Circa 1787- Alexander McMillan House

The Alexander McMillan House was built around 1787.

Location: 7703 Strawberry Plains Pike, Knoxville

The Alexander McMillan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Tennessee. It's number 65 on the list, and its entry reads "Constructed c. 1785 by early Knox County pioneer Alexander McMillan (1749-1837)."

A publication called the “East County Sector Plan- February2010” was put out by the Knoxville – Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission. This is what it says about the Alexander McMillan House:

Alexander McMillan House:

Arriving to Knox County in 1783 with Robert Love, James White and Francis Ramsey, Alexander McMillian bought one of the original land grants from the state of North Carolina. On the land he built this house in 1785 in what was then known as New Market Rd, now present day 7703 Strawberry Plains Pike. Around 1810 a front addition was added to the home and a third room in 1860. This house stayed within the McMillian family until the mid-20th century (p. 24-25).

Even though both of these sources say that the house was built around 1785, the National Register of Historic Places registration form says that the house was built in 1787. See more from the registration form below the pictures.

Because it is set back off the road and surrounded by trees and other houses, this house was difficult to photograph. However, there are several good pictures of both the interior and exterior of the house on the website for the National Register of Historic Places. Click here to see those pictures.

More information about the Alexander McMillan House, as well as information about Alexander McMillan and his family, from the National Register of Historic Places registration form (located here):

Alexander McMillan House

“DESCRIPTION

Located on 7703 Strawberry Plains Pike, Knoxville, Knox County, and resting on a 2 1/2 acre lot, the Alexander McMillan House consists of a farmhouse and three contributing outbuildings. The house sits approximately 200 feet northwest of Strawberry Plains Pike, formerly known as the old New Market Road, and faces southwest along a private drive. The residence was initially a rectangular, side gabled house that was sheathed in clapboard siding, and flanked by two exterior end chimneys. Originally designed in the hall and parlor plan c. 1787 by Alexander McMillan, the house evolved as it underwent several historic and non-historic changes during the course of its 214-year history. Today, the McMillan House represents an early 20th century family residence. The evolution of the house began with Alexander McMillan in the 1780s and continued up to the mid-20th century as succeeding generations of the McMillan family customized the house to suit their needs. Despite the changes, the McMillan House retains a high degree of historical integrity and remains as a great example of an evolved house reflecting settlement patterns in Knox County.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The Alexander McMillan House is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C. Under Criterion A, the house is a representation of settlement patterns in Knox County. The structure was built by Alexander McMillan who explored the Knox County area, along with a contingent that included Knoxville founder James White, as part of the North Carolina Land Grab Act of 1783. Families of early settlers in the county continued to live in their original dwellings and made changes to their properties as they prospered and grew. These changes often reflect the economic and social status of the family over many generations. Architecturally, the McMillan House qualifies under Criterion C as one of the few surviving examples of an evolved house in Knox County. With its post and beam construction, early detailing, and additions, the McMillan House reflects the architectural evolution of an early house from the period between the 1780s to the 1920s. The property meets the registration requirements of the multiple property documentation form, The Historic and Architectural Resources of Knoxville and Knox County, Tennessee.

The evolution of the McMillan House is illustrative of the ways in which frontier families adapted to the increasing demand to provide housing for their growing families. Additionally, changes to the house also reflect McMillan's social status as a wealthy farmer. Alexander McMillan and his descendants continued to live in the house until the mid-twentieth century. As the family grew and prospered, the house changed to reflect their status. Alexander and Margaret McMillan had five children when they came to Knox County. As he and his wife continued to have children (nine in all), and as their wealth increased through their farm, they made additions to the original house.

In 1791, four years after the completion of the house, McMillan constructed a two-story rear ell section. Further alterations included the expansion of the 1787 portion of the house in 1820, to increase its size from two rooms to three. This change occurred when his son William McMillan, whose wife had died leaving him with seven children to raise, moved to his father's house. The extension of the main block provided necessary space for the suddenly expanded family group. By the 1880s and again c.1920, although the size of the household had shrunk considerably, changing technology made improvements necessary for comfort. These included the construction of the springhouse, interior and exterior alterations, and the inclusion an electric pump. Changes in those years have contributed to the architectural history and significance of the Alexander McMillan House, acquiring their own significance both for the statements they make about building technology and for the picture they paint of life in rural Knox County over time.

