Martha Dandridge Garden Club Spread Beauty & History In Downtown Dandridge
Photo courtesy of Angela Hubard
The Martha Dandridge Garden Club (MDGC) met on June15, at 9:00 am in the Revolutionary War Graveyard in Dandridge’s Historic Town Square. MDGC members spread fresh mulch in the flower gardens and rock gravel along the fence line in preparation for Dandridge’s June Jubilee on Saturday June 17. After the work was done, Jefferson County Historian Bob Jarnagin led a tour of the historic graveyard and discussed Dandridge’s early history. He explained that the Revolutionary War Graveyard was abandoned after the Hopewell Presbyterian Church relocated from the graveyard to a new building in 1843. The Martha Dandridge Garden Club was formed in 1927 with the mission of restoring the graveyard. Club members researched the original settlers and erected a monument with the names of those determined to have served during the Revolutionary War, and who were reported to be buried here: John Blackburn, Abednego Inman, Samuel Lyle, Richard Rankin, and Samuel Rankin. James McCuistion should have been listed on the monument as well since he served in the war with Colonel William Christian in 1776. James was a friend of Davy Crockett, who grew up in Jefferson County. Crockett wanted to marry Polly Finley, but needed to meet the court requirements, so he sold his long rifle to McCuistion to raise enough money to buy a horse and post a marriage bond so he and Polly could marry. Their marriage bond document is displayed in the Courthouse. Bob Jarnagin explained that Dandridge had a good location on a major stage coach line and alongside the French Broad River, which was the site of most early shipping in the area. Travelers were accommodated in taverns, called ordinaries. Dandridge has four of the original tavern buildings still standing. Town Hall, a five-bay Federal style building built in the 1820’s was Hickman Tavern. Thomas Tavern was in the blue house currently occupied by Luna’s Farmhouse. Roper’s Tavern was in the brick house built in 1817 and currently occupied by Attorney Rebecca Slone. The Inmans owned the Shepard Inn which started as a two-story log cabin and was the most famous of all the original (and still standing) taverns. People came from all around to have Ma Shepard’s country ham and fried chicken. Later it was a private residence until it was purchased by Jim and Karen Everett who restored it to its current use as a bed and breakfast. Shepard Inn is open for lunch on Thursdays. (Call for reservations.) There is a mounting or upping block outside of the inn that was used to climb into carriages and onto horses. Dandridge has many other buildings still standing from the 1700’s and 1800’s including the Visitor Center, formerly the Hickman Tavern coach house. The Visitor Center offers brochures for a walking tour of Dandridge which includes many of those buildings. MDGC members enjoyed hearing Bob Jarnagin’s early history of Dandridge. Many thanks to Marian Knight for her detailed reporting of the graveyard tour and to Angela Hubard for the photograph of MDGC members.
The next meeting of the MDGC will be at 1:00pm on July 27th at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Jefferson City. Rich Gettings of the Smoky Mountain Orchid Society will present Tips for Growing Orchids. Guests are welcome. The MDGC membership is open to anyone interested in gardening, and costs $25 per year.
