Maryville | |
|---|---|
 Skyline with Greenbelt Park below | |
 Flag  Logo | |
| Motto: "People are the Key" | |
 Location of Maryville in Blount County, Tennessee. | |
 U.S. Census map | |
| Coordinates:35°44′48″N83°58′44″W / 35.74667°N 83.97889°W /35.74667; -83.97889 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Blount |
| Settled | 1785 |
| Incorporated | 1795[1] |
| Named after | Mary Grainger Blount |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • City manager | Greg McClain |
| • Mayor | Andy White |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.27 sq mi (44.72 km2) |
| • Land | 17.27 sq mi (44.72 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 981 ft (299 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 31,907 |
| • Density | 1,847.9/sq mi (713.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 37801-37804 |
| Area code | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-46380[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405036[3] |
| Website | www |
Maryville is a city in and thecounty seat ofBlount County, Tennessee.[6] Its population was 31,907 at the2020 census.[7]
TheGreat Indian Warpath (which was used to build the routeUS-411) was long used by theindigenous peoples of the area. ACherokee village known as "Elajay" was situated at the confluence of Ellejoy Creek (named after the village) and theLittle River. Its site was near the modernHeritage High School. EnsignHenry Timberlake passed through the village in 1762 while returning fromhis expedition to theOverhill villages to the west. He reported that it had been abandoned.[8]
In 1785,Revolutionary War veteran John Craig built a wooden palisade enclosing cabins at what is known as Fort Craig (or Craig's Station) in present-day Maryville. Such stations were built throughout thefrontier to defend settlers against attacks from the Cherokee. For example, "on April 11, 1793, when settlers believed Indian attacks were imminent, 280 men, women, and children gathered in small huts at John Craig's station on Nine Mile Creek."[9]
Craig donated 50 acres (20 ha) next to his fort for the founding of a new town. Incorporated as a city on July 11, 1795, the settlement was named in honor of Mary Grainger Blount, wife of the territorial governorWilliam Blount. Blount County was named after him.[10]
The family ofSam Houston moved to Maryville fromVirginia in 1808, when Houston was 15. His older brothers put him to work as a clerk in a store they established in town, but he ran away. Houston lived for a few years with the Cherokee atHiwassee Island, on theHiwassee River, where he became fluent in their language and appreciative of their culture. After his return to Maryville about 1811, Houston started a one-room schoolhouse. He signed up for the army during theWar of 1812 and rose rapidly in rank, beginning his military and political career. The schoolhouse still stands just off US-411 near the community of Wildwood.
Maryville was a center ofabolitionist activity throughout the early 19th-century; it was generated mostly by theSociety of Friends, which had a relatively large presence in Blount County. They were supported by anti-slavery advocates such asIsaac L. Anderson, the founder ofMaryville College.[11] When Tennessee voted on the Ordinance ofSecession in 1861, only 19 percent of Blount Countians voted in favor of seceding from theUnion.[12]
Although staunchly pro-Union throughout theCivil War, Maryville was not liberated by federal troops until May 1864. In August of that year, aConfederatecavalry raid, under the command of GeneralJoseph Wheeler, attacked the courthouse where the Union troops had taken shelter. To try to dislodge the federal soldiers, Confederates set fire to several buildings, including a store where the city's records were being kept. Polly Tool, anAfrican-American slave, rescued most of the records. She was honored by a statue in the Blount County courthouse. In theReconstruction Era Maryville became a hub ofRadical Republican activity for East Tennessee. Its localUnion League provided a lively forum for political discussion,[13] and theFreedmen's Normal Institute was established on the present-day site of Maryville High School. The city electedWilliam Bennett Scott Sr., the country's second African-American mayor, in 1869.[14]
Maryville is home to one of 24Alcoa Care-free Homes built in the United States in 1957–1958.[15]
In the 1970s, after several department stores and other retailers moved from the downtown area to Alcoa's Midland shopping center, the city spent $10 million on a renewal project called "Now Town". Traffic was re-routed, facades were placed on old buildings,slums were cleared, and theBicentennial Greenbelt Park was created. The project failed to attract business back to the downtown locations; instead retailers moved to the newFoothills Mall a few years later. The downtown area remained in decline until the 2000s, when the city agreed to reverse many of the "Now Town" changes.
U.S. SenatorLamar Alexander was born in Maryville in 1940. Alexander served asGovernor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987 andSecretary of Education (1991–1993) under PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush. He ran unsuccessful campaigns for president in 1996 and 2000, both times announcing his candidacy for theRepublican Party from his hometown of Maryville. In 2002, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, succeedingFred Thompson.
