Hale Springs Inn
Encyclopedia
Hale Springs Inn, built in 1824 on the Courthouse
Square
in Rogersville, Tennessee
, was the oldest continuously-operated Inn
in Tennessee
.
, Joseph Rogers
. Rogers' Tavern was originally located a few hundred feet off the Great Stage Road that ran through the new town to Knoxville, Tennessee
toward the Cumberland Gap
. In 1815, Rogers built a newer building directly on the Stage Road; neither building, however, was very substantial, and there were minimal guest rooms.
McKinney's plan was to build a larger, brick inn directly on the road to compete with both of Rogers' buildings. In 1823, he began construction on a massive, three-storey, Federal style building that would house facilities for a true tavern bar, but also individual guest rooms on the different floors. The building also featured an impressive balcony over its door that would feature prominently later in its history.
s Andrew Jackson
, James K. Polk
, and Andrew Johnson
.
Jackson stayed at the Inn shortly after its completion, while he was still President; he used its balcony to address a crowd of Rogersvillians in a political speech. McKinney, the Inn's owner, saw this as a publicity coup over rival and town-founder, Joseph Rogers, who had also petitioned the President to stay at his Tavern. The deciding factor in Jackson's mind, according to letters from the time, was the balcony over the Inn's main door.
During the American Civil War
, East Tennessee
and her citizens were deeply divided over the issues of slavery
, States' rights
, and secession
that ultimately led to Tennessee
's break with the Union
.
This conflict was reflected by the buildings Rogersville's occupiers chose when they controlled the town. Early in the war, Union
forces captured the town, and during their occupation
, they set their headquarters
in the Hale Springs Inn, which was on the south side of Main Street
, but faced north. The Union soldiers chose to do this despite the fact that the Inn was largely constructed using enslaved laborers.
When the Confederacy
retook Rogersville in early 1863 during the Battle of Big Creek, they established their headquarters in the building across the street from the Inn, the Kyle House -- which was on the north side of Main Street, but faced south. Again, the choice of the Kyle House was ironic, considering it was built with a mix of enslaved and free laborers.
When the inn closed in 1998 it was Tennessee's oldest continuously operated inn. In 2003 the Rogersville Heritage Association purchased the inn and, in cooperation with city government, launched a renovation effort which surpassed US$2.1 million as of early 2009. Completion and reopening of the inn is projected for June of 2009.
During the rnovation the rear addition, built in 1870, partially fell and was demolished, leaving only the original 1824 main structure. Builders salvaged brick from the 1870 rear addition for use on the exterior of the new rear addition/kitchen under construction in late 2008 and early 2009.
near Rogersville.
The Inn continued to serve as a hotel until it closed briefly in 1980, when it was purchased, fully restored to its 1820-30s appearance, and reopened as Hale Springs Inn.
.
The Inn is undergoing extensive renovations through a public-private joint venture of the Town of Rogersville and the Rogersville Heritage Association.
, but it is a contributing property
of the Rogersville Historic District
; as such, it is an historically-significant part of the reason that the District was itself included on the National Register.
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
Square
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
in Rogersville, Tennessee
Rogersville, Tennessee
Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....
, was the oldest continuously-operated Inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Early history
The Inn was originally built in 1824-25 by John McKinney, a local lawyer and businessman, to compete with the tavern operated by the founder of RogersvilleRogersville, Tennessee
Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....
, Joseph Rogers
Joseph Rogers
Joseph Rogers was an Irish-born pioneer and settler who, with his father-in-law Thomas Amis, founded the town of Rogersville, Tennessee in 1789.-Early life:...
. Rogers' Tavern was originally located a few hundred feet off the Great Stage Road that ran through the new town to Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
toward the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
. In 1815, Rogers built a newer building directly on the Stage Road; neither building, however, was very substantial, and there were minimal guest rooms.
