Rogersville’s Historic Hale Springs Inn
A Day Away By Mike Steely
A local television news report caught my attention recently when a story of a car running into the old Hale Springs Inn was covered.
I spent many years in Rogersville as a newspaper reporter and got to know many of the important sites there, among them the historic hotel. I attended several events and had eaten at the restaurant there and spent a few days across the street as a guest of another historic building, the historic Kyle House.
Completed in 1825 by John McKinney and later operated by the town’s founder, Joseph Rogers, the inn hosted Presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson. During the Civil War, the inn was occupied by Union forces. The Confederate Army, after the Union’s stay, was headquartered locally in the Kyle House, across the street from the Hale Springs Inn.
The Rogersville Heritage Association bought the oldest continuously-operated lodging facility in the state in the late 1990s and, with the city, has put more than $2 million into renovation and preservation.
Named for the noted hot springs near the town, the three-story inn has nine large guestrooms and houses a restaurant and tavern. It is available for special events like weddings and reunions. The important old building celebrated its 200th anniversary in August with a variety of events.
The Hale Springs Hotel is located at 110 West Main Street in Rogersville, and you can view and book each room from its website, www.halespringsinn.com, or book at (423)272-5171.
While in Rogersville, you may also want to take a walk through the county courthouse or along Main Street, or visit Davy Crockett’s grandfather’s grave, or tour the museum in the former Rogersville Depot.
On your way back to Knoxville, you may want to drive south and visit Bulls Gap, formerly an important railroad stop, to see the old hotels and visitor center, which houses the Archie Campbell birthplace cabin.
