County Past
Home › Tennessee › Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Tennessee

Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.

—newspaper titles
—digitized titles
112historic places
—earliest paper
1819formed
366,207pop. 2020
188cemeteries
6CW battlefields

At a glance

Summary

The National Register of Historic Places includes 112 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1971; 1 is also National Historic Landmark. Most listings are in or near Chattanooga, Signal Mountain, Walden.

Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.

Newspapers

Library of Congress

Newspaper directory data for Tennessee is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Hamilton titles at the Library of Congress.

National Register of Historic Places

NPS NRHP

70 of 112 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.

112 listed properties
PropertyCityTypeListed
Audubon Acres Site (40 HA 84)ChattanoogaSite1982
Bachman, Nathan L. SchoolWaldenBuilding2001
Bachman-McCoy FarmSignal MountainDistrict2024
Beck Knob CemeteryChattanoogaSite2021
Birchwood SchoolBirchwoodBuilding2025
Bonny OaksChattanoogaBuilding1980
Brabson House (Additional Documentation)ChattanoogaBuilding1973
Brainerd Junior HighChattanoogaBuilding1980
Brainerd Mission CemeteryChattanoogaSite1979
Brown House (Additional Documentation)OoltewahDistrict1973
Brown's Ferry TavernChattanoogaBuilding1971
Central Block BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1995
Chattanooga Bank BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1980
Chattanooga Car BarnsChattanoogaBuilding1979
Chattanooga Electric RailwayChattanoogaBuilding1980
Chattanooga National CemeteryChattanoogaSite1996
Chattanooga Plow Power HouseChattanoogaBuilding1999
Chattanooga, Harrison, Georgetown & Charleston Railroad TunnelChattanoogaStructure1978
Chickamauga Hydroelectric ProjectChattanoogaDistrict2017
Christ Church EpiscopalChattanoogaBuilding2021
Civil War FortificationChattanoogaStructure1976
Conner Toll House (Additional Documentation)Signal MountainBuilding1977
Crane BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1983
Cravens-Coleman HouseChattanoogaBuilding1990
Cummings, Judge Will, HouseChattanoogaBuilding1980
Dixie Mercerizing CompanyChattanoogaBuilding2020
Douglas, Hiram, HouseOoltewahBuilding1973
Downtown Chattanooga Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict2020
East Tennessee Iron Manufacturing Company Blast FurnaceChattanoogaSite1980
Engel StadiumChattanoogaBuilding2009
Faxon-Thomas MansionChattanoogaBuilding1980
Ferger Place Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1980
First Baptist Church Education BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1980
First Congregational ChurchChattanoogaBuilding2010
First Presbyterian ChurchChattanoogaBuilding2009
Fort Wood Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1979
Fountain SquareChattanoogaDistrict1979
Gaskill HouseChattanoogaBuilding1979
Glenwood Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1989
Hamilton County CourthouseChattanoogaBuilding1978
Hampton Place Archeological Site (40HA146)ChattanoogaSite1984
Highland Park Methodist Episcopal Church, SouthChattanoogaBuilding2012
Highland Park Methodist Episcopal churchChattanoogaBuilding1980
Hutcheson HouseChattanoogaBuilding1978
Isbester, Caleb, HouseChattanoogaBuilding1982
James BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1980
James County Courthouse (Additional Documentation)OoltewahBuilding1976
Jones, Clarence T., ObservatoryChattanoogaBuilding2009
Kelley HouseChattanoogaBuilding1980
