By Kristi Vining, Farragut Museum Historic Resources Coordinator
The historic Campbell Station Inn is one of Farragut’s most significant landmarks, representing more than two centuries of local history. Once a stagecoach station, hospital, and private residence, the Inn has been carefully restored by the Town of Farragut and will now serve as headquarters for the Visit Farragut staff with a history room, gift shop, and community event space.
History tells us that as early as 1785, the State of Franklin (today Tennessee) entered into an agreement, known as the Dumplin Creek Treaty, with the Cherokee Indians. This treaty opened the land along the French Broad and Holston rivers to a rush of settlers.
The current Campbell Station-Farragut community, on the western edge of Knox County, had its beginnings in the late 1700s. Arriving on March 7, 1787, the Campbell clan, along with others, became the first permanent settlers of European descent to call this area home. These early settlers struggled against a hostile environment to carve a settlement out of primeval wilderness that would ultimately be called the Town of Farragut.
Upon arriving, Col. David Campbell built a cabin and later a stockade fort to protect against attack by the native peoples who resented the presence of their new neighbors. Although the fort was never actually attacked by American Indians, it had some close calls.
Shortly after settling the area, Campbell built a stagecoach station known as Campbell’s Station. The original “Block House,” as it was called, was built on the northwest corner of present-day Kingston Pike and Campbell Station Road. As the area grew with expansion and migration to the western frontier, Campbell built another structure on the site in 1810.
Known today as the Campbell Station Inn, the home served as David Campbell’s residence until 1824 when the property was purchased by Samuel Martin. The property was later purchased by Matthew Russell and remained in the Russell family for six generations. The property is sometimes referred to as the Avery-Russell house.
The Inn served as a favorite stopping place for families, hunters, and stock drivers passing through Knoxville. Recognized as one of the earliest inns in Tennessee, it was host to such notables as President Andrew Jackson, Louis Phillippe (who later became King of France), famed British geologist G. W. Featherstone, and the French botanist Andre Michaux.
The house also played an important role in the Civil War battle known as the Battle of Campbell Station, which was fought in the area on November 16, 1863. During the battle, the house sheltered both Union and Confederate wounded. Faint blood stains remain on the old pine floors.
Learn more about the history of the area by visiting the Farragut Museum, located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive in the Farragut Town Hall building. The museum is open 11 am to 2 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and admission is free. Volunteers serve as docents and give tours of the museum and answer questions. Special events at the Farragut Museum are posted to @Farragut Museum on Instagram and Facebook.