On July 2, 2015, aCSX freight train carrying hazardous materialswent off of its tracks. Over 5,000 citizens were displaced from their homes within a two-mile (three kilometer) radius.[16][17][18]
Maryville is located in north-central Blount County in the foothills of theGreat Smoky Mountains.Chilhowee Mountain, the outermost ridge of the Western Smokies, rises prominently to the south. Chilhowee's eastern flank— known locally as "The Three Sisters"— is visible from almost anywhere in the city, and dominates the southern horizon along US-321 between Maryville andWalland. Maryville is bordered on the north by Maryville's twin city,Alcoa. A number of small suburbs— including Wildwood, Ellejoy, and Clover Hill— surround Maryville to the east and west.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.8 square miles (43.5 km2), all land.[19]
Average temperatures in July range from 69 degrees low to 87 degrees high. Average temperatures in January range from 29 degrees low to 46 degrees high.[20] Most of the year is very pleasant with mild temperatures.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 513 | — | |
| 1860 | 493 | −3.9% | |
| 1870 | 811 | 64.5% | |
| 1880 | 1,098 | 35.4% | |
| 1890 | 1,686 | 53.6% | |
| 1910 | 2,381 | — | |
| 1920 | 3,739 | 57.0% | |
| 1930 | 4,958 | 32.6% | |
| 1940 | 5,609 | 13.1% | |
| 1950 | 7,742 | 38.0% | |
| 1960 | 10,348 | 33.7% | |
| 1970 | 13,808 | 33.4% | |
| 1980 | 17,480 | 26.6% | |
| 1990 | 19,208 | 9.9% | |
| 2000 | 23,120 | 20.4% | |
| 2010 | 27,465 | 18.8% | |
| 2020 | 31,907 | 16.2% | |
| Sources:[21][22][4] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 27,122 | 85.0% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 944 | 2.96% |
| Native American | 65 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 632 | 1.98% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,500 | 4.7% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,639 | 5.14% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 31,907 people, 10,719 households, and 7,132 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[5] of 2010, there were 27,465 people, 10,712 households, and 7,028 families. The population density was 1,634.8 inhabitants per square mile (631.2/km2). There were 11,679 housing units at an average density of 637.6 per square mile (246.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.0%White, 3.2%Black, 0.3%Native American, 1.55%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.53% fromother races, and 1.8% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.2% of the population.
There were 10,712 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% weremarried couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 20 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,394, and the median income for a family was $61,227. Males had a median income of $31,478 versus $20,418 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $23,579. About 9.0% of families and 10.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
According to Maryville's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[24] the top employers in the area were:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denso | 5,350 |
| 2 | Clayton Homes | 4,883 |
| 3 | Blount Memorial Hospital | 2,647 |
| 4 | McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base | 1,728 |
| 5 | Blount County Schools | 1,701 |
| 6 | Newell Brands[25] | 1,000 |
| 7 | Arconic (formerlyAlcoa, Inc.) | 898 |
| 8 | Blount County Government | 774 |
| 9 | Maryville City Schools | 708 |
| 10 | Walmart | 610 |
| 11 | Accenture Hospitality Service | 541 |
| 12 | TeamHealth Alcoa Billing Center | 451 |
| 13 | Ruby Tuesday | 475 |
| 14 | Massey Group | 405 |
| 15 | Maryville College | 380 |
| 16 | Reinhart Food Service (formerly IJ Co.) | 344 |
| 17 | City of Maryville | 321 |
| 18 | Standard Aero Inc. | 335 |
| 19 | Rockford Manufacturing | 300 |
| 20 | City of Alcoa | 275 |
| 21 | K12 | 265 |
| 22 | Alcoa City Schools | 344 |
| 23 | Peninsula Hospital, Division of Covenant Health | 317 |
Maryville City Schools operates public schools.
Maryville is home toMaryville College, a private four-year liberal arts college. It was founded in 1819 byPresbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment and whose mission was to do good on the largest possible scale. The college is one of the fifty oldest colleges in the United States and the twelfth oldest institution in the South.[26] It is associated with thePresbyterian Church (USA). It enrolls about 1,103 students. Maryville College's mascot is the Scots. The sports teams compete inNCAA Division III athletics in theUSA South Athletic Conference and formerly theGreat South Athletic Conference.
The East Tennessee Japanese School (イーストテネシー補習授業校Īsuto Teneshī Hoshū Jugyō Kō), aweekend Japanese education program, holds its classes atMaryville College.[27]
Municipalities and communities ofBlount County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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