Top of the World, Tennessee
Top of the World, Tennessee | |
---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
Top of the World Location within the state of Tennessee | |
Coordinates: 35°39′16″N 83°54′38″W / 35.65453°N 83.91043°WCoordinates: 35°39′16″N 83°54′38″W / 35.65453°N 83.91043°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Tennessee |
County | Blount |
Founded | 1965 |
Elevation | 2,024 ft (617 m) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 37878 |
Area code(s) | 865 |
GNIS feature ID | 1272776[1] |
Top of the World (alternately, Top O' the World and Top of The World Estates) is an unincorporated community in rural Blount County, Tennessee.
Location[]
The community lies in an area called The Flats, on a spur of Chilhowee Mountain in East Tennessee. The surrounding country is rugged.[2] The Foothills Parkway passes just to the northwest, and the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park lies just to the southeast.[3] The neighboring park has a natural forest environment of yellow pines and hardwood species. Controlled burns are used to reduce the risk of uncontrolled fires.[4] There is a healthy black bear population.[5]
The community is relatively isolated. The Foothills Parkway is the only road to Top of the World that is passable by school bus.[6] Otherwise it must be accessed by steep and winding secondary roads.[7]
History[]
The land was originally the home of the Cherokee Nation, who were mostly displaced to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears in 1838. A grant of 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) was made to Daniel D. Foute in 1837. This included the area now covered by Top of the World, which was purchased by a developer in the early 1960s. [8] Construction of the Top of World Estates by Roy and Charles Headrick was reported by the Knoxville News Sentinel in June 1965.[9] The community surrounds Lake in the Sky, a 52.5-acre (21.2 ha) artificial lake formed by a dam built in 1966.[10]
Community[]
Residents may belong to the Top of the World Landowners' Association (TOWLA).[11] The Blount County Fire Protection District has its station #8 at 5714 Flats Road, on the east shore of the lake.[12] The fire station officially came into service when the TOWLA and the Blount County Fire Protection District signed a contract on 23 March 2012.[13] There is no local school. School children are taken by bus along the Foothills Parkway to nearby Walland.[14][15][16] There is no post office in Top of The World. The nearest post office is in Walland.
References[]
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Top of the World Estates
- ^ Tennessee Anthropologist. Tennessee Anthropological Association. 1987. p. 77.
- ^ "Foothills Parkway". BlueRidgeHighlander.com. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Park Plans Prescribed Burns". National Park Service. March 7, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ Bean, Betty (1997). "Bear Baiting". Metro Pulse. Knoxville, Tennessee. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
- ^ Starnes, Todd (7 October 2013). "'All about power and leverage' -- feds shut down major roadway, block access to graveyard". Fox News. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ Serrie, Jonathan (10 October 2013). "Tennessee mayor offers to manage national park during partial shutdown". Fox News. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ G. Douglas Cox. "History: The History of Chestnut Tops". Chestnut Tops Community. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
- ^ Brewer, Carson (27 June 1965). "Near Smokies Park: 'Top of World' Developed". Knoxville News-Sentinel.
- ^ Arnwine, Deborah H.; Sparks, Kimberly J.; James, Rebecca R. (September 2006). "Probabilistic Monitoring of Streams Below Small Impoundments in Tennessee" (PDF). Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. p. 167. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Home". Top of The World Landowners' Association. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Stations". Blount County Fire Protection District. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Fire Station Operational". Top of The World Landowners' Association. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ Ault, Josh (1 October 2013). "Blount County school bus route stopped by government shutdown". WorldNow. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
- ^ "Bus 49 Resumes Service". Blount County Schools. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- ^ http://www.maryville.wbir.com/news/news/624842-shutdown-inconvenient-for-some-rural-families[permanent dead link]
External links[]
- Unincorporated communities in Blount County, Tennessee
- Unincorporated communities in Tennessee