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East Tennessee History Center

City: Knoxville, TN
Region: East Tennessee

The East Tennessee History Center, formerly the Old Custom House, is home to three organizations that work together to preserve history:

The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) is a non-profit organization that provides public programming on the history and heritage of East Tennessee. Through publications, lectures, tours, and teacher/student activities, and the ETHS Museum, the Society serves 2,000 members, 40 affiliate organizations, and the general public.

The Museum of East Tennessee includes exhibits that focus on East Tennessee's rich history, including “Voices of the Land,” the signature exhibit which features the complex Civil War heritage of the region in the section “Divided Loyalties: Civil War, Brothers Against Brothers.”

The Knox County Archives, on the second floor, preserves and provides public access to permanent records created by Knox County government agencies from 1792 to the present. Knoxville was the capital of the Territory South of the River Ohio (1791-1796) and the first capital of the State of Tennessee (1796-1812). As a result, Knox County has significant historic documents among its early records.

The Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, on the third floor, is the local history and genealogy department of the Knox County Public Library System. The McClung Collection is one of the foremost collections of East Tennessee history and, with more than 63,000 volumes, 12,000 rolls of microfilm, 3,000 maps, 100,000 photographs and negatives, 600 manuscripts, and a wealth of genealogical information and resources, is one of the premier research libraries in the region.

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