Rogersville | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Rogersville in June 2020 | |
 Location in Hawkins County, Tennessee | |
| Coordinates:36°25′N83°0′W / 36.417°N 83.000°W /36.417; -83.000 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Hawkins |
| Settled | 1775 |
| Founded | 1789 |
| Incorporated | 1903[1] |
| Named after | Joseph Rogers |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Mayor | John Metz (R)[2] |
| • Vice Mayor | Brady Forgety |
| • Town Council | Aldermen
|
| Area | |
• Town | 3.76 sq mi (9.73 km2) |
| • Land | 3.76 sq mi (9.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,300 ft (400 m) |
| Population | |
• Town | 4,671 |
| • Density | 1,242.8/sq mi (479.83/km2) |
| • Urban | 6,390[5] |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 37857 |
| Area code | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-64820[8] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2407236[6] |
| Website | townofrogersville |
Rogersville is a town in and thecounty seat ofHawkins County, Tennessee, United States.[6] It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents ofDavy Crockett. It is named for its founder,Joseph Rogers. Tennessee's second oldest courthouse, theHawkins County Courthouse,first newspaperThe Knoxville Gazette, and first post office are all located in Rogersville. TheRogersville Historic District is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Rogersville is part of theKingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of theTri-Cities region.
As of the2020 census, Rogersville had a population of 4,671.[9]
In 1775, the grandparents of Davy Crockett, a future member of theUnited States Congress from Tennessee and hero of theAlamo, settled in theWatauga colony in the area in what is today Rogersville near the spring that today bears their name.[11] After anAmerican Indian attack and massacre, the remaining Crocketts sold the property to aHuguenot named ColonelThomas Amis.[12]
In 1780, Colonel Amis built a fort at Big Creek, on the outskirts of the present-day town, with the assistance of fellowScots-Irish settler John Carter.[11] That same year, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) above downtown Rogersville, Amis erected a fortress-like stone house, around which he built apalisade for protection against Native American attack.[11] The next year, Amis opened a store, erected ablacksmith shop, and built adistillery.[11] He also eventually established asawmill and agristmill. From the first he kept a house of entertainment.[11]
In 1785, theState of Franklin organized Spencer County (which includes the area of present-day Hawkins County, Tennessee) and declared the seat of county government to be located at what is today Rogersville.[13] Thomas Henderson was chosen county court clerk and colonel of the militia.William Cocke and Thomas King were elected representatives to the FranklinGeneral Assembly. The remaining county officers are unknown.[13]
In November 1786,North Carolina began once more to contend with the Franklin government for control over the area, and that state's General Assembly passed an act creating Hawkins County.[14] It included within its limits all the territory betweenBays Mountain and theHolston andTennessee rivers on the east to theCumberland Mountains on the west.[14] The county court was organized at the house of Thomas Gibbons.[14] As had the state of Franklin, North Carolina set the new county seat about the property of Joseph Rogers.[15]
Joseph Rogers (August 21, 1764 – November 6, 1833) was born near Cook's Town,Ireland, the son of James Rogers and his wife, Elizabeth Brown. He traveled to the area, by then known as the State of Franklin (which had been carved out offar west North Carolina), by 1785. During a stay at a tavern adjacent toColonel Thomas Amis' home, Rogers met the colonel's daughter, Mary Amis, whom he wed, on October 24, 1786. Her father ceded the lands near Crockett Spring to his son-in-law— the same land that Colonel Amis had purchased from the heirs of David Crockett.[12]
When North Carolina considered where to establish the county seat for its new Hawkins County, Rogers successfully lobbied to have the government located near his home. He volunteered his tavern, which had been established about 1784–85, as the first county courthouse, where it was finally established in 1787. With the help of other local settlers, Rogers laid out a plan for the town, and the town of Rogersville was chartered by theNorth Carolina General Assembly in 1789. The plan included apublic square, deeded to the town government, which would host the town's public well and a county courthouse.
In November 1792, Rogers was appointed the firstpostmaster at Rogersville. The town's second post office, built by Rogers c. 1815, still stands at the corner of east Main Street and south Hasson Street.
Rogers was the father of fourteen children with Mary. He died on November 6, 1833, at Rogersville, and is buried in Rogers Cemetery. His wife, Mary, died a month later.
In November 1863, during theCivil War, Rogersville was the site of a battle between occupyingFederal forces and invadingConfederate troops.Union forces had encamped just outside the town. The Confederates, led by Brigadier GeneralWilliam E. Jones, were able to surprise the Union forces and pursue them across theHolston River and intoGreene County. The Confederates held the town for the remainder of the war.
Sentiment in Rogersville was divided. Many supported the efforts oftwenty-six East Tennessee counties seceding from the state (much as theState of Scott had done) and re-joining theUnion. Others saw PresidentLincoln's invasion of Tennessee as an unprecedented invasion of their homes and an incursion by Federal power; these people became strong Confederates.[citation needed] Rogersville was spared destruction during the war. In fact, structures such as theHale Springs Inn were used by the different occupying armies.
