Friendsville is a city in Blount County, Tennessee. Its population was 896 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
left|200px|thumb|Friendsville in 1942
Friendsville was founded by Quakers from New Garden, North Carolina, who settled in the area in the 1790s. The town is still home to a Friends Meetinghouse. In 1854, a group of British Quaker elders stayed here whilst promoting the abolitionist cause with American leaders. During this visit, abolitionist leader William Forster died and was buried here.
In the 19th century, the Quakers wielded considerable influence in Blount County, and were partially responsible for the abolitionist movements arising in the county in the years leading up to the Civil War. Along with nearby Greenback and possibly Cades Cove, Friendsville provided a stop on the Underground Railroad. A cave (since filled in) near the Friends Meetinghouse was stocked with provisions by Quakers such as William J. Hackney to provide a stopover for fugitive slaves and later soldiers en route to join the Union army.
Friendsville today
K-5 education in Friendsville is provided by Friendsville Elementary School (part of Blount County Schools), which was once Friendsville High School. Boat launch facilities along Fort Loudoun Lake can be found at Gallahar Creek and Whispering Cove.
Friendsville is home to the Pellissippi State Community College, Blount County Campus.
Geography
Friendsville is located in western Blount County. The town is situated along State Route 333 (Miser Station Road) and stretches from Fort Loudoun Lake in the north to U.S. Route 321 (Lamar Alexander Parkway). It lies at an elevation of .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Friendsville had a population of 896. The median age was 48.0 years. 16.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 105.8 males.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 832 || 92.9%
|-
| Black or African American || 1 || 0.1%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 5 || 0.6%
|-
| Asian || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 2 || 0.2%
|-
| Two or more races || 56 || 6.2%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 21 || 2.3%
|}
There were 383 households in Friendsville, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.5% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 19.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.