The Alexander McMillan House is a historic home located at 7703 Strawberry Plains Pike in Knox County, Tennessee, United States. It was constructed in 1785 by Alexander McMillan (1749–1837), an early Knox County pioneer.
Alexander McMillan arrived in Knox County in 1783 and purchased one of the original land grants that the state of North Carolina had authorized in the Land "Grab" Act of 1783, under which the state's western lands were offered for sale at a price of ten pounds for 100 acres (40 ha).[2] He built the house in 1785. An addition was made on its front side in 1810 and a third room was added in 1860. The home was owned by his descendants until the middle of the 20th century.[3]
Of Scottish descent, his family migrated to Ulster, Ireland. Alexander was born on August 12, 1749, in County Londonderry, Ireland. In 1775, he emigrated to Boston in the American colonies. He then joined the Continental Army and participated in the Battle against Quebec in 1776.[4]
He traveled to what is now Washington County, Virginia to meet up with relatives who emigrated before him. In 1778, he married his first cousin, Martha McMillan (1762-1836), the daughter of William and Mary Leeper McMillan. William was Alexander's uncle the father of William McMillan.[4]
He completed his service at the military with the Battle of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780. McMillan and his wife settled in the eastern part of Tennessee.[4]