Hidden · Downtown Knoxville, Knoxville, United States
Blount Mansion
A wood-frame house in downtown Knoxville that served as the capitol of the Southwest Territory, where much of the Tennessee Constitution was drafted in 1796.
StatusNational Historic Landmarkdesignated in the 1960s
Run byBlount Mansion Associationsince 1930
Photo: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The place
A wood-frame house on a frontier of log cabins.
Blount Mansion stands on Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville, on a rise above the Volunteer Landing riverfront and the Tennessee River. It was the home of William Blount, the only territorial governor of the Southwest Territory, and it served as the territory’s de facto capitol.
At a time when most Tennessee homes were log cabins, Blount built a wood-frame house sheathed in wood siding, with finished woodwork, paneling, flooring and weatherboarding shipped from North Carolina. He had two reasons: the house had to command respect from visiting delegations, and he wanted to keep a promise to his wife to build a home like their lavish one in North Carolina.
The two-story central block is the oldest part. The west wing is thought to have been added next, and may have begun as an outbuilding or as servants’ quarters. The east wing came last, perhaps as late as 1820. Behind the house stand Blount’s one-story Governor’s Office, where much of the Tennessee Constitution was drafted in 1796, and a detached kitchen.
Who lived here
A territorial capital, an enslaved household, and a house saved from demolition.
Blount lived on the property with his family and ten enslaved African Americans. Andrew Jackson and John Sevier were frequent visitors, and early guests included the botanist André Michaux and Cherokee and Chickasaw chiefs.
Blount passed the house to his half-brother in 1797, and it went to Blount’s son in 1818, then to the McClung family in 1825. By 1845 a Knoxville mayor owned it, and his family kept it into the early 20th century, renting it out and adding a large Victorian-style porch. By 1925 the house had badly deteriorated, and a developer planned to demolish it for a parking lot serving a new hotel.
A preservation campaign stopped that. The Blount Mansion Association was chartered in 1926, and with help from the Daughters of the American Revolution, the East Tennessee Historical Society and the University of Tennessee it raised enough to buy the house in 1930. It removed the Victorian additions and restored the house to its late 18th-century look. In 1960, a “vault” found at the back revived rumors of an escape tunnel under the Tennessee River; the National Park Service concluded it was a cooling room used to store wine and perishable food.
Photos
The house and its grounds.
Blount Mansion seen from the street behind a white picket fence. Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The Governor’s Office, a small white clapboard building in the grounds of Blount Mansion. Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The brick-walled cooling room with a shingled roof at Blount Mansion. Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The Blount Mansion Visitors Center, a brick building with a ramp. Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Go and see it
Practical notes.
Blount Mansion is on Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville, between Gay Street and State Street, on a rise above the riverfront. Tours and activities near Blount Mansion.
The Blount Mansion Association runs it as a museum. Check its official website for tour times and what is open before you go.
On the grounds, look for the Governor’s Office behind the west wing and the detached kitchen, rebuilt on its original foundation.
The Craighead-Jackson House, also managed by the association, is across State Street, and the Volunteer Landing riverfront lies to the south.
Sold by Viator. Prices and review counts checked on 09/09/2026. This tour covers downtown Knoxville and the riverfront area. Check its description to see whether it stops at Blount Mansion.
Questions people ask
Before you go.
Was Blount Mansion really a capitol?
It served as the de facto capitol of the Southwest Territory, which the United States created in 1790, and much of the Tennessee Constitution was drafted in Governor Blount’s office there in 1796.
Was there an escape tunnel under the river?
That was an old rumor. A “vault” found at the back of the house in 1960 revived it, but the National Park Service determined it was a cooling room for wine and perishable food.
Who lived at Blount Mansion?
William Blount, his family and ten enslaved African Americans lived on the property. Later owners included the McClung family and, by 1845, the Boyd family, who rented the house out.
Can you tour the house?
It operates as a museum run by the Blount Mansion Association. Check the association’s official website for current tour times and access.
More to see
Around Knoxville
More things to do around here
Walking tours, day trips and experiences around this area, on GetYourGuide.
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