Jonesborough Historic District

The Jonesborough Historic District is a historic district in Jonesborough, Tennessee, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Jonesboro Historic District (reflecting the spelling of the town name at the time) in 1969.

Staff of the Tennessee Historical Commission surveyed 158 buildings in the town in 1969 and found 72 worth preservation. The district includes Queen Anne, Greek Revival, and Federal styles of architecture among its 72 contributing buildings located in a more than 120 acre area.

Some contributing buildings include the Jonesborough United Methodist Church, which was built in 1847 and renovated in 1945 and 1959; the Washington County Courthouse, built in 1913 on the site of the first courthouse of the county; and the Chester Inn, which was built c. 1797.

The district is an irregularly shaped area, roughly bounded by College Street on the north, the junction of Main Street and Franklin Avenue on the east, Depot Street on the south, and 3rd Avenue on the west.

Architectural styles
There are very few examples of the pure classical style in Jonesborough. However, buildings in the district can be divided into at least six different primary styles, although they all exhibit characteristics of one or more secondary styles. Examples include the following.

Federal
Some of the oldest buildings in Jonesborough are built in the Federal style. The form of this period is basically Georgian, often with crow-stepped gables (also known as corbie steps). Most of the brickwork is Flemish bond.


 * Chester Inn : Listed separately on the NRHP, the Chester Inn is a three-story rectangular building, including the raised stone basement. Built in 1797, the west section of the building has a two-story kitchen.  The dining room was built c. 1836, in the east addition, and the Italianate front porch was added in 1883.

Greek Revival
Corbie steps also appear in Jonesborough Greek revival buildings. Most of the porches on Greek Revival homes appear to have been added long after the buildings were constructed.


 * Methodist Church : Listed separately as a National Historic Place, the Methodist Church is two stories with a rectangular shape. The foundation and siding are brick. The roof shape is gable. The building has a pedimented portico, with four Ionic columns. It has stained glass windows. An educational wing was added in the mid-1800s. The steeple was constructed in c. 1890, and replaced an earlier one. The original slave gallery remains.

Victorian period
This period includes styles of Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne. This style did not come to Jonesborough until around the Civil War. The Italianate style is very common, especially shown in porches.

The Old Gresham House

Built in 1828, the building was remodeled c. 1900 with Queen Anne and Colonial Revival influences. The building is two stories and has an irregular shape. The foundation is brick and the siding is weatherboard. The roof shape is gable. There are three chimneys: one of brick at center of gable, interior; one of brick at center gable, interior; one of brick at left rear end of gable, exterior. The house has a full front porch.


 * The Brownlow House : This house is rectangular in shape with a two-story ell. The foundation and siding are brick. The roof shape is hip with gablets. There are large dentils under the eaves of the roof. It was built in 1879 by Walter Preston Brownlow, nephew of William G. Brownlow. Walter owned the Jonesborough "Herald and Tribune". He was a postmaster and was elected U. S. Congressman in 1897. :

Post-Victorian/Neoclassical period/Classical Revival

 * Washington County Courthouse : The current building is on the site of the first courthouse built in Washington County, in 1779. Its form is Classical Revival. The building is two and one half stories and has an irregular shape. The foundation is concrete and the siding is brick. The Classical Revival style porches have Ionic columns.

Bungalow

 * Residential House : The building is one and one-half stories and has a square shape. The foundation is brick and the siding is brick.

Minimal Traditional

 * Residential Buildings : The form of the buildings are I-house with Greek Revival influences. The buildings are two stories. The foundation is brick and the siding is weatherboard.

Other architectural styles

 * Mail Pouch Building : The building is two stories and has a rectangular shape. The foundation is brick and the siding is brick. The painted advertisement is from the early 1900s. The present façade is 1920s textured brick.