As his children reached adulthood, much of the land was deeded to them. At the time of his death, when he was 88, three of McMillan's grandchildren had survived their parents and were raised by Alexander McMillan. It was to these three grandchildren, Andrew Thompson (son of Sally McMillan Thompson), A. A. McMillan (son of William McMillan) and Alexander McMillan (son of Andrew McMillan), that the portions of the McMillan holdings containing the Alexander McMillan House were distributed. McMillan and his wife are buried on property that once was part of his land near Calidonia [sic] church on the Sherrod Farm. 1 Unfortunately, the grave markers are missing and the exact location of the graves is unknown.

The McMillan farm was deeded to Martha McMillan Cobb and her husband Samuel Cobb in 1846. Martha McMillan Cobb was the granddaughter of Alexander McMillan, but it is unknown who her parents were or how she managed to obtain the property. Cobb probably built the granary now adjacent to the house. It remained in the Cobb's hands until 1865, when it was deeded to John T. Blake, whose wife was a great-granddaughter of Alexander McMillan. It remained with the Blake family and their descendants until the 1970s. Blake had a number of business interests, including a mill that operated on the property.

Although the last name of the owners of the Alexander McMillan House changed over the first 180 years of its history, from McMillan, to Cobb, to Blake, the McMillan House remained in family hands until it was sold in the 1970s. Other descendants of Alexander McMillan moved from east Knox County shortly after the Civil War. Some of the family members moved to Fountain City, also in Knox County and now a section of north Knoxville, where they were prominent in that community. Several others moved to Texas after the conclusion of the Civil War, as part of the tide of emigrants from Tennessee who settled that western state.

Alexander McMillan was one of the first settlers in Knox County. Under the North Carolina Land Grab Act, McMillan was entitled to a grant of land for his military services in the American Revolution. He traveled to Knox County in 1783 with Robert Love, Francis Ramsey and James White, who were making an exploratory tour to select the location of land grants. Each of the men settled in the area between the French Broad and Holston Rivers, known historically as the "forks of the river," probably because no American Indian tribes claimed these lands, which were used primarily as hunting grounds. Therefore, settlers in this area experienced fewer altercations with American Indian tribes than in other parts of Knox County. Dr. J. G. M. Ramsey in his Annals of Tennessee reported that in 1787 "McMillan moved to the house he had built while living in Strawberry Plains; the house was four miles from the Armstrong Ferry on the New Market Road" (now called Strawberry Plains Pike). 2 This ferry service was operated by Moses Armstrong and is located roughly three and half miles west of the McMillan residence. 3 Ramsey goes on to note that McMillan lived there until his death in 1837. The location described in this passage by Ramsey coincides with the property known as the Alexander McMillan House.

Alexander McMillan was born in County Deery, Ireland in 1749 and immigrated to America in 1775 with the intent of joining his uncle and other family members in Virginia.4 Instead, shortly after landing in Boston, he joined the Continental Army and fought in Quebec, probably with Benedict Arnold's troops. He reportedly lost a finger due to frostbite while on picket duty during the American attempt to take Canada. 5 After the conclusion of that campaign, McMillan traveled to Virginia to join his family members. In 1778, McMillan married his first cousin, Margaret Martha McMillan, and two years later, participated in the Battle of King's Mountain. 6 Shortly after the battle, he and his wife moved to Knox County after a brief stay in Washington County. During the war of 1812, at the age of 66, Alexander McMillan participated in the Battle of New Orleans as a sergeant under Colonel Edwin Booth of the East Tennessee Militia. 7

Alexander McMillan settled in the area that became Strawberry Plains around 1778, shortly after he married. McMillan was one of the largest landholders in Knox County. Initially, he received several property grants in east Knox County between 1785 and 1791; they totaled over 900 aces. In addition, there is a deed reference to a purchase of over 20,000 aces between the French Broad and Holston Rivers. Because of his large landholdings, McMillan's house was not located near other pioneer dwellings, which were often located near forts and "stations." According to his will, McMillan was a wealthy farmer who had extensive livestock holdings that included horses, cattle, hogs and sheep. What is particularly interesting about McMillan's property is that he had over 14 slaves by the time of his death in 1837. 8 Although slave ownership in East Tennessee existed, it was relatively low compared to Middle Tennessee during this period. In addition, antislavery sentiment in the area was strong, with over 25 abolitionist organizations in East Tennessee by 1830. 9 Consequently, McMillan's slave holdings, coupled with his landholdings placed him in an unusual position among early Knox County settlers.

