Tazewell, Tennessee: Claiborne County seat — the 1932 courthouse, the 1819 stone jail, Main Street’s stone landmarks, the Rose Gulf Station and the Nov. 14 Lighted Tractor Parade

In 30 seconds

Why stop: walk Main Street from the 1932 courthouse past the 1819 stone jail and the old stone churches to the restored Rose Gulf Station, then eat on North Broad. From town it is a short drive north to the Cumberland Gap and Lincoln Memorial University, or south to Norris Lake.
Before you go: Tazewell is on Eastern time (ET). Town Hall is open weekdays 7:30 AM–4:30 PM ET. Election Day is Tue Nov 3 (polls 8 AM–8 PM ET), and A Claiborne County Christmas fills Main Street on Sat Nov 14, 1–6 PM ET, with the Lighted Tractor Parade at dusk. The county turns 225 today, Oct. 29.
Don’t confuse: this is Tazewell, Tennessee, not Tazewell, Virginia. New Tazewell is a separate town two miles west, with its own town hall and mayor; Claiborne High, the Walmart and the health department are there. Many places with a Tazewell mailing address, like Woodlake and the speedway, are outside the town limits.

Visitor directory

Things to do in and around Tazewell

In town

Claiborne County Courthouse ↗1740 Main St. · a three-story Classical Revival courthouse with Art Deco and Streamline Moderne touches, designed by the Knoxville firm Baumann and Baumann and built in 1932, after the 1867 courthouse burned in October 1931. A ca. 1950 veterans monument stands on the lawn. The courthouse went before the state’s National Register review board in September 2026; the nomination is still a draft. ⓘ source
1819 Claiborne County Jail (view from outside) ↗A two-story stone-and-brick jail built in 1819 on the site of the county’s first 1804 jail and used until 1931. It is on the National Register (2007), and its nomination calls it the county’s oldest remaining public building. ⓘ source
Main Street’s stone landmarks (view from the street)Within two blocks of the courthouse: the Hughes Office Building (ca. 1890–1900, 1746 Main St.), Tazewell Baptist Church (1801 Main St.), the Methodist Episcopal Church South at Tazewell (1702 Main St., added to the National Register on July 16, 2026) and the Graham-Kivett House, the stone home of the county’s first merchant, Irish-born William Graham, around 1800 (National Register 1975). These are private buildings and churches, not museums. ⓘ source
Historic Rose Gulf Station ↗On Main Street · a Gulf filling station built in 1930 and run until 1956. The town restored it in 2001 as a small museum of the 1930s and local history. The station appears in the 1958 moonshine film Thunder Road. Open weekdays; call Town Hall first at (423) 626-5104. ⓘ source
Rome-Cardwell Park ↗Main Street, downtown · a small memorial park dedicated to veterans of every conflict and to the county’s emergency-services workers who died in the line of duty. ⓘ source
Tazewell Municipal Park ↗207 Richardson Rd. · 14 acres with a paved walking trail, a playground, picnic facilities, tennis and basketball courts and baseball fields. ⓘ source
Old Town Square & DB & Co. Antique Emporium ↗1444 N. Broad St., in the old Sears store · antiques, vintage finds, quilts, crocks, Pyrex and vendor booths. It opened in October 2026 · Mon–Fri 10 AM–7 PM ET, Sat 8 AM–8 PM ET, Sun 12–4 PM ET · 423-259-8966. ⓘ source
Claiborne County Public Library ↗1304 Old Knoxville Rd. · Mon–Wed 9 AM–5 PM ET, Thu–Fri 9 AM–6 PM ET, Sat 9 AM–2 PM ET; closed Sundays and federal holidays. ⓘ source
Visitor information · Claiborne Economic Partnership ↗1732 Main St., Suite 1, next to the courthouse · the county chamber and tourism office, with maps, event information and local business listings · Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–5 PM ET. ⓘ source

