Explore the Rich History of Kingsport, TN

Kingsport, TN is full of rich history to explore and get to know the roots of the town. Check out these outstanding sites, trails, and other locations where you can explore the Kingsport area history and find out how you can get around to see it all.

Boatyard Historic District

The Boatyard Historic District offers enough to see to take up the whole day. It covers a swath of land encompassing 385 acres surrounding the forks of the Holston River, and it includes the lower end of the historic landmark that is the Long Island of the Holston. Here, you can see late-Victorian architecture and sites dedicated to domestic living, military history, and more.

Exchange Place

The Exchange Place is an old log cabin that is a historic building and, today, offers a display of local flora, as well as great food stalls and local arts and crafts vendors. You can also enjoy classes here with tutorials on primitive hands-on crafting. Visiting Exchange Place is like taking a step back in time to see just how our ancestors once lived.

Arcadia

Originally named Reedy Creek Settlement, Arcadia is an entire community in Sullivan County that resides just outside Kingsport. It was originally founded in the late 1700s and the entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Of particular interest here is the Thomas Fain Plantation, which originally bore the Arcadia name that the town is now known by.

Bristol Municipal Stadium

Don’t let anyone tell you there aren’t castles in the United States. Built in 1934-1936, the Bristol Municipal Stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It’s designed to look just like an ancient stone castle, and it was part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal project to help with the aftermath of the Great Depression.

Bristol Commercial Historic District

Who said you can’t enjoy historic sites while still getting some shopping done? The commercial historic district of Bristol, just a few miles from Kingsport, features 83 different buildings, all of which feature thriving businesses enclosed within historic buildings dating to the Victorian era and the early 20th century. First added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, it was expanded in 2017.

Sites to note here include buildings for the YMCA, Reynolds Arcade, the Cameo Theater, McCrory’s Department Store, the Paramount Theatre and Office Building, First National Bank of Bristol, the E.W. King Manufacturing Company, and a wealth of other buildings representing the early years of the 20th century. It’s a great place to spend a day wandering the streets, shopping, dining, and seeing the sights.

These are a few of the exciting historic sights to see in and around Kingsport, TN. If you’d like an outstanding way to travel the region to see even more, Toyota of Kingsport can help. You can explore our blog for all the local happenings, check out our inventory of new Toyota cars, trucks, and SUVs, and give us a call at 423-246-6611 for any auto service or financing inquiries you have for us!

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