough, along with Abingdon, Virginia, provides a premier example of preservation for small communities within the United States. Historic preservation activities in many other communities have also produced impressive results.

Our work is to build upon these current successes and spread the knowledge gained to others to help further the movement.