Old Deery Inn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Deery Inn
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St., Blountville, Tennessee |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1794 |
| Architectural style | Log dwelling |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001838 |
| Added to NRHP | May 7, 1973 |
The Deery Inn is a very old building in Blountville, Tennessee. People also call it "The Old Tavern" or "The Mansion House and Store." It is a special place listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is important to American history. The inn is a main part of the Blountville historic district.
Contents
What is the Deery Inn?
The Deery Inn is a two-story building. It has 19 rooms and is built in the Federal style. This style was popular in the United States after it became a country.
How Old is the Inn?
The first part of the building was a log cabin. It was built a long time ago, in the late 1700s. This log cabin helped travelers who were passing through the area. They used a path called the Great Stage Road.
Who Owned the Inn?
In 1801, a man named William Deery bought the property. He was from Ulster, a part of Ireland. William Deery made the building bigger. He added a general store and a tavern, which was like a restaurant. The second floor had rooms for people to stay overnight.
Inside the Inn
The Deery Inn has many rooms. There is a big entrance hall and a gathering room. It also has a dining room and a library. There are two kitchens and three bathrooms. The inn has two attics and a cellar. The Deery family had four bedrooms. There were also three rooms for travelers to sleep. The building has two large chimneys. The front of the inn has three doors. It also has 13 windows with many small glass panes.
William Deery's Businesses
William Deery was a very successful businessman. He owned more than just the inn.
Other Stores and Travel
He had stores in many places in East Tennessee. He also owned a stagecoach line. In 1821, he had eight stagecoaches and 53 teams of horses! He even had a steamboat service. This boat traveled between Knoxville and Chattanooga. William Deery passed away in 1845.
Famous Visitors
Many important people stayed at the Deery Inn. These visitors included future presidents like Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. The Marquis de LaFayette also stayed there. He was a French hero who helped America. He visited the inn during his trip to the U.S. in 1824–25. Even Louis Phillipe Orleans, who became the King of France, stayed at the inn!
The Inn During the Civil War
During the Civil War, Gideon and Mary Elizabeth Cate ran the inn. They called it Cates' Hotel.
Surviving the Battle
Many buildings around the inn were destroyed. For example, the Sullivan County courthouse burned down. This happened during the Battle of Blountville. But the Deery Inn survived! The Cates family convinced the commanders from both the Union and Confederate armies to spare their inn.
After the War
Gideon and Mary Cates bought the inn after the Civil War. They owned it until the 1880s.
New Owners and Uses
In 1887, the inn was sold to the Pearson family. They owned it until 1940. The inn continued to operate as a hotel until 1930. At some point, a post office was even located inside the inn building.
Restoring the Inn
Virginia Byars Caldwell bought the inn in 1940. She wanted to make it look like it did in the early 1800s. She also moved several old log buildings to the back of the property. These included a smokehouse, offices for the King Ironworks, a spring house, and an old law office.
The Deery Inn Today
Today, the government of Sullivan County owns the Old Deery Inn. A big project to fix up the inn happened in 2007. The Sullivan County Historical Preservation Association takes care of the inn. You can visit it for group tours!
- Carter, W. Dale (2001). Plaque at Deery Inn. Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism.
