County looking to help state secure property around the Rock House

 The potential sale of land surrounding one of Tennessee’s historic landmarks located in White County is causing concern for both the county and the state.

The Rock House, located on Highway 70 between Sparta and Bon Air, is an old stagecoach stop which boasts having housed presidents and other historical figures as they made their way across the state at varying times. The Daughters of the American Revolution own and operate the Rock House which is said to have been built in the 1830’s. Members of the organization, along with guests who are taking tours of the property, use an adjacent parking lot, but now it has been discovered the parking lot is not officially part of the landmark’s property.

White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said an investor purchased a parcel of land that included approximately 100 acres, but, after having the land surveyed, learned that the Rock House parking lot is actually on his new property.

Robinson said the state would like to secure the land around the Rock House, thus retaining the rights to use the parking lot area as well as keeping developers from encroaching on the small parcel of land the Rock House sits on. However, according to Robinson, the state has procedures that make acquiring land a long process, which is not something the investor is interested in.

“He’s wanting to move it now and has threatened to auction it and threatened to sell it to other individuals,” Robinson said.

According to Robinson, state representatives have reached out to him and asked if White County would act as a liaison as it could take up to two years for the state to work through the processes needed for them to be able to purchase the land.

“The state is interested in purchasing it, number one, to protect the history,” Robinson said. “And then, number two, to kind of get this to coordinate, maybe, into the state park that we’ve got budgeted and are receiving up there a little farther east.”

While the state wanted to purchase approximately 80 acres, Robinson said the county did not have the funds for that large of a purchase in the budget, and they did not want to have to borrow money. Instead, White County Steering Committees have agreed to purchase 20 acres at the rate of $12,000 per acre.

“For right now, we want to lock down the most critical point, and that is the part right around the Rock House itself,” Robinson said.

Commissioners are under the impression the state will purchase the land, which will serve as a mid-point between the trailhead area of the new state park in the eastern portion of the county and the Lost Creek area, once they are able to work through all of the process and paperwork required.

“It’s a good working relationship with the state,” Robinson said. “We’re doing what we can to help them because they do what they can to help us.”

The full court of White County commissioners will need to vote on the decision during their April 15 meeting before Robinson can move forward with contacting the seller.