National Historic Landmark · house · Knoxville, Tennessee

William Blount Mansion

Historic house in Knoxville, Tennessee. Built 1792 by William Blount. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

Blount Mansion Visitor CenterBlount-mansion-1918-tn1Blount-mansion-1934-habs-tn1Blount-mansion-1934-habs-tn2
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

The Blount Mansion, also known as William Blount Mansion, located at 200 West Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, was the home of the only territorial governor of the Southwest Territory, William Blount (1749–1800). Blount, a Founding Father of the United States, a signer of the United States Constitution, and a U.S. Senator from Tennessee, lived on the property with his family and ten African-American slaves. The mansion served as the de facto capitol of the Southwest Territory. In 1796, much of the Tennessee Constitution was drafted in Governor Blount's office at the mansion. Tennessee state historian John Trotwood Moore once called Blount Mansion "the most important historical spot in Tennessee."

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Register nameBlount, William, Mansion
Property typeBuilding
Address200 W. Hill Ave., Knoxville, TN
CountyKnox County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forExploration and settlement, Politics and government, Architecture
Level of significanceNational
Reference number66000726
Built1792 · more from the 1790s
ArchitectWilliam Blount
Type of placehouse
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources3 buildings, 1 structure
StandingYes

Visiting

Address200 W. Hill Ave., Knoxville, TN
Coordinates35.9611° N, 83.9148° W · Directions ↗
Also in Knoxville119 listed places in Knoxville →
Nearest national park unitGreat Smoky Mountains National Park · 34 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyLook Rock Campground 22 miles · Abram'S Creek Campground 24 miles · Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion 24 miles
This one you can go inside. Hours and admission change with the season; the website above has the current schedule.

Explore

Map

Local history books for Knoxville

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Tennessee

  • Tennessee's Civil War Battlefields Ebook
    Randy Bishop, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Nashville architecture
    Carroll Van West, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Tennessee Civil War Monuments
    Timothy S. Sedore, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was William Blount Mansion listed on the National Register?

Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

When was William Blount Mansion built?

1792, designed by William Blount.

Source: Wikidata

Can I visit William Blount Mansion?

Yes. William Blount Mansion is recorded as open to the public.

Source: Wikidata

Where is William Blount Mansion?

200 W. Hill Ave., Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee. The nearest national park unit is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 34 miles away.

Source: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

What does the William Blount Mansion listing include?

The listing counts 4 contributing resources. Those are 3 buildings and 1 structure. A contributing resource is a part of the listed property that carries its historic significance.

Source: National Park Service

Are there historic photographs or drawings of William Blount Mansion?

Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.

Source: Library of Congress

Are there campgrounds near William Blount Mansion?

Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Look Rock Campground, 22 miles away. Abram'S Creek Campground is 24 miles away, and Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion is 24 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at William Blount Mansion?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000726. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.