Concord, Knox County, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Concord is an unincorporated community in Knox County
, Tennessee
, United States
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as an historic district
. The United States Geographic Names System classifies Concord as a populated place
. It is located at in west Knox County, east of Farragut
and west of Knoxville
, but has lost its own identity with postage to the area being addressed to Knoxville or Farragut.
, and relied on a nearby settlement, Campbell’s Station (modern Farragut), for trade and other urban needs. In 1853, construction of the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad along the north bank of the Tennessee River caused a population and development shift to the area that became Concord.
Concord was founded and platted in 1854 on land owned by James M. Rodgers. Mr. Rodgers laid out 55 lots, and gave the new town the name Concord. It is believed the name was inspired by the nearby Concord Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which Rodgers was a member ("Concord" being a common name for churches at the time). He began to sell lots in 1855, but later moved to California
. Shortly before he moved, he several large tracts of land, some which are still intact in some sections of the village.
Concord developed rapidly after the arrival of the railroad. The first dwelling in Concord, a boarding house, was built by Shadrack Callaway. Combining the existing river transportation with the railroad made Concord the nucleus of several communities on the north side of the river, including Campbell’s Station, Loveville and Ebenezer.
One the eve of the Civil War
, Congressman T.A.R. Nelson
and Knoxville attorney Oliver Perry Temple
, both Union supporters, delievered anti-secession speeches before hostile crowds at Concord. During the war, in the fall of 1863 prior to the Battle of Campbell's Station, the 24th Kentucky Infantry
and the 103rd Ohio Infantry
camped near Concord.
During this time supplies were appropriated from several area farms including Callaway’s Landing and the Pleasant Forest Cumberland Presbyterian Church one mile north of Concord was dismantled. The bricks were used to build fireplaces for the Union Army
.
The railroad also created a transportation market with communities in Blount County
, including Friendsville
and Louisville
, which were connected to Concord by ferry
, but were not to have rail transportation until the 1890s.
In the 1880s Concord became the center of a large Tennessee marble
production industry. Several quarries were located near the Holston (now Tennessee) River in Calloway’s Ridge. The town also became the center of marble shipping. Quarries in the Louisville and Friendsville area, on the south side of the river, shipped Tennessee marble to Concord to take advantage of the town’s rail connections. In 1883, four marble companies were operating: the Lima and East Tennessee Company, Stamps Wood & Company, the Stewart Company and the Republic Company.
The Juanita Company built a mill for sawing and polishing marble; the facility became the property of Enterprise Marble Company in 1886. The last company to quarry marble extensively was the Enterprise Marble Company. None of the buildings associated with the marble industry in Concord remain today; many were flooded when Fort Loudon Lake was impounded. Only the foundation on which a crusher sat remains; the crusher was used to produce terrazzo chips. The crusher foundation is located in the Rocky Point area of Concord Park and is visible from Concord Road's railroad bridge looking east.
By 1887 Concord was the second largest community in Knox County, second to Knoxville. The Village of Concord was a regional transportation center. Tennessee marble, crushed limestone
, lime, logs, and farm produce were gathered at its public dock. Passenger ferries and commercial boats landed there. The railroad provided passenger connections to Knoxville and other cities. In addition to rail transportation, a paved road from Lenoir City to Knoxville traveled along the railroad from Lenoir City to what is now Olive Road. The road then followed what is now Olive Road to Loop Road, then to Concord Road and then north two miles to Kingston Pike
. Kingston Pike was the main east-west road out of Knoxville from the early 19th century until Interstate 40/75
was completed through the area in the 1960s. This road network provided all-weather connections to other highways in the area.
In the early 20th century, the town had grown to include several general store
s, a brickyard
, lime kiln, inn, a saloon, two livery stables, an undertaking establishment
, two flour mills, a railroad depot, private schools, a bank, a post office
, an ice cream parlor, a drug store, specialty shops, a barber
shop and churches. In 1916, fire destroyed much of the business district but it was quickly rebuilt.
