Sharps Chapel, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Sharps Chapel is an unincorporated community in Union County, Tennessee
.
veteran Henry Sharp settled in the area on a 700 acres (283.3 ha) land grant
.
A post office
was established in the area in 1866 and has operated continuously since that time. Initially the post office was called "Clinch River," but in 1869, the name was changed to Sharps Chapel. Sharps Chapel is assigned zip code
37866.
The Bait Ousley house in Sharps Chapel has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places
since 1978. This brick Federal style house was built by Jacob Sharp, a son of Henry Sharp, in 1835. The house was sold to Jacob Ousley in 1874 and remained in his family for 132 years, but it was unoccupied for almost 30 years beginning in the 1970s, and was considered to be a haunted house
. In 2006 the house was purchased from one of Ousley's descendants, and the new owners began an extensive restoration.
and Powell River arms of Norris Lake
, that is jointly managed by the Tennessee Forestry Division and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
for wildlife habitat and forest stand improvement
.
. In the 2009-2010 school year, Sharps Chapel Elementary School enrolled 141 students in kindergarten
through grade 5.
, who wrote the song "Which Side Are You On?
", was born in Sharps Chapel in 1900.
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...
.
History
American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
veteran Henry Sharp settled in the area on a 700 acres (283.3 ha) land grant
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
.
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...
was established in the area in 1866 and has operated continuously since that time. Initially the post office was called "Clinch River," but in 1869, the name was changed to Sharps Chapel. Sharps Chapel is assigned zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
37866.
The Bait Ousley house in Sharps Chapel has been listed in 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...
since 1978. This brick Federal style house was built by Jacob Sharp, a son of Henry Sharp, in 1835. The house was sold to Jacob Ousley in 1874 and remained in his family for 132 years, but it was unoccupied for almost 30 years beginning in the 1970s, and was considered to be a haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
. In 2006 the house was purchased from one of Ousley's descendants, and the new owners began an extensive restoration.
Geography
Sharps Chapel is located at 36°20′37"N 83°48′15"W (36.3436912, -83.8040793), at an elevation of 1,040 feet (317 m).Chuck Swan area
Sharps Chapel is the site of the administrative office for Chuck Swan State Forest and Wildlife Management Area, a forested tract of more than 24,000 acres (9,800 ha) located between the Clinch RiverClinch River
The Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, Virginia and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...
and Powell River arms of Norris Lake
Norris Lake
Norris Lake may refer to:* Norris Lake, a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir in Tennessee, impounded by Norris Dam* Lake Norris in Lake County, Florida...
, that is jointly managed by the Tennessee Forestry Division and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is an independent state agency of the state of Tennessee with the mission of managing the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as responsibility for all wildlife-related law enforcement activities...
for wildlife habitat and forest stand improvement
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
.
Education
Sharps Chapel is the site of a Union County public elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. In the 2009-2010 school year, Sharps Chapel Elementary School enrolled 141 students in kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through grade 5.
Notable people
Florence ReeceFlorence Reece
Florence Reece was an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. Born in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, the daughter and wife of coal miners, she is best known for the song, "Which Side Are You On?" written in 1931 during a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in which her husband,...
, who wrote the song "Which Side Are You On?
Which Side Are You On?
"Which Side Are You On?" is a song written by Florence Reece in 1931. Reece was the wife of Sam Reece, a union organizer for the United Mine Workers in Harlan County, Kentucky. In 1931, the miners of that region were locked in a bitter and violent struggle with the mine owners. In an attempt to...
", was born in Sharps Chapel in 1900.