Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
National Register of Historic Places

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Middlesboro, Bell County, Kentucky
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000353

About this property

The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located at the border between Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, centered on the Cumberland Gap, a natural break in the Appalachian Mountains. The park lies in parts of Bell and Harlan counties in Kentucky, Claiborne County in Tennessee, and Lee County in Virginia. The park contains the Kentucky-Virginia-Tennessee tripoint, accessible via trail. The town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, is located inside of the park's territory. The Cumberland Gap Visitor Center is located on U.S. Highway 25E just southeast of the city of Middlesboro, Kentucky, and just northwest of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel and the town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. The visitor center features a museum with interactive exhibits about the Gap's role as a transportation corridor, an auditorium that shows films about the area's cultural and natural history, a book store and the Cumberland Crafts gift shop with crafts from Appalachia.

Location

Middlesboro, Bell County, Kentucky
36.60621, -83.67429

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEMILITARYAGRICULTURETRANSPORTATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

This page lists Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Cumberland Gap National Historical Park report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Cumberland Gap Historic District
Listed
0 mi
Middlesboro Downtown Commercial District
Listed
2.2 mi
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church
Industrial
2.2 mi
Brooks House
Industrial
2.4 mi
American Association, Limited, Office Building
Industrial
2.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Burnside Captures Cumberland Gap
1863Civil War
0.3 mi
Evacuation of Cumberland Gap (Union)
1862Civil War
0.4 mi
Cumberland Gap — First Confederate Occupation
1861Civil War
0.4 mi
Battle of Cumberland Gap (Union Seizure)
1862Civil War
0.4 mi
Confederate Recapture of Cumberland Gap (September 1862)
1862Civil War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cumberland Gap National Historical Park listed on the National Register?

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Cumberland Gap National Historical Park?

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park?

The period of significance for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1940.

Can I research the history near Cumberland Gap National Historical Park?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Cumberland Gap National Historical Park will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Bell County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Bell County.

Explore BellCounty ›

More historic places in Kentucky

Browse all historic places in Kentucky.

View Kentuckyhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Kentucky history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Kentuckyhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Cumberland Gap National Historical Park will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report