Norris Dam State Park Travel Guide

The contents of this Museum of Early Americana were given to the State of Tennessee by Will G. and Helen H. Lenoir, to be kept on permanent display.

The Lenoirs collected for more than 60 years. Both had a concept of history and were sensitive to the rapidly changing times. They strongly desired that the changes not wipe out an appreciation of the hard work and ingneuity that were a part of the rapidly disappearing everyday life of the East Tennessee mountaineer.

Unable to build a museum to house the items, Mr. Lenoir contracted to donate them to the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Authority gave six acres of land facing the Clinch River just south of Norris Dam, and it was incorporated into Norris Dam State park. Beside the museum are the Crosby Threshing Barn and the 18th Century Rice Grist Mill. All are open to the public free of charge.

Museum Hours:
Wednesday - Sunday, year round
9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas

Caleb Crosby originally buillt this barn and threshing machine in the 1830's on the north side of the Holston River. It was built entirely of wood by hand.

Among the maze of wooden gears is one as large as a wagon wheel. The threshing barn stood for almost 100 years, a short distance down the Holston from where U.S. Hwy. 25-E now spans Cherokee Lake. Before the barn site was flooded by the lake, Powell and Bryan Crosby, grandsons of Caleb, donated the barn and threshing machine to the National Park Sevrice.

Since no such barn ever existed in the Great Smoky Mountains pre-park years, the idea to reassemble the barn within the park boundaries was rejected. Officials recognizing the value of the barn, kept the dismantled timbers sheltered and in good condition for 34 years until which time they were donated to the Tennessee State Park system. The barn was reconstructed at its present site, near the Rice Gristmill and Lenoir Museum, in 1978.

Originally constructed along Lost Creek, in Union Co, TN, this mill was built by James Rice and his sons in the 1790's.

The mill house is a two story log structure with a wood shake roof. The wooden water wheel is of the overshot design, meaning water was channeled to the top of the wheel and allowed to pour over it in order to turn the wheel. All the internal gears were carved from hickory and the main water wheel shaft is believed to have been hewn from a yellow poplar tree. The mill stones are original, said to have been imported from France, and used as ballast stones on their voyage across the Atlantic.

Four generations of the Rice family operated this grist mill, before it was bought by the TVA in 1935, because it stood on land which was to be flooded upon completion of Norris Dam. The TVA donated the mill to the Tennesse Department of Conversation in 1953.

The mill still grinds corn meal during the summer months. The meal and other gift items are sold inside the mill.

Hours:
April 15 - November 15
Wednesday - Sunday
9:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.