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Blair Court
“Blair Court” is one of the new streets in Kingsport’s Brickyard Village, named after Blair & Company. But who were they? To answer that, we have to begin not in Kingsport, but in New York City — in the world of late 19th- and early 20th-century finance, when Wall Street banking houses helped build railroads,…
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The Model City Rewind
Former Mayor Pat Shull has been after me for years to write a follow-up to Margaret Ripley Wolfe’s 1994 book, Kingsport, Tennessee: A Planned American City. That book was not a “Chamber of Commerce” piece that simply celebrated the good points. In many ways, it was a warning. Wolfe captured Kingsport at a turning point.…
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The Children Behind The Numbers
Sometimes we get desensitized to the noise. We are bombarded from every direction with snippets, tweets, posts, shares, headlines, and half-truths. So many people I know have either tuned out or turned it all off at the very time we most need to be paying attention. I understand that. It is a defense mechanism. But…
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Reflections of the Father of the Bride
One thing about my daughter: she does not like being in the spotlight. But I believe moments matter…and if I let this one pass without speaking from my heart, I’d miss the chance to tell her how much she means to me—and to all of us, really. So here goes. Katelyn knows this is one…
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The Story Hidden in Church Circle
I was recently asked why half of the four church buildings on Kingsport’s historic Church Circle are Methodist. As a history buff, I knew why, but it occurred to me that others may not. Long before Kingsport became the Model City, Methodist worship had already taken root here. Organized Methodism in this region dates to…
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Sullivan 250 | Before Countyhood: How Order Came to the Holston Valley
Fourth in a 12-part monthly series to commemorate Sullivan County’s role in the 250th birthday of the United States of America April 2026 | 4 of 12 Even as violence flared in the Holston Valley during the Revolutionary era, settlers made a choice that would shape the region’s long-term character: they insisted on order. Long before…
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Strong Neighborhoods. Smart Growth.
It is a term coined by John Campbell, former Kingsport city manager, to describe the city’s core strength. He grew up in the Model City with an intimate understanding of its history and design, but spent much of his professional life away from home, measuring his memories of Kingsport against communities across the state. His…
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Leading From the Back
This week, community members gathered to cut the ribbon on the new BlueCross Healthy Place at Riverwalk Park. But ribbon-cutting is only the visible moment. It is the latest public expression of a vision that began decades ago. One thing stood out to me in the photo of dignitaries cutting the ribbon: City Manager Chris…
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April 15: A Date That Forever Changed My Life
To most people, April 15 is Tax Day, but to me, it’s a day that changed my life forever. Let me explain. I was a candidate to be Kingsport’s next city manager. After 3 ½ months of deliberation, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen was scheduled to make a public announcement that I had been…
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Established Neighborhoods Are Carrying Kingsport’s Out-of-Region Growth
MOVE TO KINGSPORT MONTHLY REPORT – MARCH 2026 The past month shows that Kingsport’s out-of-region draw remains impressively wide. March’s moves came from 25 states, which is a broad footprint for a single month. The biggest monthly sources were Tennessee, Florida, and Texas, with additional moves from states such as New York and Virginia (outside…
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