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Rogersville, Tennessee

Hawkins County’s seat and one of Tennessee’s oldest towns: a National Register Main Street on the old Great Wilderness Road, the 1836 courthouse, the 1824 Hale Springs Inn, Crockett Spring Park and the Swift Museum, with Laurel Run Park and Amis Mill a short drive away.

Town · county seatSeat of Hawkins County →Pop. 4,671 (2020)Eastern time (ET)Things to do ↓Eat & drink ↓Places to stay ↓Events ↓A short history ↓Town offices & resources ↓

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · all times Eastern (ET) · sources at the bottom

In 30 seconds
  • Why stop: walk Main Street on the old Great Wilderness Road past the 1836 courthouse and the 1824 Hale Springs Inn, have coffee across the street at the Kyle, then stroll Crockett Spring Park and the Swift Museum.
  • Before you go: Rogersville is on Eastern time (ET). Early voting ends today, Oct 29 (8 AM–8 PM ET at the courthouse); on Election Day, Tue Nov 3, town voters choose three city school board seats. Trunk or Treat is Sat Oct 31, 5–8 PM ET, the first Veterans Parade is Sat Nov 7 at 11 AM ET, and the Christmas parade is Sat Dec 5 at 6 PM ET.
  • Good to know: Laurel Run Park (Church Hill), the Thomas Amis Historic Site and the Bulls Gap museums are outside the town limits. The Tennessee Newspaper and Printing Museum is closed for maintenance for now.

Visitor directory

Things to do in and around Rogersville

In town

  • Historic Downtown Rogersville ↗Main Street follows the old Great Wilderness Road through a National Register district of Federal-style brick buildings and brick sidewalks. Look for Rogers Tavern (the Big Tavern House, about 1810) at 205 S. Rogers St. and the log Pettibone House (about 1795) beside it, and the old limestone-block sidewalks on East Broadway and Colonial Road. Downtown is run by Rogersville Main Street with the Chamber, 110 E. Kyle St. ⓘ source
  • Hawkins County Courthouse ↗100 E. Main St. · built in 1836, it is one of six antebellum courthouses still in use in Tennessee and the second oldest still in use. Overton Masonic Lodge No. 5, founded in 1805 and one of the founding lodges of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, shares the courthouse address (not open to the public). Courthouse offices are open Mon–Fri 8 AM–4 PM ET. ⓘ source
  • Hale Springs Inn ↗110 W. Main St. · John McKinney built this three-story Federal-style brick inn in 1824–25 to compete with Joseph Rogers’ tavern. It has nine rooms and suites with private baths, three named for presidents who stayed here (Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson and James K. Polk), and McKinney’s Restaurant & Tavern. ⓘ source
  • Crockett Spring Park & Arboretum ↗200 Crockett St. · dawn to dusk · the spring park and gazebo at the heart of downtown, on the land grant where David Crockett and Elizabeth Hedge Crockett, Davy Crockett’s grandparents, built their cabin. It became a certified Tennessee arboretum in 2013, with 36 kinds of trees. Next door is Rogers Cemetery, resting place of town founder Joseph Rogers, his wife Mary Amis Rogers and the elder Crocketts, who were killed in 1777. Rental contacts differ between sources; ask the Chamber. ⓘ source
  • Swift Museum & Price Public School ↗203 Spring St. · the restored building that remains of Swift Memorial College, a Presbyterian school for African Americans that operated in Rogersville from 1883 to 1952. Open Tue, Thu and Fri 11:30 AM–3:30 PM ET and Sat noon ET–2 PM ET (museum only) · 423-921-3888. Swift Park, a five-acre town park with a playground, basketball court and walking trail, is across Hasson Street. ⓘ source
  • Rogersville City Park ↗311 Park Blvd. · 42 acres with three pavilions, four lighted tennis courts, six ballfields, a duck pond for fishing, a walking trail, a playground, a fenced dog park, sand volleyball, an 18-hole disc golf course and the summer pool. Restrooms close in winter. Parks & Recreation: 423-272-2545. ⓘ source

