Thomas J. Blanchard, carpenter in rural East Tennessee

The primary objective of this thesis was to research and document, utilizing all information currently available, the work and life of a traveling carpenter named Thomas J. Blanchard. Mr. Blanchard lived in East Tennessee from 1846 to 1870, however, little is known of his work.

Specific goals were to document his life before he relocated to East Tennessee and to attempt to document any work he accomplished while living in the state of Tennessee in a historically accurate manner. Therefore, the historical setting for this rural area of East Tennessee is also studied and documented, in an attempt to identify the resources available to a carpenter such as Thomas Blanchard during this early era of the United States' architectural history.

Primary sources for the study include census records, deeds, a receipt signed by Blanchard, and court documents. In addition early newspapers and oral histories provided further information. Exterior and interior architectural details of houses attributed to Blanchard were photographed and compared to pattern books of the period that may have been used by a carpenter such as Blanchard. This information also identified the style of homes being built at the time and what exterior and interior details these houses had in common with others being built in Tennessee and the United States during the 1840's. This study answers some questions about the type of life Thomas Blanchard led and the sort of work he did, while other questions are left unresolved due to the lack of information and the inability to find any descendents of Thomas J. Blanchard to verify information.