The Great Depression
of the 1930s brought economic hardship to Concord. New building materials lessened the use of Tennessee marble, and caused the marble industry to go into a decline from which it never recovered. The impoundment of Fort Loudon Lake inundated about one-third of the town (most of the business district) by 1944. Portions of the railroad were relocated to higher adjacent ground and continued to carry freight, but did not provide passenger service. The development of automobiles and new transportation routes also contributed to Concord’s slow growth.
In the 1970s the area began to rebound economically as it became a bedroom community for the fast growing city of Knoxville. Since then, residential development and land subdivision has continued apace, transforming Concord and its environs into an affluent urban community that has left behind much of its rural roots.
Knox County, Tennessee
Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as an historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
. The United States Geographic Names System classifies Concord as a populated place
Populated place
A populated place is a place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population referenced with geographic coordinates...
. It is located at in west Knox County, east of Farragut
Farragut, Tennessee
Farragut is a town in Knox and Loudon counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and is generally a suburb of nearby Knoxville. Farragut's population was 20,689 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area...
and west of Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, but has lost its own identity with postage to the area being addressed to Knoxville or Farragut.
History
The Village of Concord began to develop in 1854. Before that time, the area was sparsely settled. Large farms were centered on the Tennessee RiverTennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, and relied on a nearby settlement, Campbell’s Station (modern Farragut), for trade and other urban needs. In 1853, construction of the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad along the north bank of the Tennessee River caused a population and development shift to the area that became Concord.
Concord was founded and platted in 1854 on land owned by James M. Rodgers. Mr. Rodgers laid out 55 lots, and gave the new town the name Concord. It is believed the name was inspired by the nearby Concord Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which Rodgers was a member ("Concord" being a common name for churches at the time). He began to sell lots in 1855, but later moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Shortly before he moved, he several large tracts of land, some which are still intact in some sections of the village.
Concord developed rapidly after the arrival of the railroad. The first dwelling in Concord, a boarding house, was built by Shadrack Callaway. Combining the existing river transportation with the railroad made Concord the nucleus of several communities on the north side of the river, including Campbell’s Station, Loveville and Ebenezer.
One the eve of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Congressman T.A.R. Nelson
Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson
Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson was an American attorney, politician, and judge, active primarily in East Tennessee during the mid-19th century. He represented Tennessee's 1st Congressional District in the 36th U.S. Congress , where he gained a reputation as a staunch pro-Union southerner...
and Knoxville attorney Oliver Perry Temple
Oliver Perry Temple
Oliver Perry Temple was an American attorney, author, judge, and economic promoter active primarily in East Tennessee in the latter half of the 19th century. During the months leading up to the Civil War, Temple played a pivotal role in organizing East Tennessee's Unionists...
, both Union supporters, delievered anti-secession speeches before hostile crowds at Concord. During the war, in the fall of 1863 prior to the Battle of Campbell's Station, the 24th Kentucky Infantry
24th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
The 24th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 24th Kentucky Infantry was organized at Lexington, Kentucky and mustered in for a three year enlistment on December 31, 1861.The regiment was attached to...
and the 103rd Ohio Infantry
103rd Ohio Infantry
The 103rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry was a three-years' infantry regiment from northeastern Ohio that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It participated in many of the campaigns and battles of the Army of the Ohio in the Western Theater.On July 21, 1862, William B...
camped near Concord.
During this time supplies were appropriated from several area farms including Callaway’s Landing and the Pleasant Forest Cumberland Presbyterian Church one mile north of Concord was dismantled. The bricks were used to build fireplaces for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
.
The railroad also created a transportation market with communities in Blount County
Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 123,010 at the United States Census, 2010. The county seat is at Maryville, which is also the county's largest city....
, including Friendsville
Friendsville, Tennessee
Friendsville is a city in Blount County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 890 at the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and Louisville
Louisville, Tennessee
Louisville is a town in Blount County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 2,001 at the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Louisville is located at...