Nearby: the Gap, Lincoln’s museum & Norris Lake

New Tazewell ↗Not in Tazewell — a separate town about two miles west, which grew up around the railroad depot once called Cowan City, or “Train City.” Claiborne High School, the Walmart and Ingles shopping center and the county health department are there. Town Hall is at 413 1st Ave. Its new depot-style City Hall broke ground in September 2026. ⓘ source
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park ↗Not in Tazewell — north on U.S. 25E. The gap Daniel Boone used for the Wilderness Road in 1775, with Pinnacle Overlook, the Hensley Settlement, Gap Cave and about 50 miles of trails. The visitor center is just across the line in Middlesboro, Kentucky · 606-248-2817. The historic town of Cumberland Gap sits at the foot of the mountain. ⓘ source
Abraham Lincoln Library & Museum (LMU) ↗Not in Tazewell — 6965 Cumberland Gap Pkwy., Harrogate · more than 35,000 Lincoln and Civil War artifacts, manuscripts, photos and rare books on the Lincoln Memorial University campus · Mon–Fri 10 AM–5 PM ET, Sat 12–5 PM ET, Sun 1–5 PM ET; closed Thanksgiving weekend · adults $6. ⓘ source
Norris Lake & WoodlakeOutside city limits — south of town, the Claiborne shore of Norris Lake has marinas, campgrounds and Woodlake’s par-72 golf course at 300 Woodlake Blvd. The Powell River Blueway offers paddling access on the county’s Class I river. ⓘ source
Tazewell SpeedwayOutside city limits — 400 Bacchus Rd., north of town · a one-third-mile dirt oval with Saturday-night racing in season · (423) 626-2222. ⓘ source

Eat & drink

Old Town Grill ↗1440 N. Broad St., Old Town Square · steaks, chicken and pasta, open since 2005 · Mon–Thu 11 AM–10 PM ET, Fri–Sat 11 AM–11 PM ET, Sun 12–10 PM ET · (423) 526-5766. ⓘ source
Frostee Freeze Drive-In1617 N. Broad St. · a longtime drive-in for ice cream and drive-in food. The county lists the address; check its hours before you go. ⓘ source
Zaxby’s2000 U.S. 25E, next to the Dollar General just past the Cave Springs Rd. light · opened in June 2026. ⓘ source

North Broad St. (U.S. 25E) also has the town’s chain restaurants. Small-town hours change, so call ahead. Visitor help: Claiborne Economic Partnership ↗.

Places to stay

Motels on U.S. 25EDixie Plaza Motel (2165 U.S. 25E · (423) 626-4247) and Tazewell Motor Lodge (2357 U.S. 25E · (423) 626-7229), both inside the town limits. ⓘ source
Norris Lake Cabin RentalsOffice at 1316 N. Broad St. · lake cabins rented across the Claiborne shore · (423) 626-0317. ⓘ source
Woodlake Lodge, Golf & Country ClubOutside city limits — 330 Woodlake Blvd., on Norris Lake · (423) 626-6000. ⓘ source

Inns and B&Bs in Cumberland Gap, plus campgrounds and marinas on Norris Lake: Claiborne County lodging ↗.

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 Tazewell

Thu Oct 29 — Last day of early voting · Claiborne County turns 225Vote 9 AM–5 PM ET at the Election Commission, 1802 Main St., or at Harrogate City Hall or the South Claiborne fire hall. The county was formed on Oct. 29, 1801. ⓘ source
Tue Nov 3 — Election Day · Tazewell aldermenPolls are open 8 AM–8 PM ET at your assigned polling place. Tazewell voters elect aldermen for Wards 1, 2 and 3, plus the rest of an unexpired Ward 2 term. The countywide ballot adds a special election for county mayor and the state and federal races. ⓘ source
Tue Nov 10 — Board of Mayor & AldermenRegular meeting on the second Tuesday, 6:30 PM ET at Town Hall. Source conflict: MTAS lists the meeting at 6:30 PM ET, but the county’s online calendar lists 7:30 PM ET. Call Town Hall to confirm. ⓘ source
Sat Nov 14 — A Claiborne County Christmas & Lighted Tractor Parade1–6 PM ET on Main Street: kids’ games, craft and food vendors, local music, pictures with Santa and letters to Santa. The Lighted Tractor Parade rolls down Main Street at dusk (6 PM ET last year), led by the county’s oldest active farmers. The best spot is in front of the courthouse. Hosted by the Claiborne Economic Partnership · (423) 626-4149. ⓘ source
Mon Nov 16 — Claiborne County Commission6:30 PM ET in the large courtroom of the courthouse, 1740 Main St. ⓘ source
Sat Nov 21 — New Tazewell Merchants’ Christmas ParadeNot in Tazewell — the 52nd parade starts at 1 PM ET from the Walmart/Ingles lot in New Tazewell. The rain date is Sat Dec 5. The organizer’s listing gives the theme as “A Biblical Theme,” but its entry-ticket line says “A Patriotic Christmas.” ⓘ source
Tue Dec 8 — Board of Mayor & AldermenSecond-Tuesday meeting, 6:30 PM ET at Town Hall (the county calendar says 7:30 PM ET). ⓘ source

