PITTMAN CENTER

Nestled in the mountains of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park just minutes away from downtown Gatlinburg lies the quaint community of Pittman Center. This area was once known as Emerts Cove, named after its first settler and Revolutionary War veteran, Fredrick Emert. In 1919, a Methodist minister by the name of Rev. Dr. John Sevier Burnett envisioned a center to provide education and health needs. With the financial support of an upstate New York friend, Rev. Eli Pittman, the center grew into a campus known as the Pittman Community Center. Although the activities of the Center eventually ceased as a mission, the name Pittman Center remained. In 1974, the community of Pittman Center was incorporated by the State of Tennessee. Today, over 500 people reside in Pittman Center. These residents enjoy a unique blend of culture, history and natural scenic beauty and work very hard to preserve the picturesque landscape and mountain culture that entices visitors to see annually. There are numerous opportunities for the entire family such as; fishing, hiking, swimming, rafting, golfing, bird watching and wildlife viewing. Many also stroll across the historic covered bridge at Emerts Cove, while others tour the historic City Hall. In the beautiful community of Pittman Center there is a little something for everyone!

EDUCATION

Pittman Center Elementary is a PreK-8 school with a total enrollment of just under 180 students. The student teacher ratio is 11:1. The community has joined together and raised over one million dollars to assist the school system in building a brand-new, state-of-the-art school for the children of the Pittman Center Community. The school plans to officially open in the Fall of 2007. Pittman Center Elementary wishes to create the best possible learning environment for all the students of our school. The staff wants Pittman Center Elementary to be a school where every student will be safe and able to learn to the best of his or her ability. The Mission at Pittman Center Elementary is to provide challenging learning experiences in a caring and nurturing environment, while preparing for the future and preserving the mountain heritage.


ARTS & CRAFTS

Showcasing the functional and artistic hand-made crafts of the area, the numerous shops carry both traditional and contemporary craft items by local and regional artisans with items on display including wood, leather, glass, clay, metal, and fiber. You will find shop after shop with unique items found nowhere else in the United States. Some of the shops are listed below and others can be found on the City of Gatlinburg's official website.

Art for God, 725 Buckhorn Road, Gatlinburg TN 37738. Phone: (865) 436-0789. Email address: steve@art4god.com Website address: http://www.art4god.com/
Passionate, unique art on the life and teachings of Jesus by Stephen Sawyer.

G. Webb Gallery, 795 Buckhorn Road, Gatlinburg TN 37738. Pone: (865) 436-3639. Website address: http://www.gwebbgallery.com/ Water colours and prints featuring artists G. Webb and Cami Monet Webb.

Highland Craft Gallery, 755 Buckhorn Road, Hemlock Village #4, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Phone: (865) 430-8951. Email address: highlandcraftgallery@planetc.com Traditional and contemporary handcrafts of metal, fiber, glass, clay leather.

Otto Preske-Artist in Wood, 535 Buckhorn Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Phone: (865) 436-5339. Hand carved fireplace mantels. Special order one-of-a-kind woodcarvings.


NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

The Town Hall, now on the National Register of Historic Places, once served as a home economics building for Pitman Center High School.

EMERTS COVE COVERED BRIDGE

When visiting the Pittman Center area many people stroll across the covered bridge known as, the Emerts Cove Covered Bridge. Many residents claim this bridge is part of their heritage. It reminds them of the early beginnings of their community, when there was doubt whether the community would survive under the name Pittman Center or Emerts Cove.


THE MIDDLE PRONG OF THE LITTLE PIGEON RIVER

Middle Prong itself is part of the town's heritage. In 1998, the state designated the portion of the stream inside Pittman Center as an Outstanding Natural Resource Waterway. The designation prevented any development along that section of the stream that might affect its flow or water quality. In the middle 1970's those who loved the river successfully defended it against the plans of Gatlinburg to pump one million gallons of water daily from Middle Prong to add to the Gatlinburg water supply. Residents felt that removing the excessive amounts of water would detract from the quality of the river. Pittman Center won the battle and water source for Gatlinburg and surrounding areas comes from Douglas Lake.



NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Pittman Center joined the ranks of some of the most prestigious destinations in the country last year when it was selected as one of the top 12 towns to be inducted into the organization's list of "A Dozen Distinctive Destinations."