Estill Springs is a town in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,267 at the 2020 census. But a correction issued in 2024 gave a revised 2020 census population of 2,694. It is usually referred to simply as "Estill" by its inhabitants.

Estill Springs is part of the Winchester, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is located in Middle Tennessee.

History

Founding

Mineral springs in the area had long been known to the Cherokee people of the region. Before they settled here, varying cultures of indigenous peoples had lived in the area for thousands of years.

The European-American town dates from circa 1840, when the Frank Estill family, which owned considerable property in the area, donated a right-of-way for railroad construction. The combination of mineral waters, which were much in vogue as a health remedy at the time, and convenient rail access caused the settlement to develop as a small-scale spa town, which took its name from the springs. Oscar Meyer was appointed the first mayor of Estill.

Civil War era

During the Civil War, the town was generally known as "Allisonia", for another family which had settled in the area. It was the site of a Confederate training camp, Camp Harris, named for Isham G. Harris, the Confederate governor of Tennessee, who was a native of the county. Southern forces retreated through the town during the 1863 Tullahoma Campaign, named for the nearby community which served as Confederate headquarters. These two murders were among three recorded lynchings in Franklin County through the early 20th century.

The fad for bathing in and drinking spring waters eventually passed. Local lore has it that the long-awaited construction of U.S. Route 41A through the town in 1940 caused the springs to dry up. The spa era passed by mid-century, and the hotels were razed. The new highway connected the town to sources of employment in neighboring communities, and gave it a strategic position on the main artery between Nashville and Chattanooga. The development of local lakes through dam construction by the Tennessee Valley Authority generated recreational business as well.

Geography

thumb|Estill Springs City Hall

Estill Springs is located in northern Franklin County at (35.270394, -86.132783). It is situated on the north side of the Elk River at the upstream end of Tims Ford Lake. U.S. Route 41A passes through the center of town, leading northwest to Tullahoma and south to Winchester, the county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.00%, is water.

Demographics

2020 census

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Estill Springs racial composition

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

|-

!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 2,058

| 90.78%

|-

!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 49

| 2.16%

|-

!scope="row"| Native American

| 2

| 0.09%

|-

!scope="row"| Asian

| 26

| 1.15%

|-

!scope="row"| Pacific Islander

| 1

| 0.04%

|-

!scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 97

| 4.28%

|-

!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino

| 34

| 1.5%

|}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,267 people, 865 households, and 647 families residing in the town.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 2,055 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 94.9% White, 1.9% African American, 0.2% Native American,0.7% Asian, 1.5% Two or More Races. 0.9% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Notable people

  • John Henry Hale (1878–1944), prominent surgeon

References

  • Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Estill Springs — information on local government, elections, and link to charter