Early settlers to East Tennessee and Knox County arrived mainly from Virginia and North Carolina around 1740. These early settlers are commonly referred to as "longhunters," traders, adventurers and explorers who built temporary shelters in the wilderness or settled in Indian villages. 10 As a result of Cherokee land claims in East Tennessee, and the King of England's (King George II) prohibition of his subjects settling on lands west of the Appalachians, the early days of the settlement period witnessed a relatively small portion of pioneers into the region. However this condition quickly changed in response to two major treaty signings that spurred settlement into East Tennessee and subsequently Knox County.

The signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763), with England prevailing over France for control of the eastern portion of the Mississippi Valley, which included East Tennessee. 11 Additionally, the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, signed in New York on November 5, 1768, provided for the cession of Indian lands north and east of the Tennessee River to the King of England by the Confederacy of the Six Nations. This had the dual affect [sic] of reducing the Indian threat in East Tennessee and allowing English settlers to ignore the King's prohibition against the settlement of land west of the Appalachians. As a result of these treaties, settlers slowly began to occupy lands in East Tennessee, which became a territory of North Carolina in 1777. A catalyst for the rapid settlement of East Tennessee can be attributed to the passage of North Carolina's Land "Grab" Act of 1783. This act provided for the sale of the state's western lands to settlers at a cost often pounds per one hundred acres. 12 Accordingly, land claims were legitimized and recorded in official county deed records. All the land grants that were issued in Knox County during this period were registered in Greene County, North Carolina. 13

Some of the first areas in Knox County to be settled were along the northwest corner of the county along the river valleys and headwaters of Beaver and Bull Run creeks, and in the northeast along Flat Creek. 14 Settlement naturally concentrated around major waterways, such as the Holston, French Broad, and Tennessee rivers, which provided vital transportation routes to settlers migrating to the west and south. In addition, water routes provided a useful means to trade with the Cherokee Indians who were concentrated in the Little River Valley in present day Blount County.

In 1784, due to its inability to provide troops and money for the protection of settlers in East Tennessee, North Carolina ceded its western territories to the United States government. Consequently, settlers in the region, believing that only through self-sovereignty as a new state could they be assured of retaining their lands, formed the State of Franklin. Upon receiving news of the creation of the State of Franklin, North Carolina swiftly rescinded its cession of her western territories. Yet, sentiment for statehood was too strong among the western settlers who, led by John Sevier, supported their claims against the Indians and encouraged pioneers to buy land in the region now known as Knox County. By 1785, settlements emerged along the banks of the French Broad and Holston Rivers where present day Knoxville is located. 15 The United States government and the State of North Carolina, however, refused to recognize the new state and in 1789 the counties that made up the State of Franklin were restored to North Carolina.

The failure of the State of Franklin, coupled with the formation of the Territory South of the River Ohio (basically the State of Tennessee) prompted Sevier to negotiate the Treaty of Holston with the Cherokees in 1791, 16 The treaty called for the Cherokees to rescind their claims to land in the entire Knox County area. As a result, the region opened to rapid settlement and a boundary was established in an effort to separate settlers from the Cherokees. This boundary became the southern boundary of Knox County with settlers to the north and the Cherokees to the south. Unfortunately, due to the vague description of the boundary line, settlers continued to encroach on Indian lands, causing bitter resent among the Cherokees. 17 In 1792, a territorial ordinance established Knox County and in 1796, the counties that once comprised the former State of Franklin became part of the new state of Tennessee.

Enticed by the prospects of owning land, settlers began to pour into Knox County. Pioneers often settled close to each other and near a fort, "station" or ferry, which provided services, such as protection from Indians, gristmills, and river transport.

Additional information on the early settlement of Knox County can be obtained in the Multiple Property Submission, Historic and Architectural Resources in Knoxville and Knox County, Tennessee.

The Alexander McMillan House is significant architecturally as one of the few surviving examples of an evolved house in Knox County. Very few of the area's earliest buildings exist, and only two or three of those are frame, which leads to the possibility that this may be the earliest surviving frame house in Knox County. The house maintains the original block built by McMillan in 1787 and the subsequent additions built by him and his descendants up to the 1960s. In addition, the residence is also significant for its use of materials and design. Its construction, using post and beam framing with wide board beaded paneling, is highly unusual for buildings built in East Tennessee during the early settlement era.

