Friendsville, Tennessee

Friendsville
City
Friendsville
Seal
Location of Friendsville in Blount County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 35°45′23″N84°07′55″W / 35.75639°N 84.13194°W / 35.75639; -84.13194
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Blount
Settled	1790s
Incorporated	1953 [1]
Named for	Friends Church (Quakers)
Government
Area [2]
• Total	2.84 sq mi (7.35 km2)
• Land	2.84 sq mi (7.35 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [3]	840 ft (260 m)
Population  (2020) [4]
• Total	896
• Density	315.72/sq mi (121.89/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	37737
Area code	865
FIPS code	47-28060 [5]
GNIS feature ID	2403666 [3]

Friendsville is a city in Blount County, Tennessee. Its population was 896 at the 2020 census. ^[6] It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Friendsville in 1942

Friendsville was founded by Quakers from New Garden, North Carolina, who settled in the area in the 1790s. The town is still home to a Friends Meetinghouse. ^[7] In 1854, a group of British Quaker elders stayed here whilst promoting the abolitionist cause with American leaders. During this visit, abolitionist leader William Forster died and was buried here. ^[8]

In the 19th century, the Quakers wielded considerable influence in Blount County, and were partially responsible for the abolitionist movements arising in the county in the years leading up to the Civil War. Along with nearby Greenback and possibly Cades Cove, Friendsville provided a stop on the Underground Railroad. ^[9] A cave (since filled in) near the Friends Meetinghouse was stocked with provisions by Quakers such as William J. Hackney to provide a stopover for fugitive slaves and later soldiers en route to join the Union army. ^[10]

Friendsville today

K-5 education in Friendsville is provided by Friendsville Elementary School (part of Blount County Schools), which was once Friendsville High School. Boat launch facilities along Fort Loudoun Lake can be found at Gallahar Creek and Whispering Cove.

Friendsville is home to the Pellissippi State Community College, Blount County Campus.

Geography

Friendsville is located in western Blount County. The town is situated along State Route 333 (Miser Station Road) and stretches from Fort Loudoun Lake in the north to U.S. Route 321 (Lamar Alexander Parkway). It lies at an elevation of 879 feet (268 m).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²), all land. ^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	134		—
1960	606		—
1970	575		−5.1%
1980	694		20.7%
1990	792		14.1%
2000	890		12.4%
2010	913		2.6%
2020	896		−1.9%
Sources: [11] [12] [4]

As of the census ^[5] of 2000, there were 890 people, 362 households, and 271 families residing in the city. The population density was 281.3 inhabitants per square mile (108.6/km²). There were 395 housing units at an average density of 124.8 per square mile (48.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.42% White, 0.22% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.90% Asian, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 362 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,833, and the median income for a family was $48,000. Males had a median income of $32,232 versus $26,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,871. About 5.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. Tennessee Blue Book , 2005-2006, pp. 618-625.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Friendsville, Tennessee
4. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Friendsville city, Tennessee". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
7. Information obtained from Tennessee Historical Commission marker IE 57 in Friendsville, Tennessee. Last accessed: December 25, 2007.
8. William Tallack, Friendly sketches in America (London: A.W. Bennett, 1861), 80. Retrieved: July 17, 2008.
9. Durwood Dunn, Cades Cove: The Life and Death of an Appalachian Community (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), 125.
10. "Underground Railroad - Tennessee Stations Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine ." The Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University (2005). Retrieved: December 29, 2007.
11. "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved March 4, 2012.
12. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.

External links

• City charter Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
• Underground Railroad in Tennessee ^{[ permanent dead link ]}