Norris, Tennessee

TVA chairman Arthur Morgan envisioned Norris as a model of cooperative, egalitarian living.[http://www.tva.gov/heritage/norris/index.htm An American Ideal], TVA Heritage, TVA website, accessed September 27, 2011 The city design was developed by TVA staff,[http://frank.mtsu.edu/~tah/sites/norris.pdf Norris Historic District], Cumberland River Valley Consortium Project website, Middle Tennessee State University, accessed June 12, 2009 who loosely based their design on the English garden city movement of the 1890s. Winding roads followed the contour of the terrain. Houses did not always face the street. A central common green and a belt of rural land around the town were reserved for use by residents. The houses, which were some of the first all-electric homes, were built using local wood and stone, according to twelve basic house designs that each included a porch and fireplace. Different exterior materials were used for visual variety.[http://www.tngenweb.org/tva/NorrisDam/norris.php History and Facts on Norris Dam], Tennessee GenWeb Project (accessed November 11, 2007)

File:Norris-laboratory-building-tva1.jpg

Norris represents the first use of greenbelt design principles in a self-contained town in the United States. The town was the first in Tennessee to have a complete system of dial telephones. Norris Creamery was the first milk-producing plant in the world to be powered solely by electricity.

During the 1930s, TVA officials excluded black families from the city, effectively making it a sundown town, purportedly to conform to the customs and traditions of the area. However, black leaders said that poor whites and blacks had lived and worked together in the area long before the TVA came into existence. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) complained repeatedly (in 1934, 1935 and 1938) about racial discrimination by the TVA in the hiring, housing and training of blacks.New Deal Network, [http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/tva08.htm The Planned Community of Norris, Tennessee]{{cite book|title=Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism|first=James W.|last=Loewen|author-link=James W. Loewen|publisher=The New Press|location=New York City|date=2018|pages=103, 112–113|isbn=978-1-62097-454-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abhIDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT89|via=Google Books}}

In 1948 the U.S. Congress directed that the city be sold at public auction. It was purchased for $2.1 million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2,100,000|1948}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars {{inflation-fn|US}}) by a Philadelphia investment group headed by Henry D. Epstein, which then sold individual homes to their residents. The city was officially incorporated in 1949. In 1953 the Epstein group sold its remaining Norris real estate to a corporation formed by Norris residents and known as the Norris Corporation.

The town, including 340 buildings and an area of about {{convert|4000|acre|km2}}, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as an historic district, designated the Norris District.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/TN/Anderson/districts.html |title= Tennessee – Anderson County – Historic Districts |publisher=NationalRegisterOfHistoricPlaces.Com, a private website mirroring public domain National Register data}}[https://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp National Register of Historic Places Focus]

Today Norris primarily serves as a bedroom community for Knoxville and Oak Ridge. Services available within the community include one elementary school serving grades K-5, one middle school serving grades 6–8, a small grocer, and many other small businesses. The community's high school students attend Anderson County High School.

The Museum of Appalachia, founded by John Rice Irwin,{{cite journal| title=Happy 80th Birthday, John Rice Irwin!| journal=The Norris Bulletin| date=December 8, 2010| volume=64| issue=49| pages=1, 6}} is a popular attraction in Norris. Norris is a short distance from Norris Dam State Park, part of which is in the city, and Big Ridge State Park, which include popular camping areas.

Norris is located in northern Anderson County at {{Coord|36|11|58|N|84|4|9|W|type:city}} (36.199515, −84.069077),{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} on a set of hills south of the Clinch River. U.S. Route 441, the Norris Freeway, arcs around the west side of the city, leading south {{convert|21|mi}} to Knoxville and northwest {{convert|10|mi}} to Rocky Top. Interstate 75 passes {{convert|2|mi|0}} to the southwest of the city, with access via Tennessee State Route 61 from Exit 122.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|18.6|km2|disp=flip}}, all of it land.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4753600| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212200715/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4753600| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Norris city, Tennessee| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=August 8, 2013}} A large portion of this area is contained in the Norris Municipal Watershed, which has an area of more than {{convert|2200|acre|km2}} and is managed for water supply, recreation, timber production, and wildlife, including deer hunting. There are nearly {{convert|20|mi|km}} of recreation trails on the watershed area.http://www.cityofnorris.com/services/services.html {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

