Bulls Gap Historic District Explained

The Bulls Gap Historic District is located in the town of Bulls Gap in the southeastern corner of Hawkins County in EastTennessee. The town of Bulls Gap is located near a pass or "gap" in Bays Mountain.

Two major rail lines pass through the Town of Bulls Gap, one running in anortheast-southwest direction and the other in a northwest-southeastdirection. The two lines are connected by a number of spurlines that form a triangular area. The commercial section of old BullsGap is centered along this triangular area of tracks.

The majority of the buildings in the district are located along South MainStreet, a long winding road that runs primarily in a north-southdirection. The northernmost end of South Main Street begins at U.S. Route 11E and Tennessee State Route 66 and continues downhill. The northern end of South Main Streetis primarily residential and the residential section extends a short waybeyond the bridge until the second major turn in the road. At this pointthe commercial area begins with several store buildings centered aroundthe tracks and the site of the former train depot. After South Main Streetcrosses the tracks and Church Street, the district once again becomesresidential.

Forty-eight buildings and eight structures are considered as contributingresources to the Bulls Gap Historic District. Contributing buildingsinclude twenty-two residences, two churches, ten commercial buildings, andfourteen outbuildings. Contributing structures include three water towers, two bridges, and three outbuildings.

In 1792 John Bull, a gunsmith, received a North Carolina land grant forfifty-five acres of land on Bays Mountain near an important east-westpassageway over the mountain. Bull operated a stageline through thispassageway which became known as Bull's Gap. Little information is knownabout the early settlement of Bulls Gap.

Because of the important railroad line through themountains, Bulls Gap became a strategically important location for both sides of the Civil War. Bulls Gap became a fortified town and between 1863and 1865 many battles were fought to gain control of the town and itsrailroad. Throughout most of the war, the Union Army retained controlof Bulls Gap and the railroad.

List of historic structures

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Name	Header2="col" width="35"	Year Built	Header3="col" width="225"	Architectural Style	Header4="col" width="225"	Comments
Parley Quillen Residence	c. 1880	Vernacular architecture
Marshall Residence	c. 1895	Queen Anne
Methodist Church	1931	Vernacular architecture
Southern Railway Water Tower	c. 1910		Note large dentils circumscribed over door and near top
McCullough Residence	c. 1870	Vernacular architecture	Also known as J. W. Blackburn House
Miller House	c. 1920	Vernacular architecture	Non-contributing
Residence	c. 1925	Vernacular architecture
Gilley Hotel	c. 1895	Vernacular architecture	Gilly Hotel is two stories, and is attached to the Smith Hotel, which is three stories
Old Guima Hotel	c. 1856	Vernacular architecture	Also known as Granny Feathers House; backside of building is 100 Church Street.
Smith Hotel	c. 1880	Vernacular architecture	Adjacent to Gilley Hotel, to the north
York Quillen Building	c. 1900	Vernacular architecture	Now used as a museum and town hall
York Quillen Store	c. 1880	Vernacular architecture
Myers Residence	c. 1895	Queen Anne Cottage
Moody Residence	c. 1900	American Craftsman
J. B. Willoughby Building	c. 1910	Vernacular commercial	Also known as the Bulls Gap Citizen Union Bank
Willoughby Residence	c. 1905	Queen Anne and Colonial Revival architecture	Also known as Dr. W. Guy Justis House
McCollom House	c. 1895	Gothic and Greek Revial elements, Vernacular
First Baptist Church	c. 1925	Vernacular Gothic architecture