Saturday, April 6, 10:00 – 4:00
Tours of the home Saturday at 11 am, Noon, 2 pm, and 3 pm
Sunday, April 7, 10:00 – 3:00
Tours of the home Sunday at Noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel back in time? You can do just that
during the Carter Mansion Celebration. Step back to the 1780s, when the Revolutionary War was raging in the colonies and hardy frontiersmen had crossed the mountains in defiance of British law to carve out homes in the wilderness. One such man was John Carter, a wealthy trader who built his beautiful house along the banks of the Watauga River. Known as Carter’s Mansion, the elegant frame house stood in stark contrast to the log homes used by the settlers of the region. This event will celebrate that historic home and the early settlers that gave us our rich heritage and history.
Visitors will have opportunities to take a free guided tour of the mansion built ca. 1775-1780. Known as the oldest frame house in Tennessee, the Historic John and Landon Carter Mansion boasts beautiful over mantle murals, hand carved moldings and raised panels making it one of the most treasured sites in Tennessee history. The house is the only surviving link to the famed Watauga Association, the democratic government set up by the early settlers in the Watauga Valley. The home’s builder, John Carter, served as a chairman of the Association.
Guests can also enjoy visiting with 18th century living history interpreters who will be presenting demonstrations of the daily lives of 18th century backwoods settlers. These skills and trades will include wool processing, sewing, natural dyeing, flint knapping and much more. Also enjoy colonial militia drill and training, musket and rifle demonstrations, and 18th century military music by the Watauga Valley Fifes & Drums.
Experience the life of early settlers, smell the campfire smoke, hear the rattle of muskets, and see the 18th century come to life at the Carter Mansion Celebration. This event is free of charge so bring the entire family and enjoy a weekend of Living History, Education, and Family Fun!
The Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad Street in Elizabethton, TN.
For further information contact Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park at (423) 543-5808 or visit these websites:
http://www.sycamoreshoalstn.org
http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/sycamore-shoals
Set aside the hustle and bustle that always accompanies this time of year, and step back in time to the 18th century and enjoy a colonial Christmas at the beautiful Carter Mansion. Join Colonel John Carter, the Carter family, and all their friends for a glimpse into simpler time, when Christmas was the grandest celebration of the entire year. In colonial America the Christmas season was celebrated as a month long array of merriment and festivities signaled by caroling, feasting, dances, foxhunts, and the firing of Christmas guns. Christmas on the colonial frontier would have been much different though, with only the simplest of pleasures being offered by the humble backwoods settlers. However, in contrast, the Carters would have displayed an opulence only seen in the finest homes of Williamsburg or Philadelphia.
outdoor drama, recreating the events of the early pioneers who settled in this region. Here, near Elizabethton, TN, the “first free and independent government was organized on this continent”, leading to the Transylvania Purchase (the largest private real estate transaction in the history of the United States), the Cherokee siege of Fort Watauga, and culminates in the Battle of Kings Mountain, long recognized as the decisive turning point in winning the Revolutionary War.
important days of American history as well as demonstrating the lives of pioneers in a frontier settlement. Moreover, it gives faces to the names we see on many of our street signs and other local area designations. For example, we meet John Sevier, who went on to become the first Governor of Tennessee. We are also introduced to John Carter, and his son Landon, both of whom are reflected in the full name of the Carter Mansion, the oldest frame house in Tennessee. It is preserved by the Park and the associated Friends of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.
Enhanced sound and stage effects during Liberty! is accomplished through the use of professional lighting and sound, a well-maintained amphitheater, as well as an all-volunteer cast of nearly 100 local actors in speaking and non-speaking roles. The cast of Liberty! invites you to join us to relive the historic events, challenges, joys and heartaches of those who first made the Watauga settlement their home.
SYCAMORE SHOALS STATE HISTORIC PARK 