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Since the Hurricane Helene flood, what to do with the historic Folsom House, which stands just beyond the Monument on E. Elk Ave., is a question mark. There has been some discussion about what to do with the house since it has been vacated by the Carter County Extension Office and is in need of some repairs, which will be costly, no doubt.

For many in the community, the Folsom House is most important for the community Christmas tree that stands just outside the house in the front yard. That tree stands 78 feet tall and is the tallest Fraser fir in Tennessee and among the tallest in the world. Every year, it becomes one of the tallest living Christmas trees in the world. Major Folsom brought the tree from the top of Roan Mountain in the years immediately after the Civil War, and it has grown tall and stately ever since.

Although the house has been vacated because of the September flood, the Building and Grounds Committee of the Carter County Commission, at its November 2023 meeting, was quick to add that the county has not moved out. Mention was made to search for grants that could be used to make repairs to the old house.

The Folsom House is, indeed, one of Elizabethton’s rare historical treasures and needs to be preserved. Why do historical places matter to people? What can we learn from the continued existence of old places in our community and around our nation? And why does it matter if we save these old places or if we don’t?

There are many reasons old places matter, from memory to civic identity to history to architecture to beauty to economics. While most of the reasons don’t fully capture all of the many meanings historical places have for people, there’s one main idea to be emphasized: Old places give us an understanding of history that no other documents or evidence possibly can.

The Folsoms were one of Elizabethton’s most prominent families and left an indelible mark on the community. There is the former Folsom Printing Co., of which many still remember; the Captain Lynn H. Folsom Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; and the Folsom House, all of which were named for the Folsoms.

The patriarch of the local Folsom family was Malcolm N. Folsom, a native of North Carolina, who came to Carter County, perhaps because his uncle, Nathaniel Folsom, had migrated here in the late 1700s. Malcolm Folsom was born in 1792 and fought in the War of 1812, along with his father, Willey (pronounced Wiley) Folsom, who fought and died in the War of 1812.

According to the 1850 census, Malcolm N. Folsom was a hatter and owned a business in town in which his sons worked. Folsom also served as clerk of the county court from 1836 to 1840 and as Register from 1840 to 1844.

William J. Folsom apparently took the family business over from his father.

Henderson Folsom, a son of Malcolm, built the two-story white clapboard house that now stands on E. Elk Avenue. He was the only commissioned officer from Carter County in the Confederate Army. After the war, he went on to become a well-known lawyer and teacher of law.

Major Folsom was well respected in the town and was a leader in the Southern Methodist Church and helped to erect the church building on Second Street (now the St. Thomas Episcopal Church).

The old house was inherited by Murray Folsom and his wife, who deeded the property to Carter County in 1976 with the provision that the house would not be sold or moved to another location.

Historical buildings such as the Folsom House are more than just old structures—they are vital threads in the fabric of a city’s identity. Preserving them not only honors the past but also shapes the character and future of a community. From economic benefits to environmental sustainability, the case for preserving historic architecture is compelling.

Remember, history is our story. It’s your story, too.