First Presbyterian Church and Its Cemetery, Knoxville

The First Presbyterian Church Graveyard is the oldest in Knoxville. It was established in the 1790s and holds the remains of some of the city's most notable early residents, including Governor William Blount and Knoxville's founder James White. The graveyard was officially recognized as a historic site in 1996 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

James White reserved a lot for the cemetery when he was planning Knoxville in 1791, and the earliest burial marker, belonging to Blount, dates back to 1800.

The First Presbyterian Church was built near the cemetery in 1816. The graveyard was used for burials for almost 60 years and was most active during the Epidemic of 1838 when hundreds of people died from an unknown disease. The last burial took place in 1879, and the graveyard was used by Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War.

The present First Presbyterian Church was built in 1903 and is a Neoclassical building. The graveyard has a typical Anglo-American design with closely placed headstones and simple inscriptions. A low iron fence surrounds the perimeter, and crude stone walkways provide access.