Pioneered by Researcher Jack Cross First Sullivan CO, TNGenWeb County Coordinator

Sullivan County Archives

Blountville, Tennessee

Newly opened in May 2004, the Sullivan County Archives officially opened its facility located next to the old Sullivan County Courthouse on Highway 126 in Blountville, Tennessee. Although the Archives is presently open only to elected officials while records are still in processing, plans are under way to open the facility to the general public by Summer 2005.

The Sullivan County Archives was the result of a 10-year long project spearheaded by the Sullivan County Records Commission under the direction of Hon. John S. McLellan III, Circuit Judge; Hon. Ralph Harr, Commissioner; Shelia Steele Hunt, County Genealogist; Nancy Acuff, County Historian; Mary Lou Duncan, Register of Deeds; and Jeannie Gammon, County Clerk. The Sullivan County Archives was officially established under the term of Hon. Richard S. Venable, County Mayor, and with the support of Hon. Dennis Houser, County Commissioner. The project was also supported by Dr. Wayne Moore, Jami Awalt, and Gwen Thayer and the late Dr. John Thweatt of the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Current operating hours – The Sullivan County Archives is currently open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays and Tuesdays.

Physical location – The facility is located at 3425 Hwy. 126, Blountville, next to the old Sullivan County Courthouse. (Please direct mail only to P.O. Box 3179, Blountville/TN 37617.)

Contact information – Sullivan County Archives, P.O. Box 3179, Blountville/TN 37617; phone (423) 323-4660; fax (423) 323-4635. Brief reference questions may be sent to Shelia Steele Hunt, County Archivist, hunt@sullivancounty.org. (For copy requests, please see the section below entitled, “Photocopy services” offered by the Friends of the Sullivan County Archives.)

Record holdings – The following record groups represent just a few of the records currently housed at the Sullivan County Archives. Please note that numerous acquisitions are being made on a weekly basis

Census records, 1790-1930

Marriage certificates and bonds (originals), 1863-1950

Marriage certificates (originals), 1950-1999

Marriage indices, 1863-1950

Wills (originals), 1830-2001

Wills indices, 1830-2001

Chancery suits (originals), 1850s through 1950s

Tax ledgers, 1850s through 1950s

Miscellaneous other Sullivan County records from 1863-1950.

Historical and genealogical library books

Genealogical surname files, A-Z, families from East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia – includes thousands of newspaper clippings, obituaries, marriages, family group sheets, genealogies, histories, photographs, Bible records, etc.
Topographical files re churches, schools, cemeteries, communities, towns, etc.
Photographic Collection – thousands of photographs from East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia
Scrapbooks and miscellaneous family collections

Photocopy services – The Friends of the Sullivan County Archives (FSCA) now offers photocopy services of records housed at the Archives. Please be very specific in your request. Payment in advance by check or money order is required, and fees should be made payable to FSCA, P.O. Box 3179, Blountville/TN 37617. Large groups of records in the Sullivan County Archives are still in the “In Processing” stages of preservation. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding in the event that a record might be temporarily unavailable while it is being processed. Emails will be answered during normal operating hours. Please be very specific in your request, and include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. Please note: These copy services are offered by the Friends of the Sullivan County Archives, and checks/money orders should be made specifically to FSCA.

Marriage certificates and bonds (originals), 1863-1999 - There is a $5 fee to photocopy a marriage certificate.
Marriage indices, 1863-1950 – There is a $7 fee to photocopy up to ten pages of all listings for one surname (male and female) from the marriage indices. If we find more than 10 pages of information, we will notify you and ask you to send additional funds for the remaining pages. The $5 fee is not refundable.
Wills (originals), 1830-2001 - There is a $10 fee to photocopy a will.
Wills indices, 1830-2001 - There is a $7 fee to photocopy up to ten pages of all listings for one surname from the indexes to the Sullivan County wills for 1830-2001. If we find more than ten pages of information, we will notify you and ask you to send additional funds for the remaining pages. The $7 fee is not refundable.
Historical and genealogical library books - There is a $5 fee to photocopy up to ten pages from our historical and genealogical library book collection. If we find more than 10 pages of information, we will notify you and ask you to send additional funds for the remaining pages. The $5 fee is not refundable.
Genealogical surname files – There is a $5 fee to photocopy up to ten pages of printed material from the surname files. If we find more than 10 pages of information, we will notify you and ask you to send additional funds for the remaining pages. The $5 fee is not refundable.

Donations and volunteers needed - The Sullivan County Archives gratefully accepts donations. The archives is seeking the help of community volunteers, donations of books and family histories, group sheets, pedigree charts, photographs, etc. The archives also accepts monetary donations. All donations should be addressed to Friends of the Sullivan County Archives, P.O. Box 3179, Blountville/TN 37617. Donations may be made in memory of loved ones or in honor of someone in your family. For further information, contact Shelia Steele Hunt, County Archivist, at hunt@sullivancounty.org.

Special note: The Sullivan County Genealogical Society now houses its files at the Sullivan County Archives in Blountville, and the society fully supports the Friends of the Archives project. The genealogical society has supported the archives by its family history contributions and by its volunteer support at the Sullivan County Archives.

Last updated on 11 March 2005

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