{{Weather box

|location = Norris, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1935–present)

|single line = Y

|width = auto

|Jan record high F = 76

|Feb record high F = 80

|Mar record high F = 87

|Apr record high F = 92

|May record high F = 94

|Jun record high F = 104

|Jul record high F = 105

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 102

|Oct record high F = 93

|Nov record high F = 88

|Dec record high F = 75

|year record high F = 105

|Jan high F = 44.4

|Feb high F = 49.8

|Mar high F = 59.6

|Apr high F = 70.1

|May high F = 77.0

|Jun high F = 82.7

|Jul high F = 85.1

|Aug high F = 84.5

|Sep high F = 79.8

|Oct high F = 69.5

|Nov high F = 57.4

|Dec high F = 47.5

|year high F = 67.3

|Jan mean F = 34.8

|Feb mean F = 38.8

|Mar mean F = 46.5

|Apr mean F = 55.6

|May mean F = 64.0

|Jun mean F = 71.1

|Jul mean F = 74.2

|Aug mean F = 73.5

|Sep mean F = 68.0

|Oct mean F = 56.6

|Nov mean F = 45.6

|Dec mean F = 38.1

|year mean F = 55.6

|Jan low F = 25.2

|Feb low F = 27.8

|Mar low F = 33.3

|Apr low F = 41.1

|May low F = 50.9

|Jun low F = 59.4

|Jul low F = 63.4

|Aug low F = 62.5

|Sep low F = 56.3

|Oct low F = 43.8

|Nov low F = 33.8

|Dec low F = 28.7

|year low F = 43.9

|Jan record low F = -19

|Feb record low F = -17

|Mar record low F = -3

|Apr record low F = 19

|May record low F = 20

|Jun record low F = 35

|Jul record low F = 41

|Aug record low F = 42

|Sep record low F = 30

|Oct record low F = 19

|Nov record low F = 6

|Dec record low F = −6

|year record low F = -19

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 5.11

|Feb precipitation inch = 5.35

|Mar precipitation inch = 5.48

|Apr precipitation inch = 5.75

|May precipitation inch = 4.31

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.87

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.38

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.27

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.06

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.37

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.03

|Dec precipitation inch = 5.69

|year precipitation inch = 57.67

|Jan snow inch = 1.1

|Feb snow inch = 1.5

|Mar snow inch = 0.1

|Apr snow inch = 0.0

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.0

|Nov snow inch = 0.0

|Dec snow inch = 0.4

|year snow inch = 3.1

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 12.4

|Feb precipitation days = 11.9

|Mar precipitation days = 12.5

|Apr precipitation days = 11.2

|May precipitation days = 12.1

|Jun precipitation days = 13.0

|Jul precipitation days = 13.0

|Aug precipitation days = 10.1

|Sep precipitation days = 8.3

|Oct precipitation days = 8.4

|Nov precipitation days = 9.2

|Dec precipitation days = 11.6

|year precipitation days = 133.7

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 0.7

|Feb snow days = 0.6

|Mar snow days = 0.1

|Apr snow days = 0.0

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.0

|Dec snow days = 0.2

|year snow days = 1.6

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=mrx

| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = October 6, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00406619&format=pdf

| title = Station: Norris, TN

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = October 6, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1950= 1134

|1960= 1389

|1970= 1359

|1980= 1374

|1990= 1303

|2000= 1446

|2010= 1491

|2020= 1599

|footnote=Sources:{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 4, 2012|title=Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses}}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,601 people, 585 households, and 330 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,491 people living in the city.

Statistics based on the 2000 census are: the population density was {{convert|210.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 682 housing units at an average density of {{convert|99.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.41% White, 0.21% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 644 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was {{Dollarsign|USD}}47,105, and the median income for a family was {{Dollarsign|USD}}55,179. Males had a median income of {{Dollarsign|USD}}41,813 versus {{Dollarsign|USD}}27,727 for females. The per capita income for the city was {{Dollarsign|USD}}29,832. About 0.7% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

The government of Norris is vested in a five-member city council, with a mayor and vice-mayor being selected among that group. As of July 27, 2023, the current mayor of Norris is Chris Mitchell and the vice-mayor is Chuck Nicholson. The remaining council members are Bill Grieve, Will Grinder, and Loretta Painter.

The original city hall was located in the Norris Community Building, along with the town library and the multi-purpose auditorium/gymnasium on Ridgeway Drive until 1978, when it was destroyed by a fire. The cause was never determined. The city hall then moved to a location on Chestnut Drive, but this location was destroyed in a fire in 2002. The facility on Chestnut Drive was reconstructed and continues to serve as a City Office and Community Building. The Norris Public Safety Department is located at 9 West Circle Road.

The city of Norris also helps fund a public library. The library has about 20,000 materials in its collection and is located in the McNeeley Municipal Building.

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Norris, Tennessee}}

• {{official website|http://www.cityofnorris.com}}
• [http://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/gml-mtas.nsf/Webstatecityinfo/EE94FDD617B0B4A885256AF7005EDAD5?OpenDocument Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Norris] — information on local government, elections, and link to charter

{{Anderson County, Tennessee}}

{{National Register of Historic Places}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Anderson County, Tennessee

Category:Cities in Tennessee

Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee

Category:Knoxville metropolitan area

Category:Planned communities in the United States

Category:Populated places established in 1933

Category:Tennessee Valley Authority

Category:Company towns in Tennessee

Category:1933 establishments in Tennessee

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Anderson County, Tennessee

Category:Utopian communities in the United States