History on Knob Creek - 1A22 - Johnson City, TN
Posted by: vhasler
N 36° 21.535 W 082° 22.659
17S E 376397 N 4024640
Peter Range was early immigrant to the Johnson City area from New Jersey.
Waymark Code: WM5MPG
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 01/22/2009
Views: 16
Sign text: About 0.3 mile east stood Twin Falls Grist Mill, belonging to Peter Range, an early immigrant from New Jersey. He bought this land in 1804-08 and built the 2-story and basement stone house, standing today. His limestone marker reads, "P. Range, Oct. 10, 1817. In Memory."
From the History of Washington County Tennessee, 1988, by the Watuaga Association of Genealogists, p. 155: The Peter Range, Sr. House is located at 2833 East Oakland Avenue, Johnson City (lower Knob Creek). The house is of stone exterior and interior walls with the stone chimney at either end of the house. There are four fireplaces. The full basement shows evidence of having been used as part of the original house. The frame additions, built at a much later date, hide the original character of the house. The Range Cemetery is about 150 feet from the rear of the house. Peter Range, Sr. and other members of the Range family were buried in this cemetery.
Peter Range, Sr. (1749-1817) of German descent, was born in Somerset County, New Jersey. His wife was Elizabeth Ronimus. Peter and Elizabeth came to Washington County after the birth of their first child, Elizabeth Range, born 1777, who married Jacob Miller. Peter purchased land from Pharoah Cobb and built their first home, a two-story log structure. He later purchased land from John Engle, Solomon Hendrix, Abraham Cox, John Hammer and Samuel Denton. On the properly purchased form John Hammer in 1804, he built the present stone house and girst mill. The house is one of the few remaining three-floor homes of the early 19th Century.
So the nearby house is the Peter Range home, but has been covered up with wood framing. The historical sign likely has been moved due to commercial construction at the road intersection.