Our History
Settled in the late 1760’s, Carter County’s historic notability is among the most fascinating in the state. The City of Elizabethton is home to both the oldest building in the state of Tennessee, the Carter Mansion, and one of the first written constitutional governments west of the Appalachian Mountains, located at Sycamore Shoals State Park.
Main Street Elizabethton works to foster a vibrant downtown by engaging visitors and customers alike to create a community rooted in the city’s historical significance. Downtown Elizabethton offers a quaint and friendly experience with a variety of restaurants, vintage stores, boutique shops, and a historic Covered Bridge. Nestled in mountainous beauty, the downtown district features a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, such as fly-fishing and water sports on the Doe River, plus the longest rails-to-trails project in Tennessee, the Tweetsie Trail.
Our Organizational Goals
Main Street Elizabethton looks toward the future with the goal to preserve our culture and heritage while striving to revitalize the hub and heart of our downtown. We seek to embrace our strengths and spirit of togetherness to build a community that will be a positive influence on our citizens and children for years to come.
Through research, community input, and guidance from Tennessee Main Street and Main Street America, we are excited to grow our downtown community through two transformational strategies:
- Becoming a vibrant downtown district focused on dining, entertainment, and shopping
- Creating a family-friendly, mountain recreation town
Board of Directors
Our board is made up of business owners, passionate community members, and key leaders in our downtown. They volunteer to serve AND are committed to working with our 5 active committees to elevate and grow our downtown!
President: Frankie Bailey
Vice President: Kathy Campbell
Secretary: Jeff Treadway
Treasurer: Joe Alexander
Promotion Chair: Kelsey Frazier
Organization Chair: Kim Schlager
Design Chair: Logan Carpenter
Economic Vitality Chair: Andrew McKeehan
Merchant Chair: Patti Whitson
At-Large Member: Cheri Tinney
At-Large Member: Betty Barnes
Main Street Director
Courtney Bean
cbean@cityofelizabethton.org
423-213-0090
136 S. Sycamore St. Elizabethton, TN 37643
The Four-Point Approach
The Four-Point Approach is a tested and proven strategy by Main Street America to help revitalize historic downtowns. While there are many ways to progress a downtown community, the following four committees based each approach brings a blueprint and structure to our revitalization efforts in Elizabethton.
Main Street Elizabethton is proud to be a Main Street America program!
Design
Elevates the unique and historic beauty of downtown through preservation and identification
Organization
Creates a sustainable foundation through partnerships, community involvement, and regional resources
Promotion
Markets unique downtown opportunities and experiences to bring awareness and foster an active community
Economic Vitality
Strategically recruits a variety of developmental and investment opportunities to downtown
Merchant: Supports downtown businesses by providing a voice to merchants for downtown initiatives