HISTORICAL  -  SPARTA, TENNESSEE

Sparta was established in 1809 as a county seat for White County, which had been created in 1806. The city was named after the ancient Greek city-state.

Sparta grew quickly due to its location along the stage road between Knoxville and Nashville. In the 1830s, brothers Barlow and Madison Fisk built the Sparta Rock House, which served as an inn along the stage road. The Rock House, strategically situated in an area where the Cumberland Plateau gives way to the Calfkiller valley, was a common stopover for figures important to the early history of the state, including Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. The building is now a state historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Liberty Square
Construction completed 1994
Built on site of Lee Hotel which was destroyed by fire Aug 13, 1991
City sponsors 2 free concerts each month
Seats 500 with gazebo concession stand
May be reserved by individuals or groups
Request reservations

A temporary log courthouse and a jail was erected between 1806 and 1809
The log courthouse was replaced by a small square brick building in 1815
A larger courthouse was built in 1896
The present courthouse was erected in 1974