Eat & drink

  • Red Dog on Main Taproom & Eatery ↗120 E. Main St. · pub fare in a downtown taproom opened in 2019 · Wed 4:30–8:30 PM ET, Thu 11:30 AM–8:30 PM ET, Fri–Sat 11:30 AM–9 PM ET, Sun 11:30 AM–8 PM ET. ⓘ source
  • Coffee at the Kyle ↗111 W. Main St., across from the Hale Springs Inn · coffee and pastries · Mon–Sat 7 AM–2 PM ET, closed Sunday. ⓘ source
  • Bull Babies ↗109 S. Church St. · Southern comfort food, grab-and-go and baked goods, with weekend brunch · Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri 6:30 AM–3 PM ET; Sat–Sun 8 AM–3 PM ET; closed Wednesday. ⓘ source
  • Little Town Italian ↗114 E. Kyle St. · a small Italian kitchen that makes nearly everything in house · Tue–Sat 4–9 PM ET; closed Monday. ⓘ source
  • Slices of Jersey ↗318 E. Main St. · Jersey-style pizza by the slice or pie. Check hours before you go. ⓘ source
  • Sweet Liberty ↗203 E. Washington St. · downtown bakery with cookies, cakes and ice cream. Check hours before you go. ⓘ source

Small-town hours change, so call ahead. Full list: Historic Rogersville — eat, shop, stay ↗.

Places to stay

Nearby: Amis Mill, Laurel Run & Bulls Gap

  • Thomas Amis Historic Site & Amis Mill ↗Not in Rogersville — 127 W. Bear Hollow Rd., east of town · Thomas Amis built a stone house and fort here on Big Creek in the 1780s, with a mill, store and tavern; his daughter Mary married Joseph Rogers. Today there are a restaurant, a visitor center and events: Tue–Sat 11 AM–9 PM ET, Sun 11 AM–7 PM ET, closed Mon · 423-272-7040. The Amis Mill Trading Post market runs Saturdays through Nov 28 from 10 AM ET. ⓘ source
  • Laurel Run Park ↗Not in Rogersville — 364 Laurel Run Park Rd., Church Hill · Hawkins County’s 440-acre park on the Holston River, where the 1984 film “The River” was made: a one-mile paved riverside path, picnic shelters and trails linking with Bays Mountain Park for 37.5 miles, with Laurel Falls about 20 minutes up the trail. Open November–December 8 AM–4 PM ET; closed Thanksgiving, Dec 24 and Dec 25 · 423-293-8140. ⓘ source
  • Bulls Gap museums ↗Not in Rogersville — the Archie Campbell Museum, in the Hee Haw star’s hometown, and the Bulls Gap Railroad Museum on S. Main St., Bulls Gap. Check hours with the town before you go. ⓘ source

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · in or out of town checked against Census town limits. Call ahead — hours change. All hours Eastern (ET).