, which were connected to Concord by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, but were not to have rail transportation until the 1890s.
In the 1880s Concord became the center of a large Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble is a type of crystalline limestone found primarily in East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Long esteemed by architects and builders for its pinkish-gray color and the ease with which it is polished, this stone has been used in the construction of numerous notable...
production industry. Several quarries were located near the Holston (now Tennessee) River in Calloway’s Ridge. The town also became the center of marble shipping. Quarries in the Louisville and Friendsville area, on the south side of the river, shipped Tennessee marble to Concord to take advantage of the town’s rail connections. In 1883, four marble companies were operating: the Lima and East Tennessee Company, Stamps Wood & Company, the Stewart Company and the Republic Company.
The Juanita Company built a mill for sawing and polishing marble; the facility became the property of Enterprise Marble Company in 1886. The last company to quarry marble extensively was the Enterprise Marble Company. None of the buildings associated with the marble industry in Concord remain today; many were flooded when Fort Loudon Lake was impounded. Only the foundation on which a crusher sat remains; the crusher was used to produce terrazzo chips. The crusher foundation is located in the Rocky Point area of Concord Park and is visible from Concord Road's railroad bridge looking east.
By 1887 Concord was the second largest community in Knox County, second to Knoxville. The Village of Concord was a regional transportation center. Tennessee marble, crushed limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, lime, logs, and farm produce were gathered at its public dock. Passenger ferries and commercial boats landed there. The railroad provided passenger connections to Knoxville and other cities. In addition to rail transportation, a paved road from Lenoir City to Knoxville traveled along the railroad from Lenoir City to what is now Olive Road. The road then followed what is now Olive Road to Loop Road, then to Concord Road and then north two miles to Kingston Pike
Kingston Pike, Knoxville
Kingston Pike is a highway in Knox County, Tennessee, USA, that connects Downtown Knoxville with West Knoxville, Farragut, and other communities in the western part of the county. The road follows a merged stretch of U.S. Route 70 and U.S. Route 11...
. Kingston Pike was the main east-west road out of Knoxville from the early 19th century until Interstate 40/75
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
was completed through the area in the 1960s. This road network provided all-weather connections to other highways in the area.
In the early 20th century, the town had grown to include several general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
s, a brickyard
Brickyard
A brickyard is a place or yard where the earthen building material called bricks are made, fired, and stored, or sometimes sold or otherwise distributed from.-See also:...
, lime kiln, inn, a saloon, two livery stables, an undertaking establishment
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
, two flour mills, a railroad depot, private schools, a bank, a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, an ice cream parlor, a drug store, specialty shops, a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shop and churches. In 1916, fire destroyed much of the business district but it was quickly rebuilt.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s brought economic hardship to Concord. New building materials lessened the use of Tennessee marble, and caused the marble industry to go into a decline from which it never recovered. The impoundment of Fort Loudon Lake inundated about one-third of the town (most of the business district) by 1944. Portions of the railroad were relocated to higher adjacent ground and continued to carry freight, but did not provide passenger service. The development of automobiles and new transportation routes also contributed to Concord’s slow growth.
In the 1970s the area began to rebound economically as it became a bedroom community for the fast growing city of Knoxville. Since then, residential development and land subdivision has continued apace, transforming Concord and its environs into an affluent urban community that has left behind much of its rural roots.
Further reading
- Abel, Gene M. and Abel, Frances L. The village of Concord, Where Time Stood Still: A History of Many of the Homes & Other Buildings. Concord, Tenn. (G.M. & F.L. Abel, 1989).
- Angel, Margaret. Not So Long Ago, In the Concord-Farragut Area: Stories, Paintings and Sketches. (M. Angel, 1986).
- Rothrock, Mary U., editor. The French Broad-Holston Country: A History of Knox County, Tennessee. (Knox County Historical Committee; East Tennessee Historical Society, 1946).