EARLY TAVERNS IN KNOXVILLE

By Ronald R. Allen

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A number of references mention John Chisholm's Tavern as one of Knoxville's first taverns, but rarely mention other taverns that were in Knoxville during the early years. An old Front street building, long thought to have been that tavern continued in existence for many years and was not demolished until the middle twentieth century (although it was eventually determined that building, originally built in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, was actually not the original Chisholm Tavern site.) The presence of that structure so many years after the date of it's original construction, and local publicity involving eventual unsuccessful attempts to save the building from destruction, probably resulted in the fact that it is generally the most recognizable name among the city's early taverns.

John Chisholm's was likely Knoxville's first tavern, but there were other taverns in the city in the 1790's, and others are known to have been in existence before 1825. Since Knoxville's first city directory was not issued until 1859, advertisements in early newspapers are essentially the only source of available information for identifying those early taverns. Taverns were often advertised as places of entertainment and lodging, thus they were what might be considered the forerunners of hotels.

While I have made no extensive search in an attempt to identify the precise locations of all of these taverns, I have included here the available information found in advertisements in early newspaper advertisements, and that information sometimes pinpoints the locations. These have been arranged in alphabetical order.

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RICHARD CAMPBELL TAVERN AND HOUSE OF ENTERTAINMENT. Cumberland street, "at the sign of the Buck". 1801. On October 21, Mrs. Campbell advertised that she would continue operation of the house "kept by her late husband."

CARMICHAEL'S TAVERN. An advertisement for John Anthony's tailor shop appears in the Knoxville Gazette in 1797, indicating that Anthony's establishment was located. "In the house of Col. M'Clellan, opposite Carmichael's Tavern".

JOHN CHISHOLM'S TAVERN. Chisholm's Tavern was first opened in 1792, apparently closed, and then reopened in 1794. The tavern was located at the northwest corner of Front and State. A more detailed description of the tavern may be found in the revised edition of my compilation, KNOX-STALGIA, (now on my web site, under "Revised Edition, Knox-Stalgia ")

EAGLE TAVERN. At the sign of the Spread Eagle. Davis Maxwell, Proprietor. 1801. Later operated by John Anthony, the Eagle Tavern was a long-time establishment in Knoxville. It is advertised in local newspapers as early as 1801 and as late as 1824. The Eagle Tavern was located at the corner of Cumberland and Water (Central).

HAYNES TAVERN. A newspaper advertisement for Dowler and Shall's general store in 1803 mentions that store was located "Nearly opposite Mr. John Lavender's, and Mr. Haynes Tavern".

JACKSON'S TAVERN. (Captain Joseph Jackson) Jackson's Tavern was located. It was in existence at least as early as 1823, when a newspaper advertisement indicates the tavern was located "on Cumberland Avenue, opposite the State Bank, next to the court house." Jackson later operated the hotel at Cumberland and Gay (the Lamar House site.)

SAMUEL LOVE'S TAVERN. In 1801, an advertisement in the Gazette mentions that Samuel Love's Tavern was located at the corner of Gay and Cumberland, "At the sign of the Indian King," originally the site of Captain John Stone's Tavern.

WILLIAM MCNUTT AND JOHN HILTEBRAND TAVERN. (Entertainment, liquor, lodging) This probably was Knoxville's second tavern, in existence and advertised in the Knoxville Gazette in 1794.

MAXWELL'S TAVERN. An advertisement in the Gazette in 1801 for a Doctor Watkins mentions that the physician's office was located "near Mr Maxwell's Tavern." Location not determined.

MOSES RAWLINGS TAVERN. Originally John Stone's tavern, at the corner of Cumberland and Gay. In 1803, the name of the tavern was again changed, from Samuel Love's Tavern to Rawlings' Tavern.

ROPER'S TAVERN. A Knoxville tavern in 1822, advertised that year as having been located "East of George Tabler, Tailor."

CAPTAIN JOHN STONE'S TAVERN. An advertisement for Alexander Simrall's general store appears in the Knoxville Gazette in 1797, mentioning that Simrall's store adjoined "Captain Stone's Tavern". Stone's Tavern was located at the corner of Gay and Cumberland, on the west side, apparently at the northwest corner. Became the Samuel Love Tavern in 1801.

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