The Town Of Little Greenbrier In Tennessee Is A Ghost Town You Can Hike To In The Smoky Mountains
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Finding a ghost town in a world that has become wildly corporate, contemporary, and modern tends to be difficult to do. The history of what once was has been quietly left to the past, and museums have become old-hat. In Gatlinburg, however, the small, abandoned community of Little Greenbrier is a historical area that puts history right in front of your eyes. If you ever find yourself in Sevier County, it’s well worth the wander.
The town of Little Greenbrier has long been abandoned by daily inhabitants. The former Appalachian community is now denoted as a historical area, and it's become known as a neat way to explore the history of the area.
The Little Greenbrier Trail is a popular jaunt through the mountains for folks looking to experience a 4.4-mile, point-to-point trail that presents an element of difficulty. There are quite a few wildflowers along the trail, including the eerily beautiful rattlesnake-plantain orchid.
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The surrounding area is beautiful, and it's easy to see why Little Greenbrier was initially settled. It was actually first simply named Greenbrier, but was renamed to distinguish it from the larger town of Greenbrier that could be found between Mount Guyot and Mount Le Conte.
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Little Greenbrier is perhaps best known as the location of both the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse and Walker Cabin. The earliest settlers in the area are believed to come arrived in the 1830s from nearby North Carolina, and the Walker Cabin is thought to have been built in the 1840s.
The school functioned from 1882 to 1936. Nearly 50 teachers taught over the course of the school's 54-year history.
The Greenbrier Cemetery is located right next to the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse and is an awkward construction that slopes from the mountainous woods beyond. Its design is indicative of Appalachian cemeteries. Sadly, most of those interred are children.
Have you been to the forgotten town of Little Greenbrier? Have you hiked the area? We'd highly recommend a trip if you're looking for a way to bring history to life. Both the Walker Cabin and Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can learn more about Little Greenbrier, Tennessee right here. Happy exploring, friends!
As if you needed more of an excuse to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Little Greenbrier Trail, Sevierville, TN 37862, USA