The additions to the structure illustrate the architectural evolution of an early house, which employed post and beam framing and the use of wide board beaded paneling. These additions reveal McMillan's desire to maintain the architectural consistency of the original house. This is especially evident in the 1820 extended bay, which was inconspicuously added to the original structure. Although it appears that McMillan desired to maintain the original character of the house, he included a new interior element when the extended bay was constructed. This element consisted of a shouldered architrave door surround leading into the new room. McMillan's decision to introduce this style may reflect his architectural awareness of the growing use of classical detailing in the early part of the 19th century, which eventually culminated in the popular Greek Revival style.

The evolution of the property is evident not only in the changes to the house, but the construction of resources adjacent to the structure. The addition of the stone-lined cistern c. 1820, the granary c. 1850, and the springhouse c. 1880, illustrates the growth of the McMillan farm as each succeeding generation added necessary resources to maintain the farm.

The period between the 1920s and 1960s witnessed numerous changes to the house by McMillan descendents. Under the Blakes' ownership, the common wall in the main room was removed, while the window sash and clapboard siding on the house were replaced in the 1920s. Moreover, an electric pump was installed in the springhouse. By the 1960s, a 1-story bedroom addition and a two-car garage were added to the house. In the interior, the box stair was removed and replaced by an open string staircase. Lastly, pine floorboards were laid over the original floorboards in the main room, kitchen and dining rooms. The alterations to the house by McMillan descendents illustrate the desire of the family to modernize the house to meet the needs of new technology and conveniences of the 20th century.

The Alexander McMillan House, with its unadorned post and beam construction, is a prime example of an evolved house in Knox County. The history surrounding the house and its owner provide an invaluable insight into the settlement patterns of the county. The Alexander McMillan House is one of the few remaining residences from the earliest days of Knox County, and is one of the most intact. Its documentation and recognition of its importance via National Register listing would join early settlement houses such as the Ramsey House (NR 1969), Sevier House (Marble Springs NR 1971) and the Blount Mansion (NR 1966) in increasing the general understanding of the settlement history of Knox County.

1 White, The King's Mountain Men: The Story of the Battle, with Sketches of the American Soldiers Who Took Part, 205.

2 Ann K. Bennett, "Historic and Architectural Resources in Knoxville and Knox County",(Nashville, TN: Tennessee Historical

Commission, 1994, photocopied), Section E, 2.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid., Section E, 3.

5 Ibid.

6 Knoxville/Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission, The Future of Our Past: Historic Sites Survey and Cultural

Resources Plan for Knoxville and Knox County Tennessee (Knoxville: Metropolitan Planning Commission, 1988), 1-13.

7 Ibid., 1-3.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

10 J.G.M. Ramsey, Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee (Knoxville, The East Tennessee Historical Society, 1967), p. 372.

11 Bennett, "Historical and Architectural Resources in Knoxville and Knox County", Section E-10.

12 Mary Hardin McCown, Colonel David Henley Chapter, Inez E. Burns, Major James Houston Chapter, Soldiers of the War of

1812 Buried in Tennessee (Johnson City, Tennessee: The Tennessee Society USD of 1812, 1959), 82.

13 Katherine Keogh White, The King's Mountain Men: The Story of the Battle, with Sketches of the American Soldiers Who Took

Part (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1966), 205.

14 Ibid.

15 Byron and Samuel Sistler, Tennesseans in the War of 1812 (Nashville: Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1992), 82.

16 Knox County Will Book Vol. 6, p. 133.

17 Carroll Van West, ed., The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture (Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 1998) 853.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bennett, Ann K. Historic and Architectural Resources in Knoxville and Knox County, Tennessee.

(A National Register Multiple Property Listing). Knoxville: Metropolitan Planning

Commission, 1994.

Knox County Will Book, Vol. 6.

McCown, Mary Hardin, Colonel David Henley Chapter, Inez E. Burns, and Major James Houston

Chapter. Soldiers of the War of 1812 Buried in Tennessee. Johnson City, 1959.

Ramsey, J. G. M. Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee. Knoxville: The East Tennessee Historical

Society, 1967.

Sistler, Byron & Samuel. Tennesseans in the War of 1812. Nashville, Byron Sistler & Associates,

Inc., 1992.

Van West, Carroll, ed. The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture. Nashville: Rutledge Hill

Press, 1998.

White, Katherine Keogh. The King's Mountain Men: The story of the battle, with sketches of the

American soldiers who took part. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1966.”