With this post, I'm participating in the Hooked on Houses blog party. Go check out all the great house tours today!
Jonesborough is a town that I have only barely scratched the surface of, both in person and researching online. It's full of history and lousy with ghosts. It's small, quaint, beautiful.
I can't yet get my head around Jonesborough. I already can't wait to go back and walk around.
The details on the houses are amazing.
There are a few bed and breakfasts in town. One of them has this little shop behind it. Darling.
I was reading on one of the Jonesborough websites about the new sign ordinance. Signs can't be too tall or too big because they want to prevent "visual clutter." Love it.
Look at the pretty purple at The Wedding Loft.
I couldn't find any definite information on this building/business, but I'll keep looking. It seems that it is or used to be a toy store - and you can see the dollhouses in the window.
Everywhere I drove, I kept thinking - this looks like a great place to live. This looks like home. Or what my idea of home should be.
What do you think? Do you live in a lovely town? Could you handle living in a town of less than 5,000 people? As my grandmama would say, I think I might could...
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When you're done here, please go check out all the rest of the houses on the tour.
You can also check out my other small town excursions.


























You sure could make this city girl run away and move to Tennesee! Very tempting.
Posted by: sheri | 04 August 2008 at 10:00 AM
I tend to think I'm a country girl but I think I'm both country and city girl. I like a bit of both. I live on an island of 22K people and I thought it was going to be home. But I have itchy feet again and am possibly craving a bit of city life. Your photos are lovely and I think a part of me could live that life, but I may also want an apartment in the city too. How sweet would that combination be?
Posted by: Selena | 04 August 2008 at 11:43 AM
Lovely!
I could handle a small town if there were something more cosmopolitan within driving distance. Not for a commute, but just knowing I could go there to shop or explore restaurants once in a while. The lack of restaurant variety was the hardest part about living in small-town South Dakota for me. Otherwise it was great.
Posted by: Kitt | 04 August 2008 at 11:53 AM
I do live in a small town and there are things I love about it and some things that are a bit tough. I feel at home wherever I go, but I've had to learn the 'good fences' rule and where to draw lines for privacy.
Your small town experience looks lovely. The photos are beautiful.
Posted by: Amy | 04 August 2008 at 12:35 PM
For me, it's all about the internet. there are some good restaurants around, but no major city nearby. but i can get pretty much anything i need on the internet, if i can't find it here.
i think the ideal thing would definitely be to have the country home and the city apartment. that would be fun...
Posted by: maya | 04 August 2008 at 01:13 PM
Oh these photos are lovely. I just saw them on your Flickr photostream. I think I could live there. I think I'd love to live somewhere within walking distance to a city square like that...right now we are a 30 minute drive from town, so I don't go to town very much. I would love to have a coffee shop I could walk or bike to.
I put this on one of your flickr photos, but I'll add it here to because it's worth noting that this great event takes place in Jonesborough every year:
http://www.storytellingcenter.com/festival/festival.htm
Posted by: shelli | 04 August 2008 at 02:48 PM
What a lovely town! I love the idea of preventing visual clutter. Now I have to get around to preventing ACTUAL clutter in my house!
Posted by: Alexis | 04 August 2008 at 03:04 PM
lovely! the town looks TOTALLY inviting. Having lived in a town with little more than a traffic circle and a gas station, then in a normal crowded suburb, and now on a dirt road with a handful of houses while across from a farm, I have to say I prefer the country. Civilization isn't too close, but close enough to drive to if necessary :)
Posted by: jen | 04 August 2008 at 09:04 PM
That town is lovely...wouldn't it be fun to have an unlimited amount of funds and fix one of those beautiful homes up?
I love that third pic of the front porch, what gorgeous detail.
I think I might could, too ;)
Nice to meet you! Bella :)
Posted by: Bella | 05 August 2008 at 07:06 AM
I could live there! Love the big front porches. It looks so homey.
Posted by: kristen | 05 August 2008 at 08:07 AM
I have never been to TN but think your small town looks just wonderful. The Victorian brick house reminds me of a lot of the Architecture of Hartford, Connecticut where I work. Love your blog - I'll be back!
Posted by: Marie Louise | 05 August 2008 at 08:43 AM
This looks like one of those idyllic small towns they always show in movies, but you rarely see in real life. I love it! I'm a small town girl at heart, I think...as long as there's a big town with a Target and some restaurants nearby!
I'm wondering about that teepee, though. How fun!
Thanks for joining the blog party, Maya! You know I love your blog. Your photos are always something special. -Julia :-)
Posted by: Hooked on Houses | 05 August 2008 at 09:21 AM
Thanks for the tour !
Posted by: JackieW. transplanted Okie (Buried in Legos) | 05 August 2008 at 09:23 AM
Looks like a really charming town. I live in a small town of less than 3,000 people but recently moved from the City of Philadelphia. Quite a difference but I'm loving "small town life".
Thanks for stopping by my blog and house tour today. I appreciate the info on "This Young House" I have to google it and check it out. If you have the time, stop by again and leave me a link. Thanks again!
Posted by: Caren | 05 August 2008 at 10:34 AM
oh yes! It's a lovely town...I could see MYSELF there!
Posted by: stephanie | 05 August 2008 at 10:48 AM
Very charming. I live in a large city.... but i did live in Ridgefield Connecticut and this reminds me of that town. I do miss that at times. Thanks for sharing in this open house tour. Amazing to see all of these homes from all over!
Posted by: desiree northend | 05 August 2008 at 10:59 AM
Thanks for adding Joneboro TN, to Julia's tour. I'm going to make a note to check it out. This might be near enough for a little visit. Wonderful photos and I love hearing about the sign ordinance.
Posted by: Pat | 05 August 2008 at 11:02 AM
Man o man I would hop in my car right now and drive there if I could! Loved this tour, thank you so much!
Posted by: Debbie | 05 August 2008 at 12:07 PM
What a beautiful town and homes. My home town has 2,000 people and I wouldn't have it any other way. I live in the county now and it totals 25,000 people.
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
Posted by: Lisa Ann | 05 August 2008 at 12:33 PM
Thank you for stopping by to see me! I love your town tour & all that older architecture. It's gorgeous. Not sure I could live in a town that small, but I sure like to visit them.
Rhoda
Posted by: rhoda | 05 August 2008 at 12:46 PM
Hey, Maya, can you do me a favor and add a link back to my main party page when you get a chance? It'll make it easier for people to hop back to the list of blogs when they're ready. Here's the link:
http://hookedonhouses.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/hooked-on-house-
tours-blog-party-headquarters/
Thanks!! -Julia :-)
Posted by: Hooked on Houses | 05 August 2008 at 01:05 PM
Gorgeous, gorgeous, and more gorgeous! I love all the porch and balcony details you captured.
Posted by: Elizabeth | 05 August 2008 at 02:37 PM
What a quaint town!
Posted by: angela | 05 August 2008 at 03:44 PM
Okay, this is not a real town, right? This is a Hollywood set. Because it's too quaint for words.
I have only lived in big cities (New York and Los Angeles) but I think I could move, as long as there is good coffee available. I can live with an occasional ghost, but I can not live without a good latte.
Thank so much for this lovely look at a small town!
Tara (Random Acts of Home Decor)
Posted by: Tara | 05 August 2008 at 03:59 PM
I love all your house pic's. I wish we could see some of the ghosts!!
Posted by: Brandee | 05 August 2008 at 04:59 PM