First Presbyterian Members Celebrate Knoxville’s Historic Roots

Blount Mansion, built in 1792 by Governor William Blount, holds a special place in Tennessee history as the first frame house in the region and the site where the state’s first constitution was written. Governor Blount, one of the signers of the United States Constitution, made the home both his residence and the territorial capital of the Southwest Territory—cementing its role as a cornerstone of early statehood.

In 1925, the historic mansion narrowly escaped demolition when plans emerged to replace it with a parking lot for the Andrew Johnson Hotel. A spirited grassroots effort, led by Mary Boyce Temple and the Daughters of the American Revolution, launched the “Blount House Whirlwind Drive for Dollars.” Thanks to their determination, the mansion was saved, incorporated as a nonprofit, and opened to the public as a museum on December 4, 1926.

Several members of First Presbyterian Church, including Jack Neely, Nancy and Doug White, Susan Brackney, and others, joined the centennial celebration on October 28 to honor the preservation and storytelling that keep Knoxville’s history alive. Governor Blount himself is buried in the First Presbyterian Church graveyard, a lasting reminder of the deep connection between our congregation and Tennessee’s founding story.