Historic Nicholas Gibbs Home Has Some Work Done
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
If you have traveled Emory Road in North Knox County you may have noticed an old cabin with a historic marker in front. That old log structure predates the state and was the home of one of Knox County’s most noted families. If you are a native of the county you may know the community there as Gibbs or Harbison Crossroads.
Nicholas Gibbs obtained a 450-acre homestead in 1792 and built the cabin about a year later. The home stayed in family hands until 1971 and in 1986 it was bought by the Nicholas Gibbs Historical Society.
Any structure that old requires constant upkeep and care and the historic home recently saw some maintenance.
“The west end of the cabin receives the most weather and we temporarily covered it with poplar siding a few years ago until we could afford to have it refurbished,” Joe Longmire, president of the historic group, told The Focus.
“The chinking was missing in places and four logs had significant damage from weather and squirrels,” he said, adding, “The Canjoeco Restorations team of Blountville, Tennessee, spent weeks expertly bringing the west wall back to its original condition.”
Canjoeco Restorations specializes in the authentic restoration of historic structures.
Longmire said the project was funded by a 50-50 grant from the Emory Road chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
“It was a $16,800 effort which the Nicholas Gibbs Historical Society could not have undertaken without their help,” he said, adding, “This is not the first time the chapter has assisted us and we are very appreciative.”
The home is one of the oldest historic homes in the state still standing on the original site.
Gibbs was born in Germany and served in the French and Indian War. Nicholas Gibbs was a volunteer in the Battle of King’s Mountain and served as a justice of the peace. He had seven daughters and six sons and several sons served in the War of 1812. He was a member of the first Knox County Court and died in 1817. Gibbs was killed in the battle in Alabama and a relative found his shot bag which contained coffee tree seeds which were planted at the Gibbs home.
He is buried at the Gibbs cemetery just west of the historic house at 7633 East Emory Road and descendants of the Gibbs family are found in Tennessee, Washington, California, Oregon, Kentucky, Illinois and across the nation.
