Whitwell
Marion County, TN
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (population, households) and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (income).
Home of the Paper Clips Project
Whitwell, originally known as 'Cheekville,' was renamed for British metallurgist Thomas Whitwell and grew as a Marion County coal-mining town before incorporating as a city in 1956. A 1981 mine explosion killed 13 miners, a somber reminder of the town's mining heritage now documented at the Whitwell-Marion County Coal Miners Museum.
Whitwell is internationally known for the Paper Clips Project, a Holocaust memorial created by Whitwell Middle School students starting in 1998, who collected over 30 million paper clips to represent the victims of the Holocaust. The memorial — a genuine German WWII rail car holding roughly 11 million clips — was the subject of the 2004 documentary 'Paper Clips.'
Why Buyers Choose Whitwell
A genuine German WWII rail transport car at Whitwell Middle School, holding roughly 11 million paper clips collected by students since 1998, subject of the 2004 documentary 'Paper Clips.'
500+ artifacts documenting the town's coal-mining history, staffed by retired miners.
Photo: Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0Organized in 1842; its present building (c. 1892) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
The 1981 No. 21 Mine explosion, which killed 13 miners, remains a significant local memory.
“Whitwell — real, local expertise.”
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Whitwell Parks
Whitwell Schools
- Whitwell Elementary School
- Whitwell Middle School
- Whitwell High School
School assignments are based on home address, not neighborhood name, and can change. Contact Marion County Schools directly to confirm which schools serve a specific property. Choice Homes makes no representation regarding school quality or enrollment eligibility.
Whitwell FAQ
The Paper Clips Project, an internationally known Holocaust memorial created by Whitwell Middle School students, and its coal-mining heritage.
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