George Roulstone was Tennessee's first printer. He was encouraged to settle in Rogersville byWilliam Blount, the new governor of theSouthwest Territory. Roulston printed Tennessee's first newspaper on November 5, 1791. BecauseKnoxville, the intended seat of the new territorial government, had not yet been established, Roulstone published the first year of his paper near the Rogers tavern. Roulstone called the newspaperThe Knoxville Gazette and in October 1792, he moved his press to Knoxville, where he continued to publish theGazette as well as other papers until his death in 1804. After theGazette was moved, there was no newspaper in the area until 1813, when John B. Hood began publishingThe East Tennessee Gazette at Rogersville. Other papers shortly followed, includingThe Western Pilot, c. 1815, andThe Rogersville Gazette from the same era.[citation needed]
Specialty publications emerged during these early days, includingThe Rail-Road Advocate,The Calvinistic Magazine, andThe Holston Watchman. Numerous other newspapers have been published in Rogersville over the years, most surviving only a short time and having modest circulation. Among them wereThe Independent,The Rogersville Spectator,The Weekly Reporter,The Rogersville Gazette,Rogersville Press and Times,Holston Journal,Hawkins County Republican,Hawkins County Telephone, andThe Rogersville Herald.[citation needed]
Rogersville's longest-lasting newspaper isThe Rogersville Review, which began publication asThe Holston Review in 1885 by William T. Robertson. A year later, Robertson changed the name to the present banner. TheReview's closest competitor in lifespan wasThe Rogersville Herald, which was published from 1886 to 1932.
The town's printing heritage is chronicled by the Tennessee Newspaper and Printing Museum, located in the town's historicSouthern Railwaytrain depot, c. 1890.[16]
In 2020, the Rogersville Town Council acquired a three-acre site of a vacant shopping center with plans to turn the site into a civic service campus, consisting of a newcommunity center, town hall, and a concessions area for users of Rogersville town park, which borders the complex site.[17]
Rogersville is located slightly southwest of the center of Hawkins County. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2), all land.[18] The town is in the valley of Crockett Creek, a southwest-flowing tributary of theHolston River.[19] The elevation of Rogersville is 1,286 feet (392 m). ViaU.S. Route 11W (see below), it is 28 miles (45 km) southwest ofKingsport and 65 miles (105 km) northeast ofKnoxville.[20]
Rogersville is located in theRidge and Valley Ecoregion, part of theAppalachian Mountains.[21]
| Climate data for Rogersville 1 NE, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 81 (27) | 86 (30) | 95 (35) | 96 (36) | 104 (40) | 102 (39) | 102 (39) | 103 (39) | 95 (35) | 84 (29) | 81 (27) | 104 (40) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45.3 (7.4) | 50.2 (10.1) | 59.1 (15.1) | 68.6 (20.3) | 76.2 (24.6) | 82.6 (28.1) | 85.5 (29.7) | 84.9 (29.4) | 80.4 (26.9) | 70.1 (21.2) | 58.2 (14.6) | 48.2 (9.0) | 67.4 (19.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 35.4 (1.9) | 39.4 (4.1) | 47.0 (8.3) | 56.3 (13.5) | 64.8 (18.2) | 71.8 (22.1) | 75.2 (24.0) | 74.2 (23.4) | 68.9 (20.5) | 57.6 (14.2) | 46.5 (8.1) | 38.5 (3.6) | 56.3 (13.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 28.7 (−1.8) | 34.9 (1.6) | 44.1 (6.7) | 53.4 (11.9) | 60.9 (16.1) | 64.9 (18.3) | 63.5 (17.5) | 57.5 (14.2) | 45.2 (7.3) | 34.9 (1.6) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 45.2 (7.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) | −17 (−27) | −4 (−20) | 20 (−7) | 27 (−3) | 33 (1) | 44 (7) | 44 (7) | 31 (−1) | 16 (−9) | 5 (−15) | −18 (−28) | −23 (−31) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.56 (116) | 4.17 (106) | 4.53 (115) | 4.54 (115) | 4.15 (105) | 4.40 (112) | 4.94 (125) | 3.22 (82) | 3.29 (84) | 2.73 (69) | 3.38 (86) | 4.93 (125) | 48.84 (1,241) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.2 (8.1) | 2.1 (5.3) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.7 (1.8) | 6.3 (16) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.6 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 10.6 | 10.4 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 7.6 | 8.8 | 105.4 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.9 |
| Source:NOAA[22][23] | |||||||||||||
US 11W, Lee HighwayTheHawkins County Airport is a county-owned public-useairport located six nautical miles (7 mi, 11 km) northeast of thecentral business district of Rogersville.[24]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 657 | — | |
| 1880 | 740 | 12.6% | |
| 1890 | 1,153 | 55.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,386 | 20.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,242 | −10.4% | |
| 1920 | 1,402 | 12.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,590 | 13.4% | |
| 1940 | 2,018 | 26.9% | |
| 1950 | 2,545 | 26.1% | |
| 1960 | 3,121 | 22.6% | |
| 1970 | 4,076 | 30.6% | |
| 1980 | 4,368 | 7.2% | |
| 1990 | 4,149 | −5.0% | |
| 2000 | 4,240 | 2.2% | |
| 2010 | 4,420 | 4.2% | |
| 2020 | 4,671 | 5.7% | |
| Sources:[25][26][7] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,214 | 90.22% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 149 | 3.19% |
| Native American | 11 | 0.24% |
| Asian | 35 | 0.75% |
| Other/Mixed | 168 | 3.6% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 94 | 2.01% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 4,671 people, 1,767 households, and 1,150 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[8] of 2000, there were 4,240 people, 2,060 households, and 1,155 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 1,277 inhabitants per square mile (493/km2). There were 2,268 housing units at an average density of 683.1 per square mile (263.7/km2).[28]
The racial makeup of the town was 94.13%White, 4.06%African American, 0.14%Native American, 0.31%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.66% fromother races, and 0.68% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.06% of the population.
