Pressmen's Home, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pressmen's Home Historic District
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Mall facing north to Hotel Pressuaina in Pressmen's Home, ca. 1985
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Tennessee State Route 94, Rogersville, Tennessee |
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| Nearest city | Rogersville |
| Area | 65 acres (26 ha) |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | George L. Berry |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 85002970 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1985 |
Pressmen's Home was once a special town in Hawkins County, Tennessee. It was the main office for a big union called the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants' Union of North America. From 1911 to 1967, this place was like its own small city. It had everything its residents needed, including a school, a hospital, a retirement home, and even its own power plant! Today, it's known as a "non-abandoned ghost town" because many buildings are empty, but some parts are still used. The entire area is listed as a historic district, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
The Story of Pressmen's Home
Pressmen's Home was the idea of George L. Berry. He grew up near this area in Hawkins County. When he became the president of the Pressmen's Union, he convinced the union leaders to buy the Hale Springs Resort. This resort had mineral springs, and its buildings became the first parts of Pressmen's Home.
Growth and Self-Sufficiency
As the union grew, so did Pressmen's Home. It added bigger and more impressive buildings. In its best years, Pressmen's Home was a completely self-sufficient town. It even made its own electricity! This was years before the Tennessee Valley Authority brought power to the rest of Hawkins County.
Why the Union Left
By the mid-1960s, the union started to feel that being in rural East Tennessee was not helping them. They needed to be closer to the U.S. federal government to talk to other unions. So, in 1967, the union announced it was moving its main office.
Lack of money and a merger with other printing unions led to the closure of Pressmen's Home. It stopped being a retirement facility for union members in 1969.
What Happened Next
After the union left, many ideas were suggested to bring the site back to life. These ideas included making it a tourist resort, a retirement community, or even a state prison.
In the 1970s, a group bought the site. They tried to turn it into a resort complex called Camelot. They also planned to sell parts of the land for vacation homes. However, some people who bought land found out it was on slopes that were not safe to build on. Many landowners sued the developer, and the project stopped because the developer went bankrupt.
Today, the only active part of the site is a golf course and country club. It sometimes has a restaurant and hosts events. The old factory building is also still in use. Sadly, many other buildings on the property have fallen apart, been torn down, or burned due to accidents or arson.
Post Office History
Pressmen's Home had its own post office from 1914 to 1971. It closed three years after the union moved away. A second post office, named Camelot, operated at Pressmen's Home from 1971 to 1975.
Important Buildings
Administration Building
The Administration Building was built in 1912. It was first used for the Trade School. After a new Trade School was built in 1947, this building became the main office for the union's president and secretary-treasurer. Other important departments, like membership records and accounting, were also located here. The building was left empty after the union moved in 1969.
Home Building
The Home Building was constructed in 1911. It was still being built when the union moved its headquarters to Pressmen's Home. This building was meant to house visitors who came to the Hale Springs. People believed the spring water had healing powers. After a hotel was finished in 1926, this building became known as "The Home." It was used as an apartment complex for people who lived there full-time. It had a kitchen, dining room, and a pool room. This building also fell apart after the union left and was later destroyed by an arson fire.
Tuberculosis Sanatorium
The sanatorium, which was like a hospital, was built in 1916. In the early days of printing, some people thought that working with printer's ink could cause a serious lung disease called tuberculosis. The union cared about its members' health. So, this hospital was fully staffed and had the best equipment available at the time to fight the disease. Union members who got sick could get free care here. Many who died from the disease are buried in the cemetery at Pressmen's Home. This building closed in 1961 and was torn down in 1962 to make room for other facilities.
Hotel Pressuaina
In 1926, a four-story hotel was built. It was for union members and their families who came to Pressmen's Home to train at the Trade School. The hotel's front was made from sandstone found right on the property. The lobby had a beautiful tile floor and a nearby reading room. The hotel served home-cooked meals, often using food from the property. They had a dairy farm for milk, chickens for eggs and poultry, a large vegetable garden, and a hog lot for pork. The guest rooms had simple iron beds and dressers. The hotel was destroyed by arson in October 1994.
Memorial Chapel
The Memorial Chapel was built in 1926. It was a church for all faiths, dedicated to remembering union members who died in World War I. Later, its dedication included all people who served in the United States and Canadian military. The chapel was designed by architect John Sheridan in the Italianate style. It was built from local sandstone. It had beautiful stained glass windows made by Louis Comfort Tiffany and a fresco painting on its ceiling. When it was built, it was thought to be the only church owned by a labor union. Outside the chapel, in a garden, stood the printing press that inspired the union's logo. George L. Berry, the union president and founder of Pressmen's Home, was buried in a special tomb near the chapel. Both the chapel and the tomb are still standing today. However, the Berrys' remains have been moved to the town cemetery in Rogersville.
Trade School Building
The Trade School building was built in 1948. It was the most important part of the education and training program at Pressmen's Home. The school had over $500,000 worth of presses and equipment. This would be more than $5.4 million today! The school taught many printing skills, like how to use different types of presses, mix ink, and prepare images for printing. All the equipment was loaned to Pressmen's Home by the companies that made it. This trade school helped the union stand out from its competitors. People usually had to be in the union for five years to train there. However, many people from the Hawkins County area could train at the school for free, even without any experience.
Images for kids
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Mall facing north to Hotel Pressuaina in Pressmen's Home, ca. 1985
