Powell, Tennessee

Powell, formerly known as Powell Station, is a census-designated place in Knox County, Tennessee. The area is located in the Emory Road corridor (State Route 131), just north of Knoxville, southeast of Clinton, and east of Oak Ridge. It had a population of 13,802 during the 2020 census. It is included in the Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Despite its status as unincorporated, Powell is considered to be more of an "independent" small town than a suburb. One of the reasons behind this is that it was established in 1789 (two years before the establishment of Knoxville) by settlers passing through East Tennessee into the frontier. Among these early settlers was Stockley Donelson (1753–1804), a brother-in-law of President Andrew Jackson. Donelson's home, now known as the Alexander Bishop House, still stands on Bishop Lane. Another early settler was John Manifee, a Revolutionary War veteran who built a small fort and trading station along what is now Clinton Highway in the late 1780s.



The community's name is derived from the Powell Station train stop, which was in turn named for Columbus Powell, a prominent local resident. The train station is not currently in use but remains in the town's "downtown" area. The railroad was essential to economy of early 20th century Powell as bricks were made with the mud from Beaver Creek and loaded onto the tracks and sent to various locations. The tracks were originally part of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway (now part of the Norfolk Southern line).

From 1951 to 2012, Powell was home to the Powell STOLport, a rural airstrip located adjacent to the I-75 and Emory Road (SR 131) interchange. In March 2013, following the Knoxville City Council's annexation of the airstrip site, the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission approved plans for a shopping complex on the site including a supermarket, theater, department store, and other retail developments.

Geography
Powell lies in the Beaver Creek Valley between Copper Ridge and Beaver Ridge, two narrow ridges typical of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians. It is situated along Emory Road (SR 131) about halfway between Halls and Karns, and roughly spans the area between Interstate 75 to the east, and Clinton Highway (U.S. Route 25W) to the west. Knoxville lies opposite Beaver Ridge to the southeast.

Economy

 * The Weigel's chain of convenience stores started and is still headquartered in Powell.
 * The largest employer in Powell is DeRoyal Industries, which manufactures and markets medical products.
 * Powell was home to a Levi's jeans manufacturing plant that closed in 2002. The former Levi's property, adjacent to DeRoyal Industries, is now the site of Crown College.

Infrastructure
Powell is serviced by the Hallsdale-Powell Utility District and the Knoxville Utilities Board, for wastewater, municipal water, and electricity respectively.

Education
Public schools in Powell, operated by Knox County Schools, are:
 * Powell High School
 * Powell Middle School
 * Powell Elementary School
 * Brickey-McCloud Elementary School
 * Copper Ridge Elementary School

Religious-based educational institutions in the community include:
 * First Baptist Academy
 * Crown College
 * Temple Baptist Academy

Powell is well-noted throughout Knox County for its intense support of Powell High School Panther athletics. Powell High School constructed a new football stadium in 2009 and the football team is sponsored by Nike. The Panthers were Tennessee State Runners-Up in 1991 and 2011.

Religion
Temple Baptist Church is a church located at 1700 Beaver Creek Drive in Powell.

First Baptist Church is located at 7706 Ewing Road in Powell.

Many other smaller churches such as One Life-North, Powell Presbyterian, and Bells Camground Baptist are also located in Powell.

Notable people

 * John Bruhin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard
 * Archie Campbell, comedian, and a regular on Hee Haw is buried near Powell
 * John Cooper, ESPN college football analyst, member of the College Football Hall of Fame
 * Walter Nolen, football player
 * Lee Smith, NFL tight end

In literature
The central action of James Agee's Pulitzer Prize winning memoir, A Death in the Family, takes place in Powell.