Norris

Norris, Tennessee
—  City  —
Location of Norris, Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°11′58″N 84°4′9″W / 36.19944°N 84.06917°W / 36.19944; -84.06917Coordinates: 36°11′58″N 84°4′9″W / 36.19944°N 84.06917°W / 36.19944; -84.06917
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Anderson
Area
• Total	6.9 sq mi (17.8 km2)
• Land	6.9 sq mi (17.8 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,073 ft (327 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	1,446
• Density	210.6/sq mi (81.3/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	37828
Area code(s)	865
FIPS code	47-53600[1]
GNIS feature ID	1295831[2]

Norris is a city in Anderson County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 1,446 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Hydraulics laboratory building in the 1930s

Norris was built as a model planned community by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933 to house workers building Norris Dam. It is named in honor of Nebraska Senator George W. Norris, a long-term supporter of TVA.

TVA chairman Arthur Morgan envisioned Norris as a model of cooperative, egalitarian living.^[3] The city design was developed by TVA staff,^[4] who loosely based their design on the English garden city movement of the 1890s. Winding roads followed the contour of the terrain. Houses did not always face the street. A central common green and a belt of rural land around the town were reserved for use by residents. The houses, which were some of the first all-electric homes, were built using local wood and stone, according to twelve basic house designs that each included a porch and fireplace. Different exterior materials were used for visual variety.^[4][5]

Norris represents the first use of greenbelt design principles in a self-contained town in the United States. The town was the first in Tennessee to have a complete system of dial telephones. Norris Creamery was the first milk-producing plant in the world to be powered solely by electricity.^[4]

During the 1930s TVA officials excluded black families from the city, purportedly to conform to the customs and traditions of the area. However, black leaders said that poor whites and blacks had lived and worked together in the area long before TVA came into existence. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) complained repeatedly (in 1934, 1935 and 1938) about racial discrimination by TVA in the hiring, housing and training of blacks.^[6]

In 1948 the U.S. Congress directed that the city be sold at public auction. It was purchased for US$2.1 million by a Philadelphia investment group headed by Henry D. Epstein, which then sold individual homes to their residents. The city was officially incorporated in 1949. In 1953 the Epstein group sold its remaining Norris real estate to a corporation formed by Norris residents and known as the Norris Corporation.^[4]

Norris District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
One of the standard house designs in the planned community of Norris
Location:	Town of Norris on U.S. 441, Norris, Tennessee
Built:	1934
Architect:	Tennessee Valley Authority
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	75001727[7]
Added to NRHP:	July 10, 1975

The town, including 340 buildings and an area of about 4,000 acres (16 km²), was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as an historic district, designated the Norris District.^[8][9]

Today Norris primarily serves as a bedroom community for Knoxville and Oak Ridge.^[6] Services available within the community include one elementary school serving grades K-5, one middle school serving grades 6-8, a small grocer, and a diner. The community's high school students attend Anderson County High School.

The Museum of Appalachia, founded by John Rice Irwin,^[10] is a popular attraction on the outskirts of Norris. Norris is a short distance from both the Norris Dam and Big Ridge State Parks, which include popular camping areas.

Geography

Norris is located at 36°11′58″N 84°4′9″W / 36.19944°N 84.06917°W / 36.19944; -84.06917 (36.199515, -84.069077)^[11].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.9 square miles (18 km²), all of it land. A large portion of this area is contained in the Norris Municipal Watershed, which has an area of more than 2,700 acres (11 km²) and is managed for water supply, recreation, timber production, and wildlife, including deer hunting. There are nearly 20 miles (32 km) of recreation trails on the watershed area.^[12]

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 1,446 people, 644 households, and 426 families residing in the city. The population density was 210.6 people per square mile (81.3/km²). There were 682 housing units at an average density of 99.3 per square mile (38.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.41% White, 0.21% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 644 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was US$47,105, and the median income for a family was US$55,179. Males had a median income of US$41,813 versus US$27,727 for females. The per capita income for the city was US$29,832. About 0.7% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The government of Norris is vested in a mayor, a vice mayor and a three member city council. As of 2009, the current mayor of Norris is Chris Mitchell. The vice mayor is Tommy Mariner. The council members are: Jack Black, Loy Johnson, and Joy Wilson.

The original city hall was located in an old TVA dormitory on Ridgeway Drive until 1978, when it was destroyed by a fire. The cause was never determined, but arson was rumored to be the cause. The city hall then moved to a location on Chestnut Road, but this location was destroyed in an accidental fire in 2002. The facility on Chestnut Drive was reconstructed and continues to serve as a City Office and Community Building. The Norris Public Safety Department is located at 23 West Circle Road.

The city of Norris also operates a public library. The library has about 20,000 materials in its collection, which is located in the McNeeley Municipal Building.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Norris, Tennessee

• City of Norris — official website
• Norris Public Library
• Norris, TN at the Open Directory Project

v d e Municipalities and communities of Anderson County, Tennessee, US County seat: Clinton Cities Clinton Norris Oak Ridge‡ Towns Lake City‡ Oliver Springs‡ Unincorporated communities Andersonville Briceville Claxton Devonia Fork Mountain Fraterville Marlow Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties