Chuckey Depot Museum: Clinchfield Railroad Exhibit Reception

Jonesborough, TN. – The Town of Jonesborough has announced that the Chuckey Depot Museum will be having a reception on August 1, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. to welcome the new “Clinchfield Railroad” exhibit. The exhibit will run through January 2020.

The Clinchfield route was an impressive engineering feat of its time. Referred to as “The Costliest Railroad in America” by Scientific American in 1909, it cost over $30 million to build (approximately $850 million in 2019). In total, the Clinchfield traversed 277 miles, 5 states, and 4 mountain ranges between Spartanburg, SC and Elkhorn City, KY. It included 55 tunnels and 80 bridges.

The Clinchfield line was very important to the history of the area, especially the history of Johnson City, Erwin, and Kingsport. The Chuckey Depot’s original home was just down the road in Chuckey, TN and now sits within WC Rowe Park in Jonesborough. In an effort to preserve the building, it was dismantled and re-erected in Jonesborough, where it opened as a museum in October 2017.

The Chuckey Depot Museum’s regular hours are Monday, Thursday-Friday, and Sunday from 1-5. The museum is open on Saturday from 11-5.

For more information call 423.753.1010. The Chuckey Depot Museum is located at 110 S 2nd Ave. This project is brought to you by the Town of Jonesborough, the Heritage Alliance and the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society.