Description
The Newtown Historic District [†] outside Copperhill, Polk County, Tennessee, was developed by the Tennessee Copper Company in 1905 to provide housing for its workers. The houses built were simple workers cottages in a pyramid cottage style, or a catslide cottage style described in the residential historic districts property type of the Historic Resources of the Tennessee Copper Basin Multiple Property Documentation form.
Newtown developed along three streets on a hill beside a sulphuric acid reclamation plant. The houses are simple in plan and design, they are uniformly set back from the street, which allowed the tenants to have gardens. Historically there was one vacant lot in Newtown, the rest had cottages on them. Outbuildings were not constructed in Newtown until after 1945, and since there are few of them, and they are not obtrusive, they were not inventoried.
Significance
The Newtown Historic is significant to the development of the Basin for its collection of workers housing, as an example of community planning and development and for its role in industrial history. It played role in industrial development and for community planning and development. It is also an excellent example of workers' housing in the Basin.
As one of three neighborhoods, along with Buzzard's Roost, and Smelter Hill, built by the Tennessee Copper Company to house workers, Newtown is a significant example of the workers housing commonly built in the Basin. The houses are simple in plan and form, with few decorative elements. The houses were built from uniform plans and, in the beginning, all pyramid cottages looked alike, as did all Catslide cottages. Over time the houses have changed some. On some the front porches have been enclosed or otherwise altered but the basic form of the houses remains the same. The one other industrial neighborhood in Copperhill, Smelter Hill, was demolished in 1976. Because of this Newtown is the largest extant collection of workers' dwellings in Copperhill.
Newtown was developed according to specific plans, drawn by an unknown civil engineer with the Tennessee Copper Company. It was developed as a distinct neighborhood and as such had uniformity of design materials, and setback. The streets of Newtown were laid out and paved according to the plan, then the houses were built on their lots. The streets run uphill, and all intersect in a hollow between the two sections of town, so that all six roads intersect near the same point.
A paper copy of the original plan does not appear to be extant. The company which has control of the Tennessee Copper Company papers does not have a copy of the plan, and the Ducktown Basin Museum, which has many of TCCs papers does not have the plan. A 1916 tracing of the plan exists, showing the location and type of house which was built on the lot. The tracings have the initials of the original planner (C. B. B.), but his name does not appear. Newtown is also significant for its role in the development of industry in the Basin, and in Copperhill in particular. At the time of the development of Newtown, in 1905, the Tennessee Copper Company knew it was going to have to develop plants to contain the sulphur fumes going into the air. By 1907 construction had begun on acid plant #1, near the company's headquarters in Copperhill. The plant was built just outside the city limits, Smelter Hill was behind the plant and Newtown was to the southeast.
Copperhill had already been experiencing housing shortages because of all the men working for the company. The town had only been founded in 1890. While housing went up quickly it was not sufficient to meet the growing demands. The company responded by building a neighborhood for managers, Smelter Hill, and a workers neighborhood, Newtown. This allowed the company to meet the demands for housing as well as collect the rents that would otherwise be going to other landlords.
Newtown meets the registration requirements set out for residential historic districts in the Historic Resources of the Tennessee Copper Basin multiple property documentation form. It retains its integrity of design, location, feeling and association. The historic boundaries of Newtown are the same as the boundaries for this district, vacant lots and non-contributing resources at the edge of the district are included so that the plan of Newtown is complete.
† Karen L. Daniels/ Historic Preservation Planner, Southeast Tennessee Development District, Newtown Historic District, nomination document, 1992, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.
Street Names
1st Street • 2nd Street • 3rd Street