Sevierville

Sevierville. Court Avenue. Regarded as the heart of Sevierville's historic commercial district, the buildings on Court Avenue were constructed after the courthouse was completed in 1896. They have been occupied continually by various businesses through the years. Originally named Cross Street, it once served as the driveway leading from Main Street to the residence of Bruce McMahan., The centerpiece of Court Avenue is the Sevier County Courthouse, an excellent example of Beaux Arts architecture. Its brick walls are thirteen inches thick. Its limestone foundation was locally sourced and transported to the site by horse-drawn wagons. Grand architectural elements, including gilded domes and a tower housing a traditional four-sided Seth Thomas clock, the building's most prominent feature, are visible from miles away., Most of the commercial buildings with brick facades facing the courthouse were built in the early 1900s by African American artisans whose work exemplified fine local craftmanship. In the late 1860s, Isaac Dockery built a brick kiln near Sevierville and established a brick masonry business. After the Civil War. Dockery became instrumental in establishing the brick masonry tradition within the African American culture of Sevier County. Often, his initials, I D. and sometimes a date, were inscribed on his bricks as a trademark. His most notable buildings are located on Court Avenue and many of them are recognized as landmarks., In 1901, after a fire destroyed Lewis Trotter and Pinkney Seaton's hardware store on the Public Square, they purchased a lot on the south side of the town ditch that had originally marked the southern border of the town. They built a new location facing the courthouse, naming it Sevierville Hardware. The Miller Yett building was built in 1907 at the southeast corner of Court Avenue and Bruce Street. By 1920s there were no available lots left on Court Avenue., Perhaps the most popular attraction on Court Avenue is the Dolly Parton Statue located on the Sevier County Courthouse lawn. Crafted by nationally known local artist, Jim Gray, the six-and-a-half-foot statue was erected to honor Sevierville native and internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, actress, author, and philanthropist, Dolly Parton., Captions , [Left, top] Cross Street 1910, later named Court Ave. , [left, bottom] Court Avenue 1949 , [Right, top] Court Avenue 1953 , [Right, bottom] Welcoming POW home 1953