Shelbridge is a historic three-story mansion in

Johnson City, Tennessee Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth largest city in Tennessee. J ...

, U.S.. It serves as the official residence of the president of

East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an institutional Board of Tr ...

History

The house was built in 1920-1921 for Ross Spears, a businessman. With In 1928, it was acquired by Henry P. Bridges, a businessman. Bridges renamed it Shelbridge after his wife, Shelby. In the 1970s, the house was donated to

, and it became the president's house. The first president to live in the house was D.P. Culp; the family moved in 1973. Six presidents have occupied the estate since. It is now home to current ETSU President Brian Noland.

Architectural significance

The house was designed by architect D. R. Beeson in the

Colonial Revival style The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

. It has been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

since December 14, 1995.

References

National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Tennessee Colonial Revival architecture in Tennessee Houses completed in 1920 East Tennessee State University {{WashingtonCountyTN-NRHP-stub