Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Tennessee Knoxville Gen. John Sevier Statue
AO Edited

Gen. John Sevier Statue

The statue mysteriously lost its head and left hand.

Knoxville, Tennessee

Added By
Stephanie Stuckey
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Gen. John Sevier Statute.   stuckeystop / Atlas Obscura User
Gen. Sevier plaque.   stuckeystop / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Meet the statue of Gen. John Sevier (1745-1815), a masterpiece by East Tennessee sculptor Edgar W. Bowlin—and the unfortunate star of Knoxville’s strangest whodunit. This tribute to Tennessee’s first governor spent 36 uneventful years in a Kingsport bank lobby before plans emerged to place it in a replica of the state’s first capitol for the 1996 Bicentennial Celebration. Spoiler alert: that never happened. Instead, the city chose to build a parkway, and poor John Sevier got sent to storage—where things really started to fall apart.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, when Sevier was discovered in storage minus his head and left hand. Was it vandalism? A tragic topple? Or did someone lose their head in a moment of statue-thieving mischief? To this day, no one knows, and the missing pieces have yet to resurface.

In November 2024, Sevier made his triumphant return, standing tall despite his years of neglect—and lacking his head and hand, proving you don’t need all your parts to make a statement. But the mystery remains: where are the governor’s missing pieces? Until we solve it, this case remains a real head-scratcher.

Related Tags

Mystery Statues

Know Before You Go

The statute has been placed along an outer wall of the Museum of East Tennessee History.

Community Contributors

Added By

stuckeystop

Published

May 26, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Gen. John Sevier Statue
601 S Gay St
Knoxville, Tennessee, 37902
United States
35.963776, -83.918291
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Knoxville Weather Kiosk

Knoxville, Tennessee

miles away

Rubik’s Cube

Knoxville, Tennessee

miles away

The Sunsphere

Knoxville, Tennessee

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Knoxville

Knoxville

Tennessee

Places 7
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Knoxville Weather Kiosk

Knoxville, Tennessee

miles away

Rubik’s Cube

Knoxville, Tennessee

miles away

The Sunsphere

Knoxville, Tennessee

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Knoxville

Knoxville

Tennessee

Places 7
Stories 3

Related Places

  • A close-up view of the Ancient Melancholy Man.

    London, England

    Ancient Melancholy Man

    This statue in Holland Park might be one of London’s oldest outdoor statues, but its exact origins are unknown.

  • Herne Bay, England

    Amy Johnson Statue

    A statue paying homage to a world-record-setting aviator who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

  • The Bamberg Horseman, 2008.

    Bamberg, Germany

    Bamberg Horseman

    Art historians have debated the identity of this medieval stone rider since the 19th century.

  • Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

    Grave of Caroline Walter

    Flowers have mysteriously appeared on her effigy every day for the last 150 years.

  • The Piraeus Lion.

    Venice, Italy

    Piraeus Lion

    Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

  • The greaser.

    Queens, New York

    Greaser on a Clock

    A mysterious statue of a leather jacket-clad rebel leans coolly on an odd yellow clock.

  • The Iron Man.

    Swisttal, Germany

    Iron Man

    This mysterious pig iron pillar does not rust, despite being weathered by the elements for centuries.

  • Most of the miracles are associated with this main cross.

    Žytkavicki rajon, Belarus

    Stone Crosses of Turov

    The centuries-old crosses "growing" in the cemetery are steeped in local lore and are believed to have healing powers.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.