Harriman evolves past its identity as ‘the town that temperance built’
Ministers and prohibitionists who wanted an alcohol-free utopia created Harriman in the late 1800s, laying out a city along the Emory River where the making and selling of booze was banned. Temperance didn’t last, and breweries around town pour beers today. However, other elements of Harriman’s Gilded Age roots remain intact. Victorian and Queen Anne homes still sit on hilltops, and the Harriman Public Library, funded by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, remains a hub for events and education. The city has expanded since its founding, growing beyond a compact planned community to encompass rural mountainsides and wooded riverfront. The construction of Interstate 40 more than 50 years ago linked the small community to Knoxville; the direct route to East Tennessee’s largest city is one of Harriman’s biggest advantages, says City Manager Scott Mason.
Victorian homes and riverfront properties
The first neighborhood was Cornstalk Heights. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the neighborhood has many Victorian homes, where residents can view gardens and tree-lined streets from bay windows and wraparound porches. To the east and west, minimal traditional houses and ranch-style homes are more common. Some houses come with docks that extend over the Emory and Clinch rivers. Prices for most small turnkey homes vary from $130,000 to $420,000. Large riverfront houses typically cost between $625,000 and $980,000.
Attending the Roane County School District
Children can start at Bowers Elementary, which gets a B-minus from Niche. Older students may attend B-rated Harriman Middle and Harriman High, which receives a C-plus. Harriman High’s Career & Technical Education program teaches engineering, health science, HVAC and more.
Multiple ways to enjoy the Emory River
At David Webb Riverfront Park, a playground and disc golf course are just steps from the riverbank. Parkgoers can climb onto the fishing dock to cast a line or launch a kayak. The Harriman Farmer’s Market sets up in the park on the weekends from June to September. Boaters can access the Emory River using the boat ramp on Margrave Drive. Boaters, paddlers and campers make frequent use of the Emory River and Watts Bar Reservoir downriver, Mason says. “The tie-in to the lake makes it even more of a treasure for us.” The Harriman Recreation Department’s baseball and softball teams play at Flour Mill Flats Ballpark, located next to a set of pickleball courts. Emory Golf Course’s nine holes are open to the public.
Halloween and Christmas-themed tours through Cornstalk Heights
The stately Cornstalk Heights neighborhood serves as the backdrop for two of the community’s annual events. In October, Haunting of Harriman takes people on a tour of the historic streets, as guides tell stories of ghosts and voodoo. In December, Cornstalk Heights homeowners invite locals and visitors into their decorated Victorians during the Christmas Home Tour.
Small businesses downtown and big-box stores in Midtown
Downtown centers around U.S. Route 27, lined by mural-splashed brick buildings that house Superlative Vintage & Antique Mall and Downtown Pizza & Taproom. At night, the Princess Theatre’s marquee sign glows as it did nearly 100 years ago. The renovated cinema today screens movies and hosts concerts. The area of Harriman around Interstate 40 is called Midtown, where Mason says there’s a large selection of restaurants and stores. They include Kroger, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Burger Station 120. It’s also home to Roane Medical Center, a hospital with an emergency room.
I-40 routes to Knoxville, Nashville
Interstate 40 cuts through Harriman’s west side, and it leads 40 miles to Knoxville. The interstate also extends westward across the state toward Nashville. Harriman is about 40 miles from McGhee Tyson Airport, where airlines fly directly to about 30 U.S. destinations. Freight trains pass through Harriman, and the noise is typically loudest along the tracks west of the river.
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Written By
Alex Soderstrom
