Clarksville was established in 1784 and named for George Rogers Clark. Its National Register sites, Fort Defiance, the Customs House Museum and Riverview Cemetery.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. History comes from the Tennessee Historical Society’s Tennessee Encyclopedia entry on Clarksville; listings from the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places database (May 22, 2026, file); visitor details from the City of Clarksville’s historical properties and Riverview Cemetery pages and the Customs House Museum.

Clarksville was established in 1784 by the North Carolina legislature as the seat of Tennessee County, twelve years before Tennessee became a state, and named for Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark, the Tennessee Encyclopedia says. It is the second-oldest town in Middle Tennessee. Start a visit at Fort Defiance, 931-472-3351, or the Customs House Museum downtown.

Who to call

  • Fort Defiance Civil War Park & Interpretive Center: 931-472-3351, 120 Duncan St.
  • Riverview Cemetery office: 931-553-2441, 635 N. Spring St.
  • Dunbar Cave State Park: 931-648-5526, 401 Old Dunbar Cave Road
  • Historic preservation and design review: Regional Planning Commission, 931-645-7448

A short history

  • 1784: Established on land North Carolina set aside to pay its Revolutionary War soldiers.
  • 1788: Named a tobacco inspection point; dark-fired tobacco from the Highland Rim soils made the river town a trade center.
  • 1796: Tennessee statehood. The Clarksville Chronicle starts in 1808; resident Willie Blount is elected governor in 1809.
  • 1820: The first steamboat reaches Clarksville. By 1858 more than 18,000 hogsheads of dark-fired tobacco ship to markets abroad.
  • 1859-60: The Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad opens a bridge over the Cumberland.
  • February 1862: Confederate troops abandon Fort Defiance and Fort Clark as a Union flotilla approaches; Union occupation lasts until September 1865.
  • 1878: A fire destroys 15 acres of the central business district.
  • 1919: The Women’s Bank of Tennessee opens, the first bank in the nation run entirely by women.
  • 1941: The War Department opens Camp Campbell north of town; it becomes Fort Campbell in 1950.
  • 1956: Austin Peay State College admits its first Black student, Wilbur Daniel.
  • 1960: Clarksville’s Wilma Rudolph wins multiple gold medals at the Summer Olympics.
  • 1975-76: I-24 is completed through the area.

Historic districts and the National Register

The National Park Service lists these places with Clarksville street addresses on the National Register of Historic Places, with the date each was listed:

Listing Address Listed
Emerald Hill N. Second St. 1971
Sevier Station 326 Walker St. 1971
Clarksville Federal Building (Customs House Museum) 200 S. Second St. 1972
Poston Block 126-130 Public Square 1972
Clarksville Industrial District Washington St. to the Cumberland River 1976
Clarksville Architectural District Public Square, Legion, Third, Franklin and Commerce streets 1976
First Presbyterian Church 213 Main St. 1976
Madison Street Methodist Church 319 Madison St. 1976
Samuel Rexinger House 813 College St. 1977
Smith-Hoffman House 149 Plum St. 1977
Dog Hill Architectural District Munford Avenue, First, Union, Madison and Second streets 1980
Oak Top 107 Madison Terrace 1980
Fort Defiance CSA/Fort Bruce USA Park at 120 Duncan St. 1982
Catholic Church and Rectory 716 Franklin St. 1982
Clarksville Methodist Church 334 Main St. 1982
St. Peter African Methodist Church 518 Franklin St. 1982
Trinity Church and Rectory 317 Franklin St. 1982
Clarksville High School Greenwood Avenue 1983
Clarksville Foundry and Machine Works Office 96 Commerce St. 1987
Christopher H. Smith House Spring and McClure streets 1988
Forbes-Mabry House 607 N. Second St. 1995
Glenwood Historic District Glenwood Drive 1996
Johnson-Hach House 403 Greenwood Ave. 1998
Tip Top 15 Trahern Terrace 1998
Dunlop Milling Company 1138 Franklin St. 1999
Madison Street Historic District Madison Street 1999
Alfred A. Robb House 529 York St. 2000
Northington-Beach House 512 Madison St. 2001
First Presbyterian Church Manse 305 Main St. 2001
Country Woman’s Club 2216 Old Russellville Pike 2006
Mt. Olive Cemetery 951 Cumberland Drive 2020
Dunlop House 517 Madison St. 2025

Montgomery County has more listings outside the city, including Cloverlands, Riverview, Whitehall, the Old Post House on U.S. 41A and a string of 19th-century iron furnace sites.

Places to visit

Fort Defiance Civil War Park & Interpretive Center, 120 Duncan St. The fort sits on a bluff 200 feet above where the Red River meets the Cumberland. Union forces took it in February 1862; it later drew freedom seekers and became an enlistment site for the U.S. Colored Troops. The earthworks, powder magazine and gun platforms are still visible, with nearly a mile of trails and a 1,500-square-foot interpretive center. Fall and winter hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday; spring and summer close at 5 p.m. Closed Monday. Free.

Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, Second and Commerce streets. Built in 1898 as a federal post office and customs house for the tobacco trade, listed on the National Register in 1972 and opened as a museum in 1984. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday and major holidays. Admission is charged; it offers a free self-guided walking tour brochure of downtown landmarks.

Riverview Cemetery, 635 N. Spring St. The city cemetery since Feb. 23, 1800, on land given by Valentine Sevier, its first recorded burial. Two Revolutionary War veterans are buried here, along with a mass grave of more than 125 Confederate soldiers. Open 8 a.m. to sunset; office 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.

Dunbar Cave State Park, 401 Old Dunbar Cave Road. A cave with prehistoric Native American cave art; guided tours May through September. See our parks guide.

What this means for you

  • Fort Defiance is free and open six days a week; its fall hours end at 4 p.m.
  • For a self-guided start, pick up the Customs House Museum’s downtown walking tour.
  • Changing a building in a historic district? Talk to the Regional Planning Commission first.

More guides: things to do this month, population and growth and getting around Clarksville.

Frequently asked questions

When was Clarksville, Tennessee, founded?

In 1784, when the North Carolina legislature established it as the seat of Tennessee County, before Tennessee was a state, according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia.

Who is Clarksville named after?

George Rogers Clark, the Revolutionary War hero.

What are the hours at Fort Defiance in Clarksville?

Fall and winter: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday. Admission is free. Phone 931-472-3351.

What is the Customs House Museum?

A history, art and culture museum in an 1898 federal post office and customs house at Second and Commerce streets. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.