Coming up in Rogersville

  • Thu Oct 29 — Last day of early voting8 AM–8 PM ET at the Hawkins County Courthouse, 100 E. Main St., or 9 AM–8 PM ET at Clay Masonic Lodge, 111 Hamilton St., Church Hill. ⓘ source
  • Sat Oct 31 — Trunk or Treat on Main Street5–8 PM ET in the downtown historic district · trunk-or-treating and a costume contest for children ages 1–12, from Rogersville Main Street and the Chamber. ⓘ source
  • Mon Nov 2 — Leaf pickup beginsThe Street Department’s leaf machine runs Nov 2 through Feb 28, working from the east end of town to the west end each week. Rake leaves to the road, free of sticks and off manhole lids. ⓘ source
  • Tue Nov 3 — Election Day · Rogersville City School boardAlong with the state and federal general election, Rogersville voters choose three Rogersville City School board seats (Seats 1, 2 and 5). No town board seats are on this ballot. Vote at your assigned precinct; polling places and hours are on the Election Commission’s site · (423) 272-8061. ⓘ source
  • Sat Nov 7 — American Legion Post 21 Veteran Market7 AM–noon ET, weather permitting, at 1924 E. Main St. · vendors, plus a $10 breakfast. ⓘ source
  • Sat Nov 7 — Rogersville’s first Veterans Parade11 AM ET on Main Street, from East Rogersville Baptist Church west to First Baptist Church; line-up at 10 AM ET. Veterans are invited to march or ride, and personalized banners hang on Main Street through November. ⓘ source
  • Tue Nov 10 — Town board meetingsAt City Hall, 106 E. Kyle St.: Park Board 6 PM ET, Water Department 6:30 PM ET and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen 7 PM ET. ⓘ source
  • Wed Nov 11 — Veterans Day closuresTown offices are closed; Wednesday garbage is picked up Thursday, Nov 12. ⓘ source
  • Mon Nov 23 — Hawkins County Commission6 PM ET in Courthouse Room 214, 100 E. Main St. ⓘ source
  • Thu Nov 26 — ThanksgivingLaurel Run Park is closed. ⓘ source
  • Sat Dec 5 — Rogersville Christmas Parade & tree lighting6 PM ET on Main Street, with Santa, a downtown merchants’ open house and the tree lighting on the Courthouse Square. Float line-up starts at 4 PM ET in front of East Rogersville Baptist Church and Rogersville Middle School; judging at 4:15 PM ET · Chamber 423-272-2186. ⓘ source

More happenings are on the Historic Rogersville events page ↗, the Rogersville Review community calendar ↗ and the Town of Rogersville site ↗. We’ll refresh this list after the Dec 5 parade.

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · times Eastern (ET) · dates from the Town of Rogersville, the Hawkins County Election Commission, Rogersville Main Street and the Chamber, WCYB and the Rogersville Review. More Hawkins County events are on the county guide.

Area news

Headlines · Rogersville & Hawkins County

  • Rogersville Review · Oct 26, 2026

    More than 5,200 Hawkins County ballots were cast by Oct. 24, with the Church Hill early-voting site outpacing Rogersville.

    Read at Rogersville Review →
  • Rogersville Review · Oct 26, 2026

    Fall color is building along US-11W in western Hawkins County; ETSU’s arborist expects the best color from the last week of October into the first week of November.

    Read at Rogersville Review →
  • WCYB 5 · Oct 23, 2026

    News 5 spent a week telling Hawkins County stories for the station’s 70th anniversary, anchoring its evening newscasts from Volunteer High School in Church Hill.

    Read at WCYB 5 →
  • WCYB 5 · Oct 9, 2026

    Rogersville will hold its first-ever Veterans Parade down Main Street on Nov. 7 at 11 AM ET, and veterans’ families can buy banners to hang downtown in November.

    Read at WCYB 5 →

Short summaries in our words — tap through to read the full story at the source. All area news → · Outlet requests: [email protected]

A short history

North Carolina created Hawkins County from Sullivan County on Jan. 6, 1787; before that the land had been Spencer County in the State of Franklin. On June 4, 1787, the county commissioners met at Thomas Gibbons’ home on Big Creek and chose Joseph Rogers’ land on Crockett’s Creek for the county seat. A courthouse, jail and stocks went up that summer, and the settlement was called Hawkins Court House. Rogers, an Irish-born settler, had married Mary Amis, daughter of Col. Thomas Amis. In 1789 Amis carried the community’s petition to the North Carolina General Assembly, which on Nov. 7, 1789, approved laying out a town of half-acre lots named Rogersville (Tennessee Encyclopedia; Rogersville Main Street). Source conflict: the Tennessee Encyclopedia dates the town to North Carolina’s Nov. 7, 1789, approval to lay out Rogersville; the Chamber’s visitor guide says the town was “established in 1775,” its Thomas Amis page says 1786, and MTAS lists the town’s incorporation as Feb. 1, 1903 (Acts 1903), with its present charter from 1911. We print all of them.

