Sparta, Tennessee
| Sparta, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Sparta's business district
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| Nickname(s): Bluegrass USA | |
 Location of Sparta, Tennessee |
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| Coordinates: 35°55′56″N 85°28′11″W / 35.93222°N 85.46972°WCoordinates: 35°55′56″N 85°28′11″W / 35.93222°N 85.46972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | White |
| Founded | 1809 |
| Incorporated | 1813 |
| Named for | Sparta, Greece |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jeff Young |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.3 sq mi (16.4 km2) |
| • Land | 6.3 sq mi (16.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 922 ft (281 m) |
| Population (2014 (est.)) | |
| • Total | 5,075 |
| • Density | 725.2/sq mi (280.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 38583 |
| Area code(s) | 931 |
| FIPS code | 47-70180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1269179 |
| Website | spartatn |
Sparta is a city in White County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,925 in 2010, and 5,075 according to a 2014 census estimate. It is the county seat of White County.
The Calfkiller River flows through the city.
Seven sites in Sparta are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sparta was established in 1809 as a county seat for White County, which had been created in 1806. The city was named after the ancient Greek city-state Sparta.
Sparta nearly became the capital of the state of Tennessee, as, early in the history of Tennessee, the state legislature voted to choose a location for the permanent state capital. The final vote resulted in a near tie between Sparta and Nashville. Sparta lost to Nashville by one vote.
Sparta grew quickly due to its location along the stage road between Knoxville and Nashville. In the 1830s, brothers Barlow and Madison Fisk built the Sparta Rock House, which served as an inn along the stage road. The Rock House, strategically situated in an area where the Cumberland Plateau gives way to the Calfkiller valley, was a common stopover for figures important to the early history of the state, including Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. The building is now a state historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sparta is notable as a place where two renowned airmen lost their lives. Hawthorne C. Gray, an aviation record holder, died in a balloon-basket mishap over Sparta in 1927, and Lansing Holden, a World War I flying ace, crashed his plane near Sparta in 1938.
Sparta is located at 35°55′56″N 85°28′11″W / 35.93222°N 85.46972°W (35.932335, -85.469837), approximately fifteen miles south of Cookeville. The city is situated on the Highland Rim, near the western base of the Cumberland Plateau. The Calfkiller River traverses Sparta north-to-south en route to its confluence with the Caney Fork several miles to the south.
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Wikipedia