King, M. L., Boulevard Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1984
Lookout Mountain Caverns and Cavern CastleChattanoogaDistrict1985
Lookout Mountain Incline RailwayChattanoogaStructure1973
Louise Terrace ApartmentsChattanoogaBuilding1998
Maclellan BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1985
Mallards Dozen Archeological Site (40HA147)ChattanoogaSite1984
Market Square-Patten ParkwayChattanoogaDistrict1980
Market Street BridgeChattanoogaStructure2010
Market Street Warehouse Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1984
Market and Main Streets Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1992
Matthews, Pleasant L., HouseGeorgetownBuilding1976
McConnell, Chancellor T. M., HouseChattanoogaBuilding1992
Medical Arts BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1980
Mikado Locomotive No. 4501ChattanoogaStructure1979
Miller Brothers Department StoreChattanoogaBuilding1987
Missionary Ridge Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1996
Moccasin Bend Archeological District NHLChattanoogaDistrict1986
Model Electric HomeChattanoogaBuilding1993
Municipal BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1980
Northside United PresbyterianChattanoogaBuilding1980
Oak Grove Elementary School (Additional Documentation)ChattanoogaBuilding2011
Ochs BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1978
Old Library BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1973
Old Post Office (Additional Documentation)ChattanoogaBuilding1973
Pleasant Garden CemeteryChattanoogaSite2025
Price-Evans FoundryChattanoogaDistrict2021
Read House (Additional Documentation)ChattanoogaBuilding1976
Ridgedale LodgeChattanoogaBuilding2022
Ridgedale Methodist Episcopal ChurchChattanoogaBuilding2010
Ross's LandingChattanoogaSite1974
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and BuildingsChattanoogaBuilding1979
Schwartz, Robert, and Company BuildingChattanoogaBuilding1984
Second Presbyterian ChurchChattanoogaBuilding1980
Shavin, Seamour and Gerte, HouseChattanoogaBuilding1993
Shiloh Baptist ChurchChattanoogaBuilding1979
Signal Knitting MillsChattanoogaBuilding1999
Signal Mountain Elementary SchoolSignal MountainBuilding2001
Signal Mountain Historic DistrictSignal MountainDistrict2001
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial AuditoriumChattanoogaBuilding1980
Southern Railway Freight DepotChattanoogaBuilding1983
St. Elmo Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1982
St. Marks United Methodist ChurchChattanoogaBuilding2026
St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchChattanoogaBuilding1978
Standard-Coosa-Thatcher MillsChattanoogaDistrict2014
Stone Fort Land Company Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1999
Stringer Ridge Historic DistrictChattanoogaDistrict1984
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Rolling StockChattanoogaDistrict1980
Terminal StationChattanoogaBuilding1973
Tivoli Theater (Additional Documentation)ChattanoogaBuilding1973
TopsideSignal MountainBuilding1973
Trigg-Smartt Building (Additional Documentation)ChattanoogaBuilding1986
Turnbull Cone and Machine CompanyChattanoogaBuilding1992
U.S. Post OfficeChattanoogaBuilding1980
Vulcan Archeological Site (40HA140)ChattanoogaSite1984
W RoadWaldenStructure1999
Walden’s Ridge Civic CenterWaldenDistrict2026
Walnut Street BridgeChattanoogaStructure1990
Wauhatchie PikeLookout MountainStructure2001
Wiley United Methodist ChurchChattanoogaBuilding1979
Willard, Frances, HouseChattanoogaBuilding1980
Williams IslandChattanoogaSite1973
Woodland Mound Archeological DistrictChattanoogaStructure1984
Wyatt HallChattanoogaBuilding1986

