The Robin’s Nest provides perfect relaxing getaway

Sparta White-County Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for The Robin’s Nest, which is an Airbnb located at 20 N. Church St.

Three years ago, Robin and Rita Gipson, of Wilson County, Tennessee, happened to be driving through Sparta when they saw a church for sale, and today the former location of Crossroads Episcopal Church, at 20 N. Church St., has been fully restored and repurposed into a unique, three-unit Airbnb in the heart of Sparta’s historic district.

“Have you ever spent the night in a 1932 stone church with walls which are 15 inches thick?” Rita Gipson asked. “The peace and quiet is like nothing I’ve ever seen or been at before. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a church or what it Is, but it is most definitely an extremely unique experience.”

The Robin’s Nest, as the Gipsons have chosen to name their property, has been restored, with the Gipsons doing a majority of the work themselves and keeping much of the original wood and glass from the church that was built in 1932.

“I used everything that I possibly could,” Robin Gipson, a retired lineman, said. “We