Bethsalem Church

Bethsalem Church

This small frame church is all that remains of Bethsalem, a small farming community that was founded by freed slaves after Emancipation. The church began in a brush arbor. Later a log building was built that was replaced in the 1920’s by the current frame structure. For many years Bethsalem was a favorite site for camp meetings. A cemetery sits…

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Reliance Historic District

Reliance Historic District

Wind alongside the Hiwassee River on Hwy 30 till you reach Webb’s Store at the junction of Highway 30/Highway 315. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the district includes Webb Brothers General Store, the 1898 L&N Railroad Watchman’s House, Hiwassee Union Church, and the Higdon Hotel. The store is open seasonally. The Watchman’s House has been restored and…

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Nancy Ward Gravesite

Nancy Ward Gravesite

Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman of the Overhill Cherokees, and her son Fivekiller are buried here. Their graves overlook the pastoral landscape along the Ocoee River, near where she operated an inn at Womankiller Ford in her later years. The site is owned by the State of Tennessee and managed by the Hiwassee/Ocoee Hiwassee State Park.   See the Nancy Ward…

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Fort Marr Blockhouse

Fort Marr Blockhouse

The original fort was built on the Old Federal Road (near the Tennessee / Georgia state line) in the early 19th century.  It was used in 1838 to detain Cherokee Indians prior to their forced removal on the Trail of Tears.  Time erased most of the fort’s structures, but the block house survived and was moved to the grounds of…

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Chota / Tanasi Memorials

The memorials are part of the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. Directions to Memorials – From the museum, turn right and follow Hwy 360 to the junction of Hwy 360/Hwy 455. Follow Hwy 455 for about 5 miles, and then turn left onto County Road 461 where you will drive alongside the lake to the memorials. A grave marker notes the burying place…

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Ft. Loudoun State Historic Area

Ft. Loudoun State Historic Area

This 1200 acre park, features a reconstructed fort, located on the banks of Tellico Lake.originally built by the British in 1756, when this area was known as the “Overhills”  – a designation given to Cherokee communities that rested on the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. Explore the barracks, shops and other structures. Historic Significance: Begun in 1756 and occupied until…

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