Elsewhere in the county (Not in Tazewell): every Claiborne town holds its own Christmas parade, including Harrogate and Cumberland Gap. More: Claiborne County annual events ↗.

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · times Eastern (ET) · dates from MTAS, Claiborne County, the Claiborne County Election Commission, the Claiborne Economic Partnership and the Claiborne Progress. More Claiborne County events are on the county guide.

Area news

Headlines · Tazewell & Claiborne County

Claiborne Progress · Oct 21, 2026
Early voting runs through Oct. 29 at the Election Commission in Tazewell, Harrogate City Hall and the South Claiborne fire hall. On Election Day, Nov. 3, precincts are open 8 AM–8 PM ET.
Read at Claiborne Progress →
Claiborne Progress · Oct 20, 2026
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park marked 30 years of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. Its 1996 opening let the park tear out the old U.S. 25E over the mountain, known as “Massacre Mountain,” and restore the gap’s historic landscape.
Read at Claiborne Progress →
Claiborne Progress · Oct 14, 2026
DB & Co. Antique Emporium opened in Tazewell’s Old Town Square, in the old Sears store at 1444 N. Broad St.
Read at Claiborne Progress →
Claiborne Progress · Sep 23, 2026
Neighboring New Tazewell broke ground on a new City Hall and police department designed as a replica of the town’s old train depot. Construction is expected to take five to six months.
Read at Claiborne Progress →
Tennessee Historical Commission · Sep 2026
The Claiborne County Courthouse (1932) went before the State Review Board as a draft National Register nomination, for its government and social history and its Classical Revival architecture.
Read at Tennessee Historical Commission →

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

Claiborne County’s story starts with the Cumberland Gap, the “Warrior’s Path” used by Native Americans. Dr. Thomas Walker named the gap in 1750, and Daniel Boone led thirty men through it in 1775 to open a road west (Tennessee Encyclopedia). The state formed Claiborne County on Oct. 29, 1801, from parts of Grainger and Hawkins counties, and named it for William C. C. Claiborne. The first court met on Dec. 7, 1801, at a home in the Powell Valley, and later sessions moved to private homes in Tazewell, a more central spot (Tennessee Historical Commission). Source conflict: the Tennessee Encyclopedia says Tazewell was laid out as the county seat in 1801, while the 2007 National Register nomination for the jail says it was chosen in 1804. MTAS lists the town’s incorporation as Feb. 1, 1801 (Private Acts 1801, ch. 46), which is earlier than the county’s formation date.

Tazewell got a post office in 1804, and the same year a small frame courthouse and a jail went up on land belonging to John Hunt Sr., probably the area’s first settler and the county’s first sheriff. William Graham, an Irish-born merchant, finished his stone house around 1800. The stone-and-brick jail replaced the first one in 1819. The town had a boys’ academy by 1835 and a female academy by 1854, and Tazewell Academy was raised to the rank of a college in 1856 (Tennessee Encyclopedia).

