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is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The population was 4,168 at the 2000 census. It is Tennessee's oldest town.
Jonesborough is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.
Jonesborough was founded in 1779, seventeen years before Tennessee was granted statehood. It was named after North Carolina legislator, Willie Jones, who supported North Carolina's westward expansion over the Appalachian Mountains.
The town was originally a part of North Carolina. In 1784, Jonesborough was one of the towns that attempted to create a new state called the State of Franklin, named after American founding father Benjamin Franklin. The State of Franklin, however, was never recognized by Congress, and was re-claimed by North Carolina by 1788.
Jonesborough is often considered to be the center of the abolitionist movement within the states that would join the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Elihu Embree printed his publication,
, from the town of Jonesborough. Circulation began in 1820, making
the first American periodical to be dedicated exclusively to the issue of the abolition of slavery. While Tennessee would later join the Confederacy, most East Tennesseans had Union leanings.
Today, Jonesborough draws a good deal of tourism because of its historical status as Tennessee's oldest town and its significant preservation efforts. The town's museum describes local heritage of tobacco farming. The historic Chester Inn downtown was built in 1797.
Jonesborough is also the home to the International Storytelling Center, which holds the annual National Storytelling Festival on the first full weekend in October. The Festival builds on the Appalachian cultural tradition of storytelling and has been drawing people from around the world for more than 35 years to both tell and listen. Large tents are pitched in parks around town and storytellers sit on stages or at the head of the tent to perform. Occasionally performances are interrupted for a moment by a passing Norfolk Southern Railway train. Past storytellers include Carmen Agra Deedy, Syd Lieberman, and Kathryn Tucker Windham. The festival influenced the development of a successful storytelling graduate degree program at the nearby East Tennessee State University.
In 1788, future U.S. president Andrew Jackson spent several months in Jonesborough awaiting a caravan. Jackson lodged at the cabin belonging to Major Christopher Taylor, located about a mile outside of town. In 1974, this cabin was removed from its original spot and reconstructed in the town's park. According to local legend, Jackson's ghost occasionally appears in the cabin's vicinity. The ghost supposedly walks up to the front door and disappears into the building. The ghost has also been seen walking down the street, in the direction of the old courthouse.