Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurel Bloomery
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Tennessee Historical Commission marker in Laurel Bloomery
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 Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| County | Johnson County |
| Elevation | 735 m (2,411 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
37680
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| Area code(s) | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-41100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1328639 |
Laurel Bloomery is a small place in Johnson County, Tennessee. It is called an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it is part of the larger county.
People first settled here in the early 1800s. In 1810, the community's first bloomery forge mill started working. This was an early type of factory that made iron. The mill closed in 1870, but some parts of it are still standing today. Laurel Bloomery is known for its beautiful mountains and quiet valleys. It is also the very northeasternmost community in the state of Tennessee.
Music and Traditions: The Fiddler's Convention
One of the most exciting events in Laurel Bloomery is the Old Time Fiddler's Convention. This special music festival happens every year on the Saturday before Labor Day weekend. It takes place at the Old Mill Music Park.
Musicians from all over travel to attend this festival. They play traditional folk music and bluegrass. The convention celebrates the anniversary of the first Mountain City Fiddlers Convention, which happened in 1925 in nearby Mountain City.
A famous fiddler named G. B. Grayson is buried in Gentry Cemetery in Laurel Bloomery. He even mentioned Laurel Bloomery in his 1928 song Train 45, singing: "I'm a goin' to Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee, Henry..."
Education in Laurel Bloomery
Laurel Elementary School is the main school for children in the Laurel Bloomery community. It teaches students from kindergarten through sixth grade (K-6). About 70 students attend the school each year.
The school started in the early 1900s in a small, one-room building. Back then, it taught all grades from kindergarten to twelfth grade (K-12). Later, it housed grades K-8 until the 1970s. At that time, new middle and high schools were built in the Mountain City area of Johnson County.