The Civil War armies fought over the Cumberland Gap, which changed hands four times. On Nov. 11, 1862, as Confederate troops were leaving, a fire destroyed about twenty buildings, including the courthouse, a large hotel and several brick stores. The courts met in the Masonic hall until a brick courthouse was built in 1867. That courthouse burned in October 1931, and the present one opened in 1932. Lincoln Memorial University was chartered at nearby Harrogate on Feb. 12, 1897 (Tennessee Encyclopedia; Tennessee Historical Commission).

When the railroad came, its depot was built about two miles west of Tazewell, and New Tazewell grew up around it (Claiborne Progress). Source conflict: MTAS lists New Tazewell’s incorporation as Feb. 1, 1887 (Public Acts 1887, ch. 87). Its mayor said in September 2026 that the town first incorporated in the 1920s, gave up its charter about 15 years later and re-incorporated in 1954. Around 1971 a new four-lane State Route 33 was built one street over from Main Street, and new car-oriented businesses grew up along North Broad (Tennessee Historical Commission). Tazewell counted 2,348 people in the 2020 Census; the state certifies a 2026 estimate of 2,363 (MTAS).

Claiborne County’s history → · How Tennessee came from North Carolina → · East Tennessee history hub →

Town hall & local resources

Emergency (police · fire · EMS)911Call 911 for any emergency.
Tazewell Town Hall(423) 626-51041754 N. Broad St. · Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–4:30 PM ET · town court, police (non-emergency) and the Rose Gulf Station all use this number. Source conflict: MTAS, the town’s payment page and the town website’s footer give 1754 N. Broad St.; the website’s Departments page gives a City Hall address of 1830 Main St. Both addresses are inside the town limits; call first. ⓘ source
Tazewell–New Tazewell Fire Department423-626-9433Shared by the two towns · non-emergency line. ⓘ source
Claiborne County 911 non-emergency(423) 626-1911County-wide dispatch. ⓘ source
Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office423-626-3385415 Straight Creek Rd., New Tazewell mailing address. ⓘ source
Claiborne County Election Commission(423) 626-51281802 Main St. · office Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM ET · Election Day Tue Nov 3, polls 8 AM–8 PM ET. ⓘ source
Claiborne County Mayor’s Office(423) 626-5236Courthouse, 1740 Main St. ⓘ source
Claiborne Economic Partnership (chamber & tourism)(423) 626-41491732 Main St., Suite 1 · Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–5 PM ET. ⓘ source
Claiborne County Public Library423-626-54141304 Old Knoxville Rd. ⓘ source
Covenant Health Claiborne Medical Center(423) 626-42111850 Old Knoxville Rd. · emergency room. ⓘ source
Claiborne County EMS (office)423-526-22231809 Old Knoxville Rd. · for emergencies call 911. ⓘ source
Claiborne County Health Department(423) 626-4291620 Davis Dr., New Tazewell. ⓘ source
Claiborne County Schools423-626-35431403 Tazewell Rd. · calendars and closings. ⓘ source
New Tazewell Town Hall (the neighboring town)(423) 626-5242413 1st Ave., New Tazewell · a separate town government. ⓘ source

Town of Tazewell (MTAS directory) ↗ — charter, code, meeting schedule and contacts. The town’s own site (tazewelltn.net ↗) had an expired security certificate on Oct. 29, 2026, so your browser may warn you. Tazewell is a general-law mayor-aldermanic town: a mayor and a board of aldermen elected by ward. The board holds its regular meeting on the second Tuesday of each month at Town Hall, at 6:30 PM ET per MTAS. The town provides police and garbage pickup and shares a fire department with New Tazewell. Claiborne County government is based at the courthouse, 1740 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 Claiborne County

← Claiborne County guide — the Cumberland Gap, Lincoln Memorial University, the Powell River, Norris Lake and county resources.

Other Claiborne County towns: New Tazewell · Harrogate · Cumberland Gap. Communities: Arthur · Clairfield · Eagan · Speedwell · Lone Mountain · Springdale · Forge Ridge · Pruden · Sandlick. Census places: Tazewell town · New Tazewell town · Harrogate city · Cumberland Gap town. Next door: Union · Grainger · Hancock · Campbell county guides, plus Kentucky and Virginia across the state lines to the north.

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).

Sources

Checked Oct 29, 2026