Main Street followed the Great Wilderness Road, carrying settlers toward Bean Station, the Cumberland Gap and Kentucky. In 1791 George Roulstone and Robert Ferguson printed Tennessee’s first newspaper, the Knoxville Gazette, here before moving it to Knoxville. Overton Masonic Lodge was founded in 1805; John McKinney opened his brick inn, now the Hale Springs Inn, in 1824–25; and the county built the present courthouse in 1836. From the 1840s to the 1870s Hawkins County’s pink and red marble was hauled into Rogersville by teams of 16 to 20 mules and floated down the Holston, and some of it went into the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol (Tennessee Encyclopedia; Rogersville Main Street).

Rogersville was long a Presbyterian center. The Rogersville Synodical College for women opened in 1850 on the site of today’s Rogersville City School. After the Civil War the Presbyterian Church founded Swift Memorial College for African Americans, which operated here from 1883 to 1952 and then served as a segregated high school until the mid-1960s; the Swift Museum keeps its story. The Tennessee Newspaper and Printing Museum is closed for maintenance for now (Rogersville Heritage Association).

Today Rogersville is a town with a mayor and six aldermen. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM ET at City Hall, and the town runs its own police, fire, parks, streets and water and sewer service. Rogersville also has its own city school, apart from the county system. The town hosts Heritage Days each October and the Christmas parade each December (MTAS; Town of Rogersville; Tennessee Encyclopedia). Source conflict: the 2020 Census counted 4,671 people in Rogersville; the state’s certified 2026 estimate is 4,690 (MTAS). MTAS also gives the town’s address as 430 E. Main St., while the Town’s own site puts City Hall at 106 E. Kyle St. — we use the Town’s.

Read more: Hawkins County (Tennessee Encyclopedia) ↗ · Hawkins County history ↗ · The courthouse story (Rogersville Main Street) ↗

Hawkins County’s history → · The State of Franklin → · How Tennessee came from North Carolina → · East Tennessee history hub →

Town offices & local resources

Town of Rogersville ↗ — departments, agendas, minutes and notices · MTAS directory ↗. Rogersville has a mayor and six aldermen. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM ET at City Hall, 106 E. Kyle St., after the Park Board (6 PM ET) and Water Department (6:30 PM ET) meetings. The town provides police, fire, parks, streets, garbage and leaf pickup, and water and sewer service. Hawkins County offices are in and around the Courthouse at 100 E. Main St.

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · official sites only · numbers copied from each agency’s own page — tap ⓘ to confirm. Times Eastern (ET). Emergencies: call 911.

Around Hawkins County

← Hawkins County guide — Laurel Run Park, Bulls Gap, Cherokee Lake and county resources.

Other Hawkins County places: Church Hill · Mount Carmel · Surgoinsville · Bulls Gap · Kingsport (also Sullivan) · Bean Station (also Grainger) · Mooresburg · Persia · St. Clair · Eidson · Alum Well. Census places: Rogersville town (4,671) · Church Hill city (6,998) · Mount Carmel town (5,473) · Surgoinsville town (1,882) · Bulls Gap town (756). Next door: Grainger · Hamblen · Greene · Hancock · Sullivan · Washington county guides.

Other county-seat guides: Wartburg (Morgan County) · Kingston (Roane County) · Huntsville (Scott County) · Jamestown (Fentress County) · Crossville (Cumberland County) · Clinton (Anderson County) · Dayton (Rhea County) · Decatur (Meigs County) · Athens (McMinn County) · Cleveland (Bradley County) · Madisonville (Monroe County) · Loudon (Loudon County) · Maryville (Blount County) · Sevierville (Sevier County) · Knoxville (Knox County) · Newport (Cocke County) · Tazewell (Claiborne County) · Benton (Polk County) · Greeneville (Greene County) · Morristown (Hamblen County). Nearest seats: Greeneville (Greene), Morristown (Hamblen) and Tazewell (Claiborne).

Sources

Checked Oct 29, 2026