Marble Springs

Marble Springs is a state historic site that documents the Knox County farmstead of General John Sevier, the first governor of the State of Tennessee. As a soldier in the Revolutionary War, Sevier received 640 acres from North Carolina in 1785; his property was located at the foot of Bays Mountain, where deposits of marble had been found as well as large springs. Thus, Sevier named his farm “Marble Springs.” He established his farm residence before 1792, and he and his family periodically lived in this Knox County three-room log residence, as well as in a fine Knoxville dwelling, until his death in 1815. Three years later, the property was sold to James Dardis.

Restoration efforts at Marble Springs date to 1941, when the state purchased the remaining original log residence and 40 acres. The John Sevier Memorial Commission directed the property’s restoration with the assistance of the Tennessee Historical Commission. Since 1964 the John Sevier Memorial Commission, the Sevier Family Association, and the Sevier Community Club have promoted and maintained the site. In 1971 the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Eight years later, in 1979, the Tennessee Historical Commission appointed the Governor John Sevier Memorial Association to manage and guide future restoration at Marble Springs.