There were 2,060 households, out of which 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.63.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 17.8% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,275, and the median income for a family was $32,236. Males had a median income of $30,226 versus $22,482 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $16,940. About 14.9% of families and 21.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 30.0% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.
Listed chronologically by date of birth:
There are no non-Christian congregations in Rogersville. Among Christian churches, congregations are predominantlyBaptist.Denominations with congregations currently in Rogersville include:
The following media originates from within or nearby the Town:
Located in the eastern part of the town, the Rogersville City Park is owned and operated by the town of Rogersville. It is bounded byU.S. Route 11W on the northwest, Park Boulevard on the northeast, and East Main Street on the south.
The park has four children'splaygrounds, two outdoorbasketball courts, four outdoortennis courts, numerous picnic shelters, three large, lighted pavilions (two with restroom facilities), anamphitheatre, a lighted stage area, six lighted baseball/softball fields, the town's soccer fields, aduck pond, a fitness trail, and two walking trails. It is home to the Rogersville City Pool, the home pool of the Rogersville Flying Fish Swim Association, which is open to the public fromMemorial Day to the start of classes in the City school system in August.
The park is the site of a travelingmidway carnival in the late spring and early fall and hosts more than fifty thousand people annually during the Rogersville Fourth of July celebration.
The town-sponsored festival of lights is hosted at the Park, where the Department of Parks & Recreation illuminates several thousand holiday lights and exhibits.
In September 2023, the Rogersville Parks and Recreation Department was awarded a $500,000 grant, to be matched with local funds, from the TN Local Parks and Recreation Fund to install ADA compliant restroom facilities and upgrade playground equipment.[31]
Located in downtown Rogersville, the Crockett Spring Park is a joint project of the town and the Rogersville Heritage Association. The park is the site of Rogersville's first settlement, and thetavern and home built by founder Joseph Rogers is preserved on the site. The park encompasses the Rogers Cemetery, where Joseph and Mary Rogers and the grandparents ofDavy Crockett are buried.
The site of Rogersville's first public swimming pool is here, as is the gazebo built to commemorate the bicentennials of both the town (1989) and the state (1996). This public park is maintained by the Rogersville Parks and Recreation Department and the auspices of the Rogersville Tree Board.
Rogersville was home to an African-American college, Swift College, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and Swift Park, located off North Hasson Street in the central part of the town, commemorates the legacy of that institution. In addition, the park boasts picnic shelters, two playgrounds, and basketball courts.
There are two school districts covering the Rogersville municipal limits: elementary students are in theRogersville City Schools while secondary students are in theHawkins County School District.[32]
The Rogersville School District has a singlePreK-8 school, Rogersville Elementary School.[33] It was established circa 1923. (present configuration beginning 1950; Rogersville City School System). Mascot is the Warrior (Formerly the Chief; Until Cherokee High School in 1981); colors are red, white, and black. Serving grades K-8 since 1950; from 1923 to 1950, grades 1–12 (grades 9–12 transferred to Rogersville High School). Competes in interscholastic athletics. In 2007, the RCS Warriors football team won theTMSAA state championship.
The current high school including Rogersville in its attendance boundary isCherokee Comprehensive High School, c. 1981–present (Hawkins County School System). Serves grades 9–12. Mascot is the Chief; colors are red, black, and white. Comprehensive public high school serving students from the former Rogersville High School andBulls Gap High School. Competes inTSSAA-sanctioned interscholastic athletics. The previous high school was Rogersville High School, c. 1923–1980. Mascot was the Warrior, colors were maroon and gray.
The county school system operates these schools within the city limits of Rogersville, although these are not the zoned schools for city residents:
The following county school is near, but not inside, the Rogersville city limits, and is not a zoned school for city residents:
Municipalities and communities ofHawkins County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
