It is hard to imagine The Great Smoky Mountains as anything but beloved national park, but there was a time when things looked very different than they do today. You see, while folks visit the Smokies today for amazing outdoor recreation, 100 years ago, the wealthy flocked to the Smokies in search of a remote getaway. As a result, what started as a booming small town ended up completely abandoned. This is the story of Elkmont, Tennessee.
Elkmont is a hidden gem located deep within the Smokies.
The ghost town is lined with broken-down buildings that have fallen into disrepair and remnants of a thriving community are all that's left. What happened? Digging into the story will take you all the way back to the beginning which starts in the 1840s.
A man named Colonel Wilson B. Townsend (whose name might sound familiar to anyone who has experienced “the quiet side of the Smokies”) bought 86,000 acres of land for his lumber company. A railroad was constructed to carry lumber from the Elkmont area to his sawmill in Tuckaleechee Cove in 1901.
That railroad opened up a way for wealthy Knoxville residents looking to get into the area to have a little piece of their very own secluded mountain paradise.
Soon this little town become a thriving resort area and buildings were constructed. Not long after, several buildings lined the streets of Elkmont and people flocked to enjoy a weekend getaway to the mountains.
The Great Smoky Mountains were established in 1934 as a national park, which spelled the beginning of the end for this vacationing community.
Leases were given and negotiations went on for years and many people were left to leave their vacation cabins when agreements could not be made. Some of them sold the buildings and others were left to simply rot away and be swallowed up by the surrounding nature.
For a long time, these buildings were left abandoned and spoke of a bygone era of vacationers.
Guests would travel in and walk among the dilapidated buildings and get glimpses into the past. The decaying buildings were becoming unsafe and the park service knew there was something they were going to have to do about it.
Fast forward to today and there has been an ongoing restoration project to bring some of these buildings back to their former glory.
As the park examines the cost, ecological impact, and historical importance of each structure they are carefully picking some for revival. Today Elkmont looks very different than it did just 10 years ago. So make sure to head out to Elkmont to see some of the restored buildings and some of the older ones before they are gone forever.
Elkmont, Tennessee, is an interesting story and a reminder of how time passes on. As the hours tick ever on, so do the inevitable changes around us. This little town won’t look the same in another 10 years but the story will last forever.
For another unforgettable experience near Elkmont make sure you visit for the incredible firefly show.
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