In Maryville, a historic schoolhouse, arts and culture in Blount County, and trails through the woods and Greenbelt offer a range of discoveries. When planning your stay, you can choose from specific themes: early school history, regional culture, and outdoor activities. These differences can help you set a personal focus for your trip.
History at Specific Sites
The Sam Houston Schoolhouse State Historic Site is a one-room log schoolhouse in Maryville, Tennessee. It was built in 1794. Sam Houston taught there as a young man, before the War of 1812. Its construction, year of construction, and teaching history give the site a clearly defined historical connection. Those interested in early school history will find a specific building here whose use is associated with a particular period in Sam Houston’s life.
The Blount County Historical Museum offers a broader regional perspective, with exhibits on the history and cultural heritage of Blount County. The focus differs: the schoolhouse represents a single building and Houston’s teaching career, while the museum looks at the history and heritage of the entire county. Another historical point of interest, more specifically connected to Maryville, can be found along the Greenway in Bicentennial Greenbelt Park: there is a commemorative marker erected by Civil War Trails about Maryville during the Civil War.
Arts and Culture at the Clayton Center
The Clayton Center for the Arts is a hub for arts and culture in Blount County and is also home to Maryville College’s Division of Fine Arts. It also serves as a professional stage for performing arts programs at local schools and for youth arts groups. In this way, one venue brings together an institutional role in arts and culture and a specific stage function for school and youth programs.
The DENSO Gallery, one of the center’s three art galleries, is located in the Clayton Center’s main building. Several aspects are worth distinguishing when exploring the cultural offerings: the center as a hub, its role as a performance venue, and the galleries within the building. The DENSO Gallery is part of the Clayton Center’s gallery structure; it is one of three galleries and should not be confused with the center’s overall offerings.
Woods, Trails, and Greenbelt
The Maryville College Woods is a protected and managed 140-acre forest with a variety of uses. Its trails offer opportunities for running, walking, and cycling, as well as recreation and exercise. Nature watching is also part of the area’s appeal: more than 75 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals can be regularly observed. The forest, different forms of exercise, and wildlife are all central here.
The Greenways offer a different way to explore the area. They begin at Greenbelt Park in downtown Maryville, extend for nine miles, and are paved. You can explore the Greenbelt on foot or by bike. Compared with the Maryville College Woods, the Greenways are defined by their length, surface, and starting point; the Woods, by contrast, stand out for their protected forest, varied uses, and regularly observed wildlife. These differences can help you prioritize themes for your stay according to your interests.
Discover more destinations: Alcoa, Friendsville, Townsend.
For the broader travel overview: Blount County.
