One Of The Oldest Homes In The State Is Hidden In This Tennessee State Park
By Meghan Kraft|Published June 04, 2019
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
Tennessee is rife with history, known for its role as the “Volunteer State” during the war of 1812 and for it’s last in, first out role in the Confederacy during the Civil War. It’s a state that’s constantly seeking to do what is right, one that’s made up of good, southern folk who care about hospitality over personal achievement. Buoyed by the beauty of the state’s past and present, it’s always good to remain aware of where your home state’s history to understand it’s a contemporary reality. The Stonecipher-Kelly house is hidden away in a state park, and it tells quite the story…
The Stonecipher-Kelly house is located in Frozen Head State Park, one of the most beautiful and rustic areas in the Tennessee state park system. It's best known for its hiking trails and waterfalls, so it comes as a surprise to most folks that there's a historic Morgan County landmark on the property.
Built in 1814, it remains one of the first European homesteads in the area. Nowadays, it's also the oldest home that's still standing in Morgan County. In fact, it's so old, that most folks in the area can trace their heritage back to the Stonecipher and Kelly families, two families that called the house their home.
Built by Ezra Stonecipher, a German immigrant with a penchant for the American dream, the log house quickly became renowned as a beautiful and massive construction.
The land itself was given to Ezra for his service in the American Revolution. The house itself actually has stood through quite a few skirmishes, boasting ties not only to the Revolutionary War but the War of 1812, the Civil War and even World War I.
Once upon a time, there was even a store and post office that operated off the property. The Stonecipher-Kelly house was once a true watering hole for the entire community, bolstered by its location on a trading route between Nashville and Knoxville.
The house itself remains fairly honest to its original construction. Made from logs, it still stands in its first location despite the constant change of the community around it.
You can see here that there are even old chimneys and mantles still inside, each of them original to the house. Although visitors cannot walk through the home due to its current restoration process, you can sign-up on a ranger-led tour that occurs on a monthly basis.
The house is located ten miles east of Wartburg, right off of Highway 62. Make sure to contact the folks at Frozen Head State Park for tours, via the link below.
Looking to see the house for yourself? Check out the event calendar at Frozen Head State Park!
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