View East Tennessee Preservation Alliance Region in a larger map
The multi-year Nine Counties. One Vision. process brought together residents from Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Sevier, and Union counties in a regional visioning exercise to examine various issues that affected all nine counties. During this process, the “Preserving our Structures” task force was formed to strengthen preservation efforts in the region. Many counties had existing historical societies and groups interested in cultural heritage, but as a unified group, they were able to share ideas and experiences. Eventually, this task force evolved into the Nine Counties Preservation Alliance, which was active for about 3 years. In conjunction with Knox Heritage, the Alliance hosted regional preservation conferences in Maryville, Dandridge, and Knoxville.
With the Partners in the Field grant, Knox Heritage is now able to provide staff support for the expanded, re-formed, re-named, East Tennessee Preservation Alliance (ETPA). ETPA serves Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties.
In September 2009, ETPA hosted the East Tennessee Regional Preservation Conference at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend. The two day conference featured speakers from across the southeast and covered myriad preservation topics. To see the full schedule and some of the presentations click here. The Conference returns on October 8 & 9, 2010 in Rugby.
In addition to the annual East Tennessee Preservation Conference, ETPA will expand the scope and effectiveness of on-the-ground field services and provide assistance to property owners, developers, local officials, and others needing information and tools to protect and enhance their communities. With a background in tourism and historic preservation, Mr. Garlington hopes to help foster heritage tourism in the region and other economic development incentives related to historic preservation.
East Tennessee is fortunate to have a rich and diverse cultural and architectural history. Many communities already embrace their local resources and actively work to preserve them. Towns and cities like Dandridge, Loudon, Harriman, Maryville, and Clinton have become destinations for tourists and have enticed some to relocate to the region. These and other communities illustrate that the residents of East Tennessee understand the importance of preservation and that historic preservation facilitates economic development. With Knox Heritage’s 35 years of experience, the Alliance has a team of veterans ready to assist them in future efforts.
Check out this interactive Google Map with sites around the region working with ETPA.
Ethiel Garlington
In mid-November 2008, Ethiel Garlington, East Tennessee native, started at Knox Heritage as Director of Preservation Field Services and immediately began working with preservationists in the surrounding counties. Even before the first day in the office, Ethiel attended the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Annual Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with Kim Trent and Dorothy Stair. As one of the new Partners in the Field, Ethiel attended special workshops for the other 30 new Partners at the national conference.
Ethiel is a graduate of University of Georgia’s Master of Historic Preservation program. He has worked as Director of Athens Welcome Center and, while serving as Chair for the Historic Preservation Commission, helped designate downtown Athens as a local historic district. He is interested in the dilemma between conservation of natural resources and the preservation of the built environment and wrote his thesis on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's struggle with Elkmont.