The Tennessee Hometown of President Andrew Johnson

In this installment of ‘History Off the Beaten Path,’ we look at how and where the first post-Civil War president labored, lived, and now rests. 

Andrew Johnson's Main Street House still sits along the main street in Greeneville, Tenn. Deena Bouknight

The remote, sparsely populated mountain town of Greeneville Tennessee’s claim to fame is the fact that America’s 17th president resided there. Defined by its hilly downtown area, today the town has aging homes and businesses as well as some newer structures and a popular Saturday farmers market. Quaint Greeneville is where Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) worked, married, raised a family, and died. 

Though he isn’t historically well-known or celebrated, Johnson lived a noteworthy life. The town of Greeneville makes his distinctions clear at numerous preserved and maintained National Park Service sites, including two of Johnson’s homes, his tailor shop, the family burial plot, and a visitor center.