Altamont in Grundy County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Welcome to Altamont
Tennessee’s South Cumberland Mountains of Adventure
Altamont was established in 1848 as the Grundy County seat thanks to the efforts of Gen. Adrian Northcutt, a local farmer who served for ten years in the Tennessee legislature. The first county courthouse was in Northcutt’s original home, a small log cabin. It was in this cabin that Northcutt and several other men signed Grundy County into being in 1844.
Early stagecoach roads, connecting the area to Beersheba Springs and what would later become Tracy City, were constructed as far back as 1833. The Firescald Creek Stone Arch Bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located on Northcutt’s Cove Road, off Highway 56, just north of town.
Much earlier, the Chickamauga trace, and ancient Native American trade trail, also traversed this part of the Cumberland Plateau. Portions of the Trace can be seen alongside the hiking trail to Greeter Falls.
Altamont’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was built with mountain stone in 1946 by Lewis Fults. It served the congregation until a new ward was built in the 1980s.
Today Altamont is the gateway to the Firescald Creek area of Savage Gulf. From the Savage Gulf West trailhead, you can reach Greeter Falls, the site of the historic Long’s Mill, the Greeter Homestead and Alum Gap Campground.
Adventures in Altamont
>>>> Adrian Northcutt’s first cabin, also the original Grundy County Courthouse in 1844
>>>> Northcutt Manor, later known as Moffitt Manor or simply “The Manor”
>>>> Greeter Falls – below the falls is an excellent summertime swimming hole
>>>> An early photo of Long’s Mill, near Greeter Falls, later operated by the Greeter family.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.
Location. 35° 25.835′ N, 85° 43.391′ W. Marker is in Altamont, Tennessee, in Grundy County. It is at the intersection of Main Street (Tennessee Route 56) and Spring Street, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1631 Main St, Altamont TN 37301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau and in the Highland Rim. 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 territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Korean and Vietnam Conflicts Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); In Memory of LTJG William (Billy) E. Stulce (within shouting distance of this marker); Altamont, Tennessee World War Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Grundy County Confederate Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); L.V. Woodlee House (within shouting distance of this marker); Forrest's Murfreesboro Raid (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Northcutt-Moffitt “Manor” (about 500 feet away); Long’s Mill and the Chickamauga Trace (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Altamont.
Also see . . . Altamont. (Submitted on April 17, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.


