Retaining walls in Jonesborough
Tennessee's oldest town mixes old stone with new subdivisions, and both need walls built with care.
Jonesborough was founded in 1779, 17 years before Tennessee became a state, and calls itself Tennessee's oldest town. It's the seat of Washington County and had 5,860 residents in 2020. The town sits among low hills and long ridges about 1,729 feet up, drained by Little Limestone Creek, and hosts the National Storytelling Festival each October.
Old walls in the historic core
The Jonesborough Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1969. Older properties in and near it often have mortared or dry stone walls that bulge where tree roots or decades of water have worked stones loose. Relaying a section with matching stone usually beats replacing the whole run. Exterior work in the district may need design review, so check with the town before a builder starts.
Newer homes outside town
- Backyard terraces on rolling lots off the main roads
- Walls installed by the homebuilder that have started to lean
- Drainage fixes where runoff from a hill above soaks the backfill
- Walls holding up long gravel or paved driveways
Town or county?
Properties inside town limits fall under the Town of Jonesborough; addresses with a Jonesborough mailing address but outside the limits fall under Washington County. Make sure your builder checks which one applies to your lot.
Common questions
Can you repair an old stone wall in Jonesborough?
Yes. Ask the builder about matching the stone, and check with the town about historic district review.
Who handles permits in Jonesborough?
It depends on whether the property is inside town limits. Your builder should confirm whether the town or Washington County covers your address.
Services in Jonesborough
- Block retaining wallsInterlocking concrete block walls that level a sloped yard, edge a driveway or hold a patio.
- Failing wall repairFix a wall that's bowing, cracking or shedding blocks, or rebuild the section that's giving out.
- Timber wall replacementTear out rotting landscape timbers and railroad ties and replace them with block or stone.
- Stone retaining wallsDry-laid limestone, fieldstone and stone-faced walls that fit older homes and garden terraces.
- Drainage behind wallsAdd or fix the drain, stone backfill and outlets that keep water from shoving your wall over.
Nearby areas
Wall bowing out, timbers rotting or water pouring through the face?
Call and a local retaining wall builder will come look at it and give you a quote.