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Butler and Watauga Lake

How the town of Butler moved to higher ground when Watauga Dam was built in 1948.

Black and white photo of Main Street in Old Butler before it was flooded
Main Street in Old Butler, photographed by the Tennessee Valley Authority before the town was moved. Image: Tennessee Valley Authority, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Old Butler sat along the Watauga River, and for most of its history that meant floods. The town flooded again and again, with major floods recorded in 1867, 1886, 1901, 1902, 1916, 1924 and 1940.

Watauga Dam

The Tennessee Valley Authority began building Watauga Dam in early 1942, paused during World War II, resumed in 1946 and completed the dam in 1948. The new reservoir, Watauga Lake, would cover the original town.

Watauga Dam, a large earth and rock dam in a mountain gorge
Watauga Dam, completed by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1948. Image: Tennessee Valley Authority, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The town that wouldn’t drown

Butler was the only incorporated town ever flooded by the TVA. Rather than disappear, the town moved. Before the reservoir filled in 1948, contractors moved about 125 homes and 50 other buildings to higher ground, and Butler lives on today as “the town that wouldn’t drown.”

Vintage postcard of Watauga Lake and Dam
A vintage postcard of Watauga Lake and Dam. Image: Pub. by The Asheville Post Card Co., Asheville, N. C., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Visit

The Butler Museum, off Highway 67 in Butler, preserves the story of Old Butler with photographs and artifacts. See the Museum of Butler website for hours.

Do you have family stories, old photographs or corrections to share about Mountain City’s history? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us.

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