It was once a family home, then a roadside hotel, dinner club, and church.
Soon the historic Crab Orchard Stone structure on the highway. 70 E. will once again welcome visitors as the newest venue at Oaklawn Farms, The Manor House.
“I didn’t want it ever to be too far away. I’ve decided to put some time and money into them, ”said Jason Kemmer, who runs a landscaping and events business on the farm around the house. “I couldn’t imagine driving by and not seeing it.”
The building began as the home of William Garrison, who grew up in Crossville but, according to legend, had a dollar in his pocket. He made his way to Chicago, attended law school, and became the city’s buyer.
He returned to Crossville with his wife Helen in the 1930s. They made their home on the highway. 70 E., called Will-Nell Farms – a twist from Garrison’s nickname for his wife, whom he called Nellie.
Garrison built the Will Nell Building, now Highland Federal, and the Palace Theater. Every building reflected something he’d seen in Chicago, Kemmer said.
Garrison Park on Fourth St. is named after William Garrison and his contributions to the community.
The mansion was built in two sections. The first provided a place for the garrisons to live while work on the rest of the house continued. A curved entrance connected the two buildings, and the stone exterior of the first house was covered with plaster.
“This style is called French eclectic,” said Kemmer. “Garrison, who worked in Chicago during those years, would have seen that there and brought it here.”
The building was completed with the distinctive Crab Orchard Stone that made Cumberland County famous. Kemmer uses quarries from the property for his landscaping work and in places around the property.
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“A lot of people talk about the pool. It was apparently one of the first in the county, ”said Kemmer.
The hotel provided a stopover point for people driving across the state on the highway. 70 before Interstate 40 came through in the 1960s. The Hales sold the property to a group of Crossville businessmen and it became the Oaklawn Country Club. Kemmer said there had been some plans to set up a golf course on the property surrounding the house, but they never came to fruition.
The property has been sold several times. Once upon a time there was a night club called Eagle’s Nest.
“People are still talking about how beautiful it was and how it was decorated,” said Kemmer. “It was kind of easy speaking. It was apparently an event in the 1960s. “
Kemmer’s father bought the property in 1978 from Oaklawn Baptist Church, who met in the ballroom at the back of the house while their building was being built down the street.
“They were the last tenants,” said Kemmer.
William Kemmer tore down the old hotel rooms and kept the Crab Orchard Stone. The old ballroom has also been removed.
“Knowing that one day I would restore it, I wanted this part to be gone because it is not original for the structure,” said Kemmer.
The remaining mansion is approximately 3,600 square feet.
“It looks huge from the street, but it’s basically two squares connected by the circular foyer,” he said.
About 15 years ago, Kemmer was handling some critical needs in the house, including clearing the interior, removing windows, and replacing the roof. The interior was suspended until a few months ago.
“It had the time and money to invest,” said Kemmer.
There were also security concerns. An upstairs bathroom had a tiled shower. The support beam in the floor below had cracked.
“The tiles, the fittings, and the cast iron were so heavy. I’ve been waiting for this to fall before I get in here. The risk was too great, ”he explained.
At the beginning of February he started with the interior design. This included resetting a staircase removed in the 1940s to create a second access point to the second floor and a more open floor plan better suited for small events and parties.
New floor beams and sub-floors were installed.
“We had to hand dig the crawlspace to get enough room to crawl under,” he said.
He found that the original part of the house was built from sawmill timber and had little to do with hardwoods. The second part of the house was built from custom-made wood, which is slightly smaller and requires more work.
“It went faster than I thought,” said Kemmer.
Plumbing and electrical wiring will be done next. A bathroom is added on the first floor to facilitate access for guests.
He has kept some of the original architectural details such as curved doors. Some of the original decorative plaster is still in place and Kemmer plans to keep it and bring it back to its original off-white color.
He plans to cover the walls with different types of wood such as oak, poplar, hemlock and cedar.
Upstairs there is the old bar from the dinner club, and it has saved the original bartop. He plans to keep it and recreate a mural that once adorned the upstairs walls.
When it’s ready, it provides a great space for smaller events, bridal showers, or birthday parties, and compliments the event business there.
“It will give us this intimate space for smaller events,” he said. The mansion should be available in spring 2021, if not earlier.
Kemmer opened his landscaping business around 2006, offering a variety of landscaping, hardscapes, water features, and plantings.
The event business has evolved over time. Every summer, family and friends gathered on the farm, listened to music, and shared a roast pig. There was nowhere to protect them from the elements.
Kemmer started working on a half-timbered barn in 2015, where wood was harvested from the farm.
“It’s a real wooden frame with mortise and tenon joints,” said Kemmer.
He had a barn rearing in 2016. It took about six days for the skeleton to be built.
After that was done, he offered a venue in the barn overlooking the pond.
“There isn’t that much work in the events business,” he joked. “I’ve always enjoyed being with people and sharing the farm. We all just love it, so I really wanted something where people could come and enjoy it. “
The barn offers space for approx. 200 guests.
This year, Oaklawn Farms is offering a new event space across the property, Jake’s Barn. The large barn is outdoors to enjoy the mountain views. There is a small chapel and silo-inspired toilets and changing rooms. It’s called Rainbow Valley Chapel and seats 80 people as well as a bespoke chandelier made from sour wood.
It is a larger room that can accommodate about 400 people.
Oaklawn Farms is a full service and catering venue. Kemmer lives on the property and someone is always available when guests are around.
Heirlooms, antiques and salvaged materials can be found throughout the property that add unique details. In the barn, the chandelier was one that once hung in the mansion’s ballroom. The pews in the chapel were from a church in Watertown, TN. A collection of antique metal glider benches provides seating outside the barn.
Several events are already planned for this year.
The Kids on the Rise are holding their annual Blue Jean Ball in Jake’s barn on June 12th.
Oaklawn Farms will also host the Byrd Creek Music Festival in July.
“It’s mostly folk, Americana, and bluegrass,” said Kemmer.
Lost Dog Street Band and The Hill Country Devil will perform July 8-10.
To learn more about Oaklawn Farms, visit www.oaklawnfarms.com. Announcements for events will also be made on their Facebook page.
Do you have photos? If you have old photos of the mansion from the past, Jason Kemmer invites you to share them with him. Email to [email protected]
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