Tucked in the narrow valley of Greenbriar Branch, at the base of Gap Mountain, the village of Newport in Giles County began in the 1830s as a transportation crossroads and regional commercial center along the Cumberland Gap Turnpike. Development in the Newport Historic District focused around a small industrial center consisting of a tanyard, oil mill, gristmill, and blacksmith shop. Newport also became an overnight stop for travelers along their way to area mineral springs. The establishment of the Newport Woolen Mill and the nearby Sinking Creek Furnace in the 1870s led to much new construction. Today, the Newport Historic District consists of approximately sixty-six buildings, of which fifty-three are significant to its historic character. Most of the buildings are frame, free-standing dwellings or stores with decorative wooden trim. Many were built after 1902, when a fire destroyed most of the buildings in the heart of the community.  The Newport Historic District serves as the centerpiece for the Greater Newport Rural Historic District.