Where the Past Comes to Life
Experience Tennessee History
We are Open for the 2025 Season
Welcome to the Sam Houston Schoolhouse State Historic Site! We hope you enjoy your visit. Come in and sit a spell. Imagine it is the year 1812 and Samuel Houston is your schoolmaster.
What was school like in the early days of America? Simpler, indeed…but easier? Not quite. Students here learn quickly that life was hard, but full of fun. We teach students of all ages book learnin’, colonial games, and old-fashioned chores like candle-making, corn grinding, quilting, and washboard laundering. School and scout field trips are our specialty and a delight to us as well as the students!
Everyone here receives a warm welcome.
April through June, and September through November, students can experience a day at school in colonial times. Visit with a costumed museum interpreter who will help answer your questions about the schoolhouse, artifacts and grounds. In the gift shop you will find arts and crafts fashioned by local artisans and many hard-to-find books about Sam Houston and Blount County, written by local authors.
Sam Houston Schoolhouse State Historic Site is a single-room log cabin-style schoolhouse in Maryville, Tennessee, built in 1794. Sam Houston taught at the school as a young man, before the War of 1812.The schoolhouse is a Tennessee state historic site operated under an agreement with the Tennessee Historical Commission. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The school house was originally built by a Revolutionary War veteran, Andrew Kennedy along with Henry McCulloch and other neighbors.
The National Heritage Area Program and Blount County Tennessee: A Feasibility Study says “Sometime after his arrival in Tennessee, probably in 1794, Kennedy and Henry McCulloch joined with some neighbors to construct a small log schoolhouse in a clearing less than a mile from the Kennedy home. No definitive explanation can now be given for the decision to locate the schoolhouse at the somewhat unusual site more than a half-mile from Little River. Presumably its proximity to the refreshing spring which flows nearby and perhaps its central position in relation to the original builders' homes were factors in the selection of the site.”
ADMISSION FEES
(As of March 1, 2025)
Ages 0-5 - FREE
Ages 6-12 - $3.00/person
Ages 13+ - $5.00/person
Field Trip Participants (students and chaperones) - $3.00/person
No charge for bus drivers
HOURS: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
We are closed Mondays, Good Friday/Easter weekend (will reopen on Tuesday following Easter Sunday), July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and all major holidays. The schoolhouse closes December 20th and reopens March 4.
In case of inclement weather the schoolhouse follows the Blount County School System weather related closures/schedule.
Please help keep the Schoolhouse going. We use your donations to pay for maintenance, improvements, landscaping and promotional materials to attract more visitors like you. Your one-time or monthly donation helps alot!!
Gallery
Built in 1794
This schoolhouse served the Blount County community for many years before falling into disuse and nearly being lost to memory. It was lovingly restored over a 10-year period and has since continued to serve as a connection to the past for tourists, students and history buffs.
EVENT RENTALS
Host your wedding, birthday party, reception or reunion here at the Historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse. Our 1,000-square-foot event center is available for rent and includes:
Tables/chairs for 80 people
Dining and serving tables
Two restrooms
Fully updated kitchen with granite countertops, oven, sink and refrigerator
Garbage cans with bags
Outdoor BBQ pit
Weddings
2 whole days for setup and ceremony
Outdoor or indoor ceremony
$500 due two weeks in advance of event
$50 cleanup fee
Birthdays, Reunions, Ceremonies, etc.
Pavilion + schoolhouse grounds
Whole day = $200
Half-day = $100
Fees due two weeks in advance of event
Please contact the Schoolhouse for more information and to schedule a pre-event visit, 10am to 2pm, Tuesdays thru Saturdays.
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We want you have a great time while you’re at the Schoolhouse. Please take a moment to read our Rental Rules.
Please do not dig or remove any property. This includes plants or shrubs.
No climbing trees.
No children are not permitted in the schoolhouse or near the water areas without an adult.
Please put all trash in proper receptacles.
No smoking in any of the buildings on property and all butts should be placed in proper areas. This is strongly prohibited.
No open flames on property. Exceptions are: Fireplace in the pavilion, outdoor fire pit/grill and candles may be used in the pavilion but must be kept away from curtains and linens. Please be sure these areas are clean from ashes and debris at the end of your rental period.
No firearms.
No fireworks.
No blocking of any doors at any time by any means. This is a fire hazard and is not permitted at any time.
Food and drinks are not permitted in the schoolhouse.
Please make sure your car doors are locked. We are not responsible for lost or stolen property.
No alcohol.
Do not climb on or remove any fences at any time. Fences are not secure and are very old.
Please be sure to clean up after use of our pavilion. Please return all tables and chairs to the same position as they were. A dumpster is provided at the top parking area. If you are unable to remove your trash, please speak with an onsite staff member.
There is always someone available either on site or reachable by phone should you or your guests have a need. In the event you need either resident director please call: Ronnie 309-335-8801 or Jackie 865-318-0114.
In the event of an actual emergency, please call 911 first and then call the resident directors.
All activities must be kept at least 20 feet from the schoolhouse building. At no time is it permissible for anything to be nailed, taped, stapled, hung or glued to the structure.
Lastly, all rental payments must be made in advance. In the event you should need to cancel, you will need to do so 2 weeks/10 days prior to the scheduled event to receive a refund. Failure to do so will result in the loss of all rental fees or deposits. In the event of inclement weather, we will make every arrangement possible to reschedule your event. Please be aware that you are responsible for your guests while renting/visiting Raven Hall Pavilion and Sam Houston State Historic Site. We hope that everyone has an enjoyable experience.
NOTE: When tents or flies are used, please be sure to have at least 15 pounds of weight per leg. This prevents fly offs.
BOOK YOUR EVENT RENTAL TODAY
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