The community of Friendsville was founded by a group of Quakers (known as Friends) in the western section of the county by 1800. A Friends Church was established in 1808 and a small village was centered around the church; a nearby saw and grist mill was operated by John Hackney. Around 1850, town lots were sold and a post office was opened. To meet the demand for education of the county's Quaker community, a school known as the Friendsville Academy was opened in 1857.
Philip Thomason, Thomason and Associates, Historic and Architectural Resources of Blount County, Tennessee, 1989, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.