McKinney's plan was to build a larger, brick inn directly on the road to compete with both of Rogers' buildings. In 1823, he began construction on a massive, three-storey, Federal style building that would house facilities for a true tavern bar, but also individual guest rooms on the different floors. The building also featured an impressive balcony over its door that would feature prominently later in its history.
Distinguished guests
During the nineteenth century, the Inn played host to many famous personages as they made their way into the thriving new state of Tennessee. Among them were United States PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
s Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
, and Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
.
Jackson stayed at the Inn shortly after its completion, while he was still President; he used its balcony to address a crowd of Rogersvillians in a political speech. McKinney, the Inn's owner, saw this as a publicity coup over rival and town-founder, Joseph Rogers, who had also petitioned the President to stay at his Tavern. The deciding factor in Jackson's mind, according to letters from the time, was the balcony over the Inn's main door.
American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
and her citizens were deeply divided over the issues of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, States' rights
States' rights
States' rights in U.S. politics refers to political powers reserved for the U.S. state governments rather than the federal government. It is often considered a loaded term because of its use in opposition to federally mandated racial desegregation...
, and secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
that ultimately led to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's break with the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
.
This conflict was reflected by the buildings Rogersville's occupiers chose when they controlled the town. Early in the war, Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
forces captured the town, and during their occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
, they set their headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in the Hale Springs Inn, which was on the south side of Main Street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
, but faced north. The Union soldiers chose to do this despite the fact that the Inn was largely constructed using enslaved laborers.
When the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
retook Rogersville in early 1863 during the Battle of Big Creek, they established their headquarters in the building across the street from the Inn, the Kyle House -- which was on the north side of Main Street, but faced south. Again, the choice of the Kyle House was ironic, considering it was built with a mix of enslaved and free laborers.
When the inn closed in 1998 it was Tennessee's oldest continuously operated inn. In 2003 the Rogersville Heritage Association purchased the inn and, in cooperation with city government, launched a renovation effort which surpassed US$2.1 million as of early 2009. Completion and reopening of the inn is projected for June of 2009.
During the rnovation the rear addition, built in 1870, partially fell and was demolished, leaving only the original 1824 main structure. Builders salvaged brick from the 1870 rear addition for use on the exterior of the new rear addition/kitchen under construction in late 2008 and early 2009.
Twentieth century
After the divisive war, the name of the Inn was changed to Hale Springs Hotel, and it began to serve as a stopping point for tourists who were on their way to see nearby Hale Springs Resort, a famous hot mineral springsMineral Springs
Mineral Springs is the name of several locations in the United States:* Mineral Springs, Arkansas* Mineral Springs, North Carolina* Mineral Springs Township, North Dakota* Mineral Springs at Green Springs, Ohio...
near Rogersville.
The Inn continued to serve as a hotel until it closed briefly in 1980, when it was purchased, fully restored to its 1820-30s appearance, and reopened as Hale Springs Inn.
Crown jewel
After its owner, Captain Carl Netherland-Brown closed the Inn in 1999, the Rogersville Heritage Association decided to purchase the Inn and continue to operate it as an inn, while discontinuing the function of its kitchen, dining area and garden, focusing on the history of its previous inhabitants as the crown jewel of the downtown Rogersville Historic DistrictRogersville Historic District
The Rogersville Historic District is a historic district in Rogersville, Tennessee, USA. It was established by the Town of Rogersville to safeguard, preserve, and protect hundreds of unique and historically significant structures in and around the town's downtown area...
.
The Inn is undergoing extensive renovations through a public-private joint venture of the Town of Rogersville and the Rogersville Heritage Association.
National Register of Historic Places
The Inn is not listed as an entry on the U.S. National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, but it is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
of the Rogersville Historic District
Rogersville Historic District
The Rogersville Historic District is a historic district in Rogersville, Tennessee, USA. It was established by the Town of Rogersville to safeguard, preserve, and protect hundreds of unique and historically significant structures in and around the town's downtown area...
; as such, it is an historically-significant part of the reason that the District was itself included on the National Register.