Newport in Cocke County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Cocke County Memorial Building

Photographed by Mark Parker, February 13, 2025

1. Cocke County Memorial Building Marker

Inscription.
Cocke County Memorial Building
The National Register of Historic Places
Tennessee Historical Commission
American Legion Post 41
Newport, Tennessee
1930

Erected 1997 by American Legion Post 41, Brown Funeral Home.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.

Location. 35° 58.045′ N, 83° 11.573′ W. Marker is in Newport, Tennessee, in Cocke County. It is at the intersection of Church Street and Tennessee Route 35, on the right when traveling east on Church Street. The marker is at the front of the building at the top of the hill. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Church St, Newport TN 37821, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee

and in the Great Smoky Mountains.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

the State of Franklin,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Kiffin Yates Rockwell (approx. ¼ mile away); Newport Grammar School (approx. 0.4 miles away); City Hall (approx. half a mile away); Cocke County Veterans Monument (approx. half a mile away); Cocke County Organized - 1797 (approx. half a mile away); Cocke County War Memorial (approx. half a mile away); The Warford (approx. 0.7 miles away); Swinging Bridge (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport.

Another marker is

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no longer nearby. The War Ford (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Regarding Cocke County Memorial Building. Excerpts from the Cocke County Memorial Building Nomination Form:

The Cocke County Memorial Building in Newport is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C. As an important meeting place and recreational facility, the building is significant in the social history Cocke County and has become a landmark in the city of Newport. Significant in the area of architecture, it is constructed in the Colonial Revival style which is commonly seen in public buildings of the Depression era and retains the majority of its original materials and architectural details. The permanent bleachers with beaded wood risers, hardwood floors, metal and wood windows, and stucco walls are all original significant features which give the building its feeling and preserve its sense of time, making it architecturally significant. The building has statewide significance as one of two Memorial Buildings constructed in the early 1930s with financial support from the Tennessee Legislature...

The Memorial Building was Newport's social center for many years, with peak use following World War II. USO dances and events were held there, as were basketball games, wrestling matches, and

Cocke County Memorial Building. Marker indicated by the arrow image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, February 13, 2025

2. Cocke County Memorial Building. Marker indicated by the arrow

other athletic events. Located in a "dry" county, where the sale of alcohol was prohibited, the American Legion provided a private club where veterans could gather and socialize within the constraints of the law. The building served as a bivouac for traveling troops and was equipped with a kitchen and bath facilities. Community gatherings, including bean suppers and dances were held frequently at the Memorial Building. The Ladies Auxiliary sponsored many of these events in addition to lectures.

Also see . . .
1. Cocke County Memorial Building Nomination Form (pdf). Form prepared by Kimberley Murphy / Preservation Planner, East Tennessee Development District, 1996 (Submitted on February 14, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

2. Haunted Tri-Cities: Newport building linked to tragedy, haunting and a conspiracy.

The gym holds some of the heaviest memories from a 1964 plane crash that killed all 39 people on board. United flight 823 departed from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 9 1964 with clear skies ahead on its path to Knoxville.

The plane never arrived at its destination...

The plane crashed into a hillside in Parrotsville at 6:15 p.m., about 10 miles northeast of Newport. The four crew members and 34 of the 35 passengers died on impact, and one passenger died after jumping from the plane before it crashed.

Phillips said that because the plane crashed in a remote, wooded area, crews needed a
Photographed by Mark Parker, February 13, 2025

3. In honor of our veterans sign in front of the Cocke County Memorial Building
The stop is a part of the Newport Heritage Tour
temporary site to store the victims’ bodies until they could be transported to a morgue. The Cocke County Memorial Building’s gym became a temporary morgue where crews placed the bodies of the crash victims.

(Submitted on February 14, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 681 times since then and 160 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 14, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.