Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tipton-Haynes House
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Tipton-Haynes House in 1936
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2620 South Roan Street, Johnson City, Tennessee |
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| Built | 1784 |
| Architect | John Tipton |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000620 |
| Added to NRHP | February 26, 1970 |
The Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, also known as the Tipton-Haynes House, is a special historical place in Johnson City, Tennessee. You can find it at 2620 South Roan Street. This site includes a house built way back in 1784 by Colonel John Tipton.
Besides the main house, there are 10 other old buildings to explore. These include a smokehouse, a place for pigs called a pigsty, a loom house for weaving, and a springhouse that kept food cool. There's also a log barn, a corncrib, and even the home of George Haynes, who was a slave of the Haynes family.
Contents
A Look at Early Tennessee History
The Tipton-Haynes site tells an important story about early Tennessee. It shows how people lived and what challenges they faced when the state was first forming.
The State of Franklin Story
Colonel John Tipton was a key figure in the history of Tennessee. He was against the idea of the State of Franklin. This was a group of people living in the Tennessee Valley who tried to create their own state in the 1780s. But their plan didn't work out.
The "Battle of Franklin"
In February 1788, a small conflict happened at Tipton's farm. It's sometimes called the "Battle of Franklin." John Sevier, who was chosen as governor of the proposed State of Franklin, led a group of fighters. They surrounded Tipton's farm.
Sevier wanted Tipton to return some slaves. Tipton had taken them from Sevier because a court in North Carolina ordered it. Tipton refused to give them back. Gunfire was exchanged, and the two sides faced off for two days.
Finally, a group from Sullivan County arrived and scattered Sevier's forces. After this event, the idea of the State of Franklin mostly fell apart.
Who Lived Here?
After John Tipton passed away in 1813, his son, John Tipton Jr., took over the farm. When John Tipton Jr. died in 1831, his family sold the property in 1837 to David Haynes, who bought and sold land.
The Haynes Family Takes Over
In 1839, David Haynes gave the farm to his son, Landon Carter Haynes, as a wedding gift. Landon Carter Haynes made the house bigger and added special wooden siding called weatherboarding.
During the American Civil War, Landon Carter Haynes was a senator for the Confederacy. Because of this, people who supported the Union in East Tennessee threatened him. He had to leave the area in 1865.
He sold the farm to his brother-in-law, Lawson Gifford, who was a publisher in Jonesborough.
Becoming a Historic Site
In 1945, Lawson Gifford's grandson, David Simmerly, sold the farm to the Tennessee Historical Commission. Even after selling it, he continued to live there until he passed away.
Today, the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site is one of 18 such sites in Tennessee. The Tipton-Haynes Association manages it, working with the Tennessee Historical Commission. The site was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. This means it's recognized as an important historical place worth protecting.
