Georgetown is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

at the junction of Bradley, Hamilton, and Meigs counties,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

. The community is located along State Route 60 near its intersection with

State Route 58 The following highways are numbered 58: International * European route E58 Australia * Riverina Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 58 * Highway 58 (Ontario) * Saskatchewan Highway 58 Finland * Finnish national road 58 India * National Highw ...

. The Bradley County portion of Georgetown is part of the

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

, TN

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

, while the Hamilton County portion is part of the

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

, TN– GA

. Georgetown is the place name associated with U.S. Postal Service zip code 37336. The Zip Code Tabulation Area for that zip code had a population of 5,337, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.Zip Code Tabulation Aree 37336
, U.S. Census website

History

Georgetown is located along Tennessee State Route 60, along what was part of the main Northern Route of the

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...

in 1838. According to tradition, the village was named for Cherokee trader, George Fields, who owned a two-story log home and operated a trading post at the intersection of now Georgetown Road and Francisco Road in the early 1800s. "An affluent merchant who operated a flatboat on the Hiwassee and Tennessee Rivers, he was also a slave owner and leader in tribal politics. His two-story log dwelling, known as the George House, bears the date of 1812." The "George House" burned and was dismantled in 2014. It is believed that George Fields was buried just east of where his home once stood. In the late 1800s Georgetown was an active trading center featuring several gristmills, tanneries, and sawmills. Goods arrived in nearby Cleveland via the Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad and were transported by wagon to the village. Several of the main items produced for market during this time were corn, wheat and bacon. Georgetown's first post office was established as "Limestone" in March 9, 1837 and was changed to "Georgetown" in 1867. It has since been located in four different counties, including James County, "The Lost County of Tennessee", which dissolved in 1919. It currently operates in Meigs County. Properties on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

located in Georgetown:

Education

The Georgetown Academy, founded in 1847 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, is the earliest school of record in Georgetown. Located about a quarter mile southwest from the intersection of TN SR 60 and Ooltewah-Georgetown Road, it is believed to have been operated until around the time of the Civil War. The second floor of the school was the location of the Limestone Lodge No. 176 F. & A.M. chartered in 1849.

Notable people

Greg Vital Greg Vital (born January 27, 1956) is an American businessman and Republican politician who represents the 29th District in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He was first elected to that seat in a special election on September 14, 2021, re ...

- American conservationist, businessman, and District 29 Tennessee State Representative. *

Wilburn Cartwright Wilburn Cartwright (January 12, 1892 – March 14, 1979) was a lawyer, educator, U.S. Representative from Oklahoma, and United States Army officer in World War II. The town of Cartwright, Oklahoma is named after him. Early life Born on a farm ...

– lawyer, educator, U.S. Representative from Oklahoma, and United States Army officer in World War II was born here.

References

{{Coord, 35.286, -84.945, display=title Unincorporated communities in Tennessee Unincorporated communities in Meigs County, Tennessee Unincorporated communities in Bradley County, Tennessee Unincorporated communities in Hamilton County, Tennessee Cleveland metropolitan area, Tennessee Chattanooga metropolitan area