Fall/Winter Town Tour Schedule

As the seasons change, so to do the Town Tour days and hours.  Starting November 1st, Town Tours will be available on Mon, Fri, & Sat at 1:00 and on Sundays at 2:00!  We’re adding a Sunday afternoon tour.  Tickets are still $5 and are available at the Chester Inn Museum on Main Street.

The Old Jonesborough Cemetery tours are done for the season, but they will return in 2017.

The Chester Inn Museum will also be switching to winter hours and will be open from 11-6 on Mon, Fri, & Sat and from 1-5 on Sun.

Thanks for visiting with us in Jonesborough!

A Spot On the Hill Returns with ALL NEW Characters

A Spot on the Hill, the original, research-based play returns this October to the Old Jonesborough Cemetery.  This is the third season for the show, and this edition features all new characters.  If you’ve seen A Spot On the Hill before, you haven’t seen it like this.  New faces include Fanny Rhea Fain, who kept a very detailed diary during the Civil War, Amanda Bayless, who had personal ties to the Warner Institute, and Dr. Samuel Cunningham, who helped bring the railroad to Jonesborough.  You’ll meet them and many more!  Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to sit on.  Come and listen to real stories of real lives among real tombstones.

Spot on the Hill Publicity Shot

Performances for A Spot on the Hill will take place at 7:00 p.m. on October 14th, 15th, and 29th.  There will be a 2:00 matinee performance on October 29th.  Tickets are limited, and sell out fast, so make sure you buy yours today!  Tickets are $8.00 and proceeds benefit the Heritage Alliance’s cemetery preservation and tombstone restoration fund.  Audience members should arrive 15 minutes prior to show time.  Parking is available at the First Baptist Church on the corner of Main Street and Boone Street, or downtown.  It is a short walk up East Main Street to the cemetery.  A golf cart courtesy shuttle will be available for guests who park downtown.   This program is not suggested for children under 10 years of age.  In case of inclement weather, performances will be moved inside to the Jonesborough/Washington County History Museum.

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Tickets must be purchased ahead of time.  To purchase tickets, please call the Heritage Alliance at 423.753.9580, or the Jonesborough Visitor’s Center at 423.753.1010.  Tickets can also be purchased online at https://townofjonesborough.thundertix.com/events.  On the day of the event, tickets should be purchased at the Jonesborough Visitor’s Center.

Third Annual Constitution Week Bell Ringing

This Sunday, September 18th, at 2:00 in the afternoon, the State of Franklin Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), are hosting their Third Annual Bell Ringing in honor of Constitution Week.  The event will take place at Oak Hill School, located at 214 East Sabin Drive in Jonesborough across from the Washington County/Jonesborough Public Library.  Since the event is taking place at an historic schoolhouse, there will be plenty of history.  The program includes theatrical presentations on the fight for the 19th amendment in Tennessee, the David Crockett High School chorus, and the Over Mountain Men.  Bring your bells on Sunday and “make a joyful noise” as America celebrates the Constitution.

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The Daughters of the American Revolution began the tradition of celebrating the Constitution.  In 1955, the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week.  The resolution was adopted by Congress and signed into law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The State of Franklin Chapter of the NSDAR has been based in Jonesborough since 1929.

Old Jonesborough Cemetery Tours Return on Sept 10

Old Jonesborough Cemetery tours will resume on Saturday, September 10 and run through the end of October.  Every Saturday at 2:30, take a tour of Jonesborough’s historic cemeteries.  Learn about the history of the burial grounds, their evolution, and the lives of some of the people buried there.  Tickets are $3.00 at the Chester Inn Museum.  Purchase a combo ticket for the 1:00 Town Tour and 2:30 Cemetery Tour for only $7.00.

2000.002.0009 Cadet Wm. H. Cox tombstone OJC

Jonesborough Days 2016

Jonesborough Days is here again!  The Festival will be Thursday, June 30 – Saturday, July 2.  For an entire weekend schedule, click here.  The Chester Inn State Historic Site & Museum will be open extended hours from 11-7 on Thursday, and 10-7 on Friday and Saturday.  We’ll have Historic Walking Tours with our costumed guides on Friday at 11:00 and 1:00 and Saturday at 1:00.  Tours are $5.00.  Tickets are available in the Museum.

