ABOUT HOME FIELD
The town center Blountville never had.
Welcome to Home Field
When Blountville Elementary and Middle closed their doors in 2021, the people of this community made one thing clear: this ground is ours, and we're not letting it go. I heard from hundreds of you — at meetings, at the courthouse, in the grocery store. The message was the same every time: do something with this place that keeps it in the hands of the people.
That's what Home Field is. Twenty-five acres of ball fields, walking paths, a farmer's market, a community center, and county offices — all on the same ground where generations of Sullivan County kids went to school. We've invested over $8 million to make it happen, and we're just getting started.
This campus belongs to you. It always has. Home Field is our way of making sure it always will.
Richard Venable
Mayor, Sullivan County
FROM SCHOOL GROUNDS TO COMMON GROUND
If you grew up in Blountville, you probably walked these halls. You ran these fields. You sat in these classrooms. Maybe your parents did, too — the campus dates back to the 1930s, when Blountville High first opened its doors. The elementary school followed in the 1950s. For nearly a century, this 25-acre campus was the center of everything.
When the schools closed in 2021, this community didn't just shrug. Hundreds of you showed up. You signed petitions. You packed meetings. You made it clear: this ground is ours, and we're not letting it go. Some folks wanted to put a jail here. You said no.
Sullivan County listened. Under Mayor Richard Venable's leadership, the county purchased the campus for $637,500 in 2022 and has invested over $8 million to bring it back to life. County offices moved into the renovated elementary school. The old cafeteria became a community center. And the fields — your fields — are being rebuilt into something your kids and grandkids will grow up on.
Home Field is what happened because a community refused to let go. It's not just a name. It's a promise: this place will always belong to the people who live here.
HOME FIELD
County Offices & Community Center
Finance, Mayor's Office, Trustee, Purchasing, EMS Administration, Emergency Operations. The administrative hub of Sullivan County.
Sullivan County Library
Adjacent to the main campus. Public library services for the Blountville community.
Sullivan County Fire Department
Adjacent station providing fire and emergency services.
Football Field & Track
Full-size football field with surrounding track. New bleachers, press box, and 6' perimeter fence. Rubberized track surface planned for Phase 2.
Baseball & Softball Fields
Three fields: two new Little League fields (Phase I, completed December 2025) plus one existing field.
Batting Cages
Practice facility for youth baseball and softball programs.
Pickleball Courts
Dedicated courts for Sullivan County's fastest-growing sport.
Playground
Community playground adjacent to the athletic facilities.
Pavilion
Covered pavilion for live music, community gatherings, and rental events.
Farmer's Market
The planned permanent home of the Blountville Farmer's Market. Local produce, eggs, baked goods, and crafts every Thursday during market season. SNAP/EBT accepted with Fresh Savings.
Food Truck Area
Designated space for rotating food trucks. Regular weekly and event-based programming.
Concession & Restroom Building
Full concession stand and restroom facilities serving the athletic complex.
Walking Path
Perimeter walking/jogging loop around the full campus.
Parking
Four lots with 280+ total spaces: Office Lot, Field Lot, Market Lot, Track Lot.
THE COUNTY SEAT
Blountville is the county seat of Sullivan County — one of Tennessee's oldest counties, established in 1779. Home Field sits at the center of the Blountville Historic District, within walking distance of the Sullivan County Courthouse, the historic Deery Inn (c. late 1700s), and Rocky Mount State Historic Site, the first capitol of the Southwest Territory (1790–1792), just a few miles south in Piney Flats.
This part of Tennessee was the frontier before Tennessee existed. Daniel Boone passed through here. The first courts west of the Appalachians convened here. And for nearly 250 years, Blountville has been the place where Sullivan County comes together.
Home Field is the latest chapter. Not the first, and not the last.
MY HOME FIELD STORY
Almost everyone in Blountville has a memory of this place. A first-grade teacher. A Little League game. A cafeteria lunch. A Friday night. These buildings held generations of Sullivan County kids — and those stories deserve to be told.
We're collecting Home Field stories from anyone who walked these halls, played on these fields, or grew up on this ground. Your memories will be part of a permanent display in the community center, and we'll share the best ones right here and on social media.
Have old yearbook photos or team pictures from Blountville High, Middle, or Elementary? We'd love to see them. Email them to homefield@sullivancountytn.gov or drop them off at the community center.
Who Made This Happen
Home Field exists because a community refused to let go of its common ground — and because county leadership listened. The purchase, renovation, and ongoing investment in this 25-acre campus is the largest community recreation project in Sullivan County history.
This project was made possible by Mayor Richard Venable and the Sullivan County Commission, with construction by J.A. Street & Associates and ongoing support from Sullivan County Parks, the Sullivan County Highway Department, and dozens of community volunteers and organizations.
HOME FIELD
Dedicated Spring 2026
This campus was preserved and transformed
for the people of Sullivan County
through the vision and leadership of
Mayor Richard Venable
and the Sullivan County Commission.
“This ground belongs to the people who live here.”
Sullivan County Commission
John Gardner, Chairman · Zane Vanover, Pro Tem
David Akard III · Darlene Calton · Joe Carr · Michael Cole
Larry Crawford · Andrew Cross · Joyce Crosswhite
Hershel Glover · Cheryl Harvey · David Hayes
Barry Hopper · Daniel Horne · Mark Ireson
Samuel Jones · Dwight King · Tony Leonard
Hunter Locke · Joe McMurray · Jessica Means
Archie Pierce · Gary Stidham · Travis Ward