 WASHINGTON COUNTY
Jonesborough
County Seat: Jonesborough
Washington is the "mother county" of Tennessee. When it was first formed in 1777, Washington County was part of North Carolina, and the "county" contained much of the land that later became Tennessee. Washington County also contains Jonesborough, Tennessee's first town (chartered by the state of North Carolina in 1779). In the 1780s, Jonesborough served as the capital of the state of Franklin, which was formed by the citizens of the area but never recognized by Congress. 
The cemetery adjacent to Washington College.
If you roam through Washington County for long enough, you may stumble across the handsome but very quiet campus of Washington College. This was the very first institution of higher learning founded west of the Appalachian Mountains and has a proud history. However, Washington College decreased in stature after the Civil War, and is now the campus is only partially used.
An alligator skull found at the Gray Fossil Site
And as if Washington County needs more history: within its borders lies the Gray Fossil Site and natural history museum. Click here to learn about this place.
 The Washington County Courthouse was the very last courthouse that Tennessee History for Kids photographed. Yep, we got all 95 of them, and this was the last one to be checked off the list. |
—Brian Smith, Seventh Grade Teacher, Jefferson Middle School, Oak Ridge"My students and I enjoy your website and videos. We use them often to discuss Tennessee geography and history."