Broylesville Merchantile Establishment
(Taken during the Tennessee Germanna Descendants Reunion,
Sep. 8, 2001.  Thom Faircloth on right, George Durman on left.)

Introduction:

he Broylesville Community is located in Washington County, Tennessee, about 8 miles southwest of Jonesborough.  It stands just south of State Highway 34, and just east of the Nolichucky River.  The Little Limestone Creek runs directly through this rural community, forming the dividing line between the Third Civil District on its east, and the Eighteenth Civil District on its west.  The building types represented in the district span the architectural designs and construction techniques of the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries.

he original settlement was larger than it is today.  Many of the dwellings, shops, barns, and other buildings no longer stand along the "Greate Road".  Yet, with the exception of one or two modern, non-contributing structures, the District remains an excellent example of a prosperous 18th-19th Century agricultural community.

he oldest extant building in the community is the Broylesville Inn (c.1797).  It is located on the eastern bank of the Little Limestone Creek, at the junction of the Gravel Hill and McQueen Roads.  East of the Inn is a large wooden barn.

irectly north of the Inn, across the Gravel Hill Road, is the Broyles Mercantile Establishment (pictured at the top of this page).  The "Mercantile" served as the area's "general store" and as a storehouse.  It was built c.1830-1840.  East of the storehouse is a large wooden barn.  South of the Inn, at the end of McQueen Road, is the Ira Green House (c.1812-1867).  South of the Ira Green House, across the Little Limestone Creek, stands the Thomas Telford House (c.1815, accepted by the National Registry in 1982).  On the west bank of the Little Limestone Creek, directly opposite the Inn, is the Cobbler's House (c.1840-1850).

o the north, on the western bank of the creek, is the Bashor Mill (c.1869).  It was constructed on the site of the Broyles Grist Mill, which was built c.1803, on the banks of Little Limestone Creek, and operated by the Bashor family as the Bashor Mill between c.1869 and 1872.  The mill was then purchased by William M. Mitchell and John F. Smith in 1872, and renamed the Mitchell and Smith Merchant Flouring Mill.  In 1912 the company was purchased from the Mitchell family by B. F. Parker, who continued running the mill until 1919, when it was sold to J. H. Taylor.  The mill was renamed the Broylesville Flour Mill and was sporadically operated by the Taylor family until 1952.  The structure was sold to Erleen Hoover Ledford in 1982, and eventually renovated into an antiques shop by Erleen and Faith Ledford.  It was then purchased and converted into an artist's studio and shop.  (The Broylesville Flour Mill Records, which contain ledgers, receipt books, a day book, price lists, order forms, and an advertisement, document the daily operation of the mill between 1912 and 1952, and can be found in the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee.)

ontinuing north, just west of the junction of Taylor and Gravel Hill Roads, but east of the creek, is the Parker House (c.1912).  Northwest of the Parker House, on the western side of the creek, stands the Garst House (c.1847-1850).  North of the Garst House stands four Nineteenth Century farm buildings, including two log barns, a frame barn, and a log corn crib.

hysical traces of other buildings that once stood in the community are difficult to find.  According to verbal accounts given within the past 25 years, the blacksmith shops were located to the rear and right of the Broylesville Inn; the tanneries were located to the left of the storehouse.  John S. Moore's house was located storehouse; the old Doctor's Shop was located east of the John S. Moore House; the foundry (tilt shop) was located behind the Bashor Mill; the distillery was located across the Little Limestone Creek from the Bashor Mill; the school was located near a pile of rocks on a hill ¼ mile north of the storehouse; a row of houses stood between the storehouse and the school; and the Octagon House was located just north of the school.  The ruins of the old mill race can be found along the creek, just north of the Parker House and directly east of the Garst House.

he architectural integrity and structural integrity of the buildings in the community are very high; however, while the foundations, walls, and roofs of all the buildings are in good condition, many of the buildings are in serious jeopardy:

he Broyles Mercantile Establishment is a magnificent two-story structure, with Federal and Greek Revival Detailing.  Neglect has to the loss of shutters, hardware, and interior detailing; to the deterioration of the wooden Palladian windows surround in the gable; to the deterioration of other finely detailed window surrounds throughout the building; and to the spalling (chipping, fragmentation, flaking) of the rusticated sandstone pilasters.  This is an extremely solid building and is the architectural gem of the community.  It was purchased a few years ago for use as an antique shop.  Some minor restoration work was done at that time, but it is currently unoccupied.

he only vacant building in the community is the Broylesville Inn, which is also for sale.  It is structurally sound and architecturally significant.  The foundation, walls, and roof are in good shape; however, much of the interior detail has suffered from age.  Surprisingly enough, there is little damage from vandalism, which one might expect in a building that has probably been unoccupied for most of the past 150 years.  The damage that has been done appears to be the result of some previous owner's attempt to "modernize" the Inn, by adding electricity and modern plumbing.  The building's interior was originally embellished in the "Williamsburg" style, and the color pattern was "Williamsburg Maroon", with accents of "Williamsburg Green" and "Williamsburg Blue".  Pieces of wallpaper can still be found on the walls, of excellent design and quality, and, therefore, very costly.  The floors still have the original maroon paint, with exquisite decoupage around the borders, near the walls.  This building is one of the oldest in Tennessee and really needs someone with money to buy it and give it the TLC it deserves.  Broylesville was, as stated above, on the "Greate Road", that is, the stage road from Washington, DC, to Atlanta, Georgia.  When it was built, the Broylesville Inn was the only stage stop between Abingdon, Virginia, and Knoxville, Tennessee.  It was host to three U. S. Presidents, which will be covered later in this article.

ll of these buildings have changed hands several times in the past 20-30 years.  The Bashor Mill was purchased in the early 1980's for use as an antique shop; it was then re-purchased for use as an artist's studio, for which it is still being used.  The Garst House was also purchased in the early 1980's and restoration was started on it at that time.  The restoration was never finished.

he Ira Green House and the Thomas Telford House are owner-occupied, and are well kept.

he Parker House is in good condition and has changed ownership several times in the past 20 years.  For a while it was used as a rental house, and its current status is unknown.

he Cobbler's House is unoccupied and is in state of serious deterioration.

ome of the log farm buildings adjacent to the Garst House, the Broylesville Inn, and the Mercantile Building are gone now, and those that remain are also seriously deteriorating.

roylesville is a unique community.  The quality and variety of buildings which remain provide insight into the history of this 18th-19th Century farming community.  Broylesville is a microcosm of that era, and efforts should be make to preserve the remaining buildings and open expanses, which are, or possibly could be, endangered.

History, Founder, and Germanna Families:

(I'm tired; will finish later. GWD.)