Carter County
East Tennessee | County Seat: Elizabethton | Founded 1796
Northeast Tennessee's mountain heritage, anchored by Elizabethton and the Watauga River.
Carter County features the Watauga River valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Elizabethton, the county seat, was a center of the 1760s Watauga settlement. The county is known for the Watauga River, Roan Mountain's rhododendron gardens, and the Appalachian Trail, which crosses its highlands.
Read more about Carter County
Carter County occupies the mountainous northeast corner of Tennessee, bordered by North Carolina. Elizabethton, the county seat, grew from the Watauga settlement of the 1760s. The Watauga Dam and reservoir, built by TVA in the 1940s, anchor the county's recreation economy. Roan Mountain State Park preserves the world's largest natural rhododendron garden. The Appalachian Trail crosses the county along the Unaka Range. The county's textile and manufacturing history shaped 20th-century growth.
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Historic Sites
Markers
Cemeteries
NR Entries
Partners
Story Themes
On the map
National Register places, state historic sites, markers, and cemeteries in Carter County. Cemetery locations shown at county center are approximate; exact locations are withheld for preservation. Browse the full survey →
Historical MarkersSample data for demonstration
Roan Mountain
Roan Mountain preserves the world's largest natural rhododendron gardens along the Appalachian highlands.
Sycamore Shoals
Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River was the mustering ground of the Overmountain Men before the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.
Watauga Association
The Watauga Association (1772), one of the earliest self-governing bodies west of the Appalachians, organized in this area.
CemeteriesSample data for demonstration
Green Hill Cemetery
Earliest known burial: 1860s
Elizabethton cemetery with Watauga-settlement family burials.
Hampton Cemetery
Earliest known burial: 1880s
Rural Carter County burial ground along the Watauga River valley.
Contribute to Carter County's Story
Spotted a damaged marker? Know of a cemetery that needs documenting? Have a historic place to share? Your submission enters the Heritage OS review queue.
Report a Marker Issue
Spotted a damaged, missing, or incorrectly placed historical marker? Let THC know. Your report enters the review queue.
Submit a Cemetery
Know of a cemetery that should be documented? Submit it for the county record. Your submission enters the review queue.
Submit a Historic Place
Know of a historic building, site, or structure worth documenting? Submit it for the county record. Your submission enters the review queue.
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