In addition to all that, we’ll have activities for kids in the #OnlyInJonesborough Discovery Park behind the International Storytelling Center.  Oak Hill School will move outside, complete with desks and quill pens.  Join our Schoolmarm on Friday and Saturday at 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, and 1:30 for quill pen lessons.  We’ll also have Heritage Games from 12:00-8:00 in the park.  Learn to play a game of Graces, skip a rope, engage in a round of Nine Pins, and so much more!

 

Summer Events at Oak Hill School

Come back to school this summer at Oak Hill School!  Built in 1886 by the Knob Creek Community, Oak Hill School housed first through eighth grade students until 1952.  It was relocated to Jonesborough and preserved, and today it continues to welcome students. Guests will step back in time, hear the stories, write with a quill pen and experience history this summer with Oak Hill School’s summer programs for children and adults.

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The Heritage Alliance is hosting two special events in the historic schoolhouse this July.  On Saturday, July 16, from 1 to 3 p.m., kids of all ages are welcome to come hear stories from the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild.  These stories are perfect for families and the event will be led by Mother Goose herself.  The concert is free, and any donations will go to the continued care and maintenance of Oak Hill School.

Why should kids have all the fun, though?  On Friday, July 22, the schoolhouse will be open for a Big Kid Day, where students 18 and older are welcome to come and experience a school day in 1893.  The day will start at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. and will include lessons in arithmetic, reading, penmanship using quill pens, history, geography and much more.  There will be recess, of course.  The cost for the day is $5 per student and reservations are required as space is limited.  The money will assist with the continued maintenance of the building and help support the Oak Hill School Heritage Education Program.  Through this program, students from across the region visit Oak Hill School for an experiential, hands-on learning experience.

Registration is required for both events by contacting the Heritage Alliance at info@heritageall.org or calling 423-753-9580.

Chester Inn Museum Reopens May 18

The Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum will reopen to the public on Wednesday, May 18.  The Museum will be on its summer hours.

Mon, Wed-Sat 11:00-6:00

Sun 1:00-5:00

If you have any questions about the Museum, please call 423-753-4580, or 423-753-9580.

Chester Inn Museum Closed for New Lighting System

The Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum is temporarily closed to install and test a new lighting system.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.  In the meantime, stay tuned for Pop-Up Museums!  We’ll post updates about our Pop-Up Museums and status reports on the Chester Inn.

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Now Hiring: Lead Docent for Chester Inn Museum

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is now hiring for the position of Lead Docent at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum.  This position offers a wide variety of museum related responsibilities, including visitor services, exhibition planning, installation, maintenance and interpretation.  Museum related experience is required, course work in museum studies and public history is desirable.  For a job description and info on how to apply, please click here.

The Heritage Alliance is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Historic Town Tours Resume March 4

Historic Tours Return to Weekly Activity Schedule in Jonesborough

Jonesborough’s Historic Walking Tours will resume on Friday, March 4 at 1 p.m., and there are some exciting changes coming this season.

Implemented in the fall of 2014 by the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia and Main Street Jonesborough, these tours have shared Jonesborough’s rich history and heritage with more than 1,000 people thus far.

This season, guests can purchase their tickets, still only $5 per person, directly at the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum located on Main Street in downtown Jonesborough.  Tours will depart from the Museum and costumed guides will lead guests on an hour long journey through Jonesborough’s storied past.

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Historic Walking Tours will be available Monday, Friday and Saturday from March through April.  The schedule will change to include Wednesday beginning the first of May and run through the end of October.

All tours start at 1 p.m. and last approximately an hour to accommodate guests partaking in the International Storytelling Center’s Teller in Residence program that begins at 2 p.m.

For more information on Jonesborough’s Historic Walking Tours, please contact the Chester Inn Museum at 423.753.4580. To schedule a tour for a larger group, or another day/time, please contact the Heritage Alliance directly at 423.753.9580.