National Historic Landmark

Rhea County Courthouse

Dayton, Rhea County, Tennessee
Listed
November 7, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001251

About this property

The Rhea County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse in the center of Dayton, the county seat of Rhea County, Tennessee. Built in 1891, it is famous as the scene of the Scopes trial of July 1925, in which teacher John T. Scopes faced charges for including Charles Darwin's theory of evolution in his public school lesson. The trial became a clash of titans between lawyers William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow for the defense, and epitomizes the tension between fundamentalism and modernism in a wide range of aspects of American society. The courthouse, now also housing a museum devoted to the trial, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Location

Dayton, Rhea County, Tennessee
35.49511, -85.01280

Categories

EDUCATIONSCIENCELAWRELIGIONPHILOSOPHY
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.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

First Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Thomison, Dr. Walter, House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Broyles-Darwin House
Civil War
0.8 mi
Blythe Ferry
Civil War
5.9 mi
Blythe Ferry (Boundary Increase)
Civil War
5.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Decatur, Tennessee
1863Civil War
12.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rhea County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Rhea County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Rhea County Courthouse?

Rhea County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Rhea County Courthouse a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Rhea County Courthouse has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Rhea County Courthouse?

The period of significance for Rhea County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Rhea County Courthouse?

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