Fort Craig, which was located on Pistol Creek, was the first settlement in the area which is now the City of Maryville. The fort was built in 1785 to protect settlers from Indian attack. In 1786, the first church was established and constructed of hewn logs.
The City of Maryville was established on July 11, 1795, by an act of the General Assembly of the Territory South of the Ohio River. Seven commissioners were appointed and were to obtain fifty acres of land. These fifty acres were to be divided into lots and sold, with the proceeds to be used for construction of a courthouse and jail. One reason for locating the town in this particular area was the abundance of springs for a water supply. Located in Blount County, Maryville was named in honor of Mary Grainger Blount, wife of Governor William Blount. The county was named in honor of Governor Blount. Almost a year later, on June 1, 1796, the State of Tennessee became the 16th state in the Union.
In 1819, Southern and Western Theological Seminary was opened. The name was changed to Maryville College in 1842.
During the Civil War, much of Maryville was damaged by fire and artillery. In one instance, a fire was set to try to flush Union soldiers from the courthouse then located on Broadway. The courthouse was spared, but many buildings surrounding it were destroyed.
The first railroad, the Knoxville and Charleston, was built into Maryville in 1868. In the late 1870's, Maryville acquired and opened its first public school. The first electric system was started in 1890 by Maryville Woolen Mills. In 1906, a branch line of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad arrived in Maryville.
The first water system was completed in 1916, being constructed of cast iron lines. About a year later, the first sanitary sewer system was completed. In 1956, the water filtration plant on Sevierville Road was put into operation.
Like many downtowns throughout the nation, development of contemporary malls and the proliferation of shopping centers lured businesses and customers away from the downtown area. However, unlike many other downtowns throughout the country that have been lost, dozens of historic structures in downtown Maryville remain and have enjoyed continuous use, or have been rehabilitated more recently. Currently, Maryville's downtown offers the community and visitors entertainment, office, restaurant, retail, recreation, government, education and religious institutions, medical, and housing opportunities. In addition, the new Blount County Library and scheduled community programs will further improve downtown's position in attracting individuals and families throughout the weekdays and weekends. The City of Maryville is committed to helping invigorate reinvestment of downtown properties by obtaining grants used for road and sidewalk improvements, safe and attractive lighting, benches, landscape and informative signage. The City and participating community businesses also sponsor numerous events downtown that add to the use and enjoyment of the downtown area.
The population of Maryville is more than 25,000, and the town encompasses 14.9 square miles. Maryville is on the cutting edge in many areas of city government, developing and implementing programs to provide a modern, safe, and beautiful place to live and visit.
