The old Roane County Courthouse
On September 21, 1807, the Roane County town of Kingston served as Tennessee’s state capital for one day, as a result of treaties negotiated with the Cherokee Indians. The legislature met there for two hours, passed two resolutions and then moved the capital back to Knoxville, where it remained until 1826.
By the way, in 1845 the legislature, by this time meeting in Nashville, had a debate that lasted several days about where to put the capital permanently. Nashville eventually won out, but there was more support for Kingston than you might think.
Fort Southwest Point
Also in Kingston you will find the replica of an old fort called Fort Southwest Point.
It is hard to believe, but this fort used to be located at (you guessed it) the southwest border of the United States. You see, after the Treaty of the Holston with the Cherokee Indian Nation in 1791, present-day Kingston was the border between the United States of America and Cherokee land!
Here is the current Roane County Courthouse in Kingston.