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.

County formation

Newberry AHCB

Hamilton was formed in 1819 (1819-10-25) from Rhea.

HAMILTON created from RHEA and all of Non-County Area 8. Non-County Area 8 eliminated.

Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Population by decade

Census

Hamilton County population from 1820 to 2020 (Census historical series).

366k184k8211820184018801920196020002020
182018401860188019001920194019501960198020002020
8218,17513,25823,64261,695115,954180,478208,255237,905287,740307,896366,207

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.

Cemeteries & historical places

USGS GNIS

188 cemeteries and 3 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.

Cemeteries — 80 of 188 listed
NameLatLon
Anderson Cemetery35.23423-85.01022
Anderson Cemetery35.31534-84.96772
B'Nai Zion Cemetery35.09673-85.31801
Bailey Cemetery35.18202-85.14468
Ball Hill Cemetery35.27951-85.05412
Barker Cemetery35.20006-85.23995
Bartlebaugh Missionary Church Cemetery35.11686-85.16735
Beason Cemetery35.07091-85.32746
Beck Cemetery35.07784-85.29662
Bell Cemetery35.15249-85.12735
Bettis Cemetery35.28923-84.98189
Blair Cemetery35.20395-85.01217
Bowman Cemetery35.36256-85.20329
Boyd Cemetery35.01435-85.0846
Boydston Cemetery35.0548-85.35413
Brainerd Mission Cemetery35.01007-85.21301
Brown Chapel Cemetery35.15394-85.28343
Card Cemetery35.26256-85.16717
Chancey Cemetery35.27282-85.19812
Chattanooga Confederate Cemetery35.04951-85.29718
Chattanooga Memorial Park Cemetery35.09423-85.3019
Chattanooga National Cemetery35.03491-85.2894
Chattanooga National Cemetery35.03542-85.2889
Chattanooga National Cemetery35.03542-85.2889
Chesnutt Cemetery35.05646-85.03106
Citizens Cemetery35.04952-85.29718
Coleman Cemetery35.33562-85.14884
Collegedale Memorial Park35.04618-85.04328
Concord Baptist Cemetery35.01888-85.17302
Confederate Cemetery35.06089-85.13091
Cookston Cemetery35.33451-85.01773
Copeland Cemetery35.2161-85.20131
Crumley Cemetery35.01634-85.04268
Daughtrey Cemetery35.19729-85.10189
Davidson Cemetery35.2009-85.13245
Davis Cemetery35.22257-85.01967
Denny Cemetery35.21319-85.08057
Denny Cemetery35.23062-85.06967
Dividing Ridge Cemetery35.20975-85.13398
Dodd Cemetery35.24423-85.12578
Dolly Pond Cemetery35.28006-85.0105
Donaldson Cemetery35.01292-85.25809
Elder Cemetery35.21729-85.02022
Eldridge Cemetery35.24201-85.07384
Eldridge Cemetery35.25673-85.0805
Eldridge Cemetery35.30673-85.05495
Emery Cemetery35.32034-85.09939
Ephraim Hixon Cemetery35.14263-85.23517
Fairmount Cemetery35.18368-85.31996
Falling Water Cemetery35.18784-85.24995
Floral Hills Memorial Gardens35.05785-85.10273
Forest Hills Cemetery35.00543-85.32292
Foster Hixson Cemetery35.1592-85.15226
Fryar Cemetery35.02699-85.35124
Fryar Cemetery35.11484-85.23847
Fryar Cemetery35.1312-85.06897
Gardenhire Cemetery35.30229-85.05662
Gilliland Cemetery34.99009-85.15782
Goode Cemetery34.98812-84.98133
Graham Cemetery35.31229-85.1269
Granny Walker Cemetery35.26547-85.23968
Gray Cemetery35.34117-85.12106
Greenhill Cemetery35.04608-85.18235
Greenwood Cemetery35.06031-85.23886
Griffith Cemetery35.24757-84.98078
Hamilton County Memorial Park Cemetery35.21145-85.1519
Hamilton Memorial Gardens35.13503-85.2491
Hancock Cemetery35.07479-85.19328
Harris Cemetery35.21395-85.13912
Hensley Cemetery35.20506-85.1594
Hickman Cemetery35.33478-85.14856
Highland Memorial Gardens35.04153-85.1812
Hixson Cemetery35.19895-85.18995
Hodges Cemetery35.16447-85.10846
Holder Cemetery35.1634-85.02967
Hotwater Cemetery35.28485-85.19429
Hunter Cemetery35.13496-85.20971
Igou Cemetery35.21881-85.09535
Jackson Cemetery35.20006-85.24051
Jackson Chapel Cemetery35.1784-85.15496
Historical populated places — 3 of 3
NameLatLon
Dallas35.1909-85.1344
Hughes35.3834-85.2044
Tuckegee35.06674-85.3444

Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.

Civil War battlefields nearby

ABPP

American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) Civil War study areas near this county.

BattlefieldStudy acresDist.Site ID
Chattanooga43,72413.8 kmTN024
Chattanooga2,29714.9 kmTN018
Chattanooga1,44615.1 kmTN005
Wauhatchie10,84523.4 kmTN021
Ringgold Gap1,16328.9 kmGA005
Chickamauga26,08429.6 kmGA004

Source: NPS American Battlefield Protection Program Civil War Study Areas (public ArcGIS feature service).

Historical markers

HMdb link

Marker text and photos from the Historical Marker Database (HMdb) are not embedded here. HMdb allows non-commercial reuse with attribution, but commercial/compensated use needs written permission; this is a commercial site, so we only link out.

Search HMdb for Hamilton County, Tennessee

Terms: hmdb.org/copyright.asp. Linking is encouraged by HMdb.