Rose Glen Historic Site

Rose Glen is on the Register of Historic Places in Sevier County.  Located just outside of Sevierville, this home has been called the most significant antebellum structure in Sevier County.  A former plantation this once working farm now gives you an idea of the living and working conditions in Sevier County before the 1860s.  This house was once part of the Bush Farm and after many years it became one of the most valued farms and plantations in Sevier County.

Rose Glen was the home of Robert Hodsden and his second wife, Mary Brabson-Shields.  At this point, Mary’s father built the home – which became known as Rose Glenn – and the couple started to expand the land around Rose Glen and turn it into a profitable farm.  In 1860, it is known that Rose Glen – the plantation – was made up of 2,377 acres.  They were a farm and ranch.  They had hundreds of animals living on the farm and they produced tons of hay, butter, wool and many more crops each year.  These crops were sold to people in Knoxville and the surrounding communities.

Rose Glen is known not only for the fact that it was a huge plantation and a huge piece of the East Tennessee economy during the mid-19th century but it also is known for the architecture and design of the home itself.  This Greek Revival structure has a two story central block with one story wings.  The opulence of the house is a testament to the wealth that the people that ran the home brought to the area.  The two-story central block has a porch at the front and the back.  The house was large for the area but not as sprawling as plantation homes in the deep south.  Still, this home boasted three cellars and outbuildings, including a loom house and an office for former doctor and now owner Robert Hodsden.

Though Rose Glen is not open to the public, it is easy to find.  In Sevierville, get on Dolly Parton Parkway and head toward Newport.  About 4 miles outside of town you will come to Pittman Center Road.  Take a right on Pittman Center and find the campus of Walter State Community College.  Right across from the campus you will see a fence enclosed property.  The home is in a slight state of disrepair but you can still see what it once looked like.  Take some pictures and get an idea of the past in Sevier County.  Look at the countryside as it looks now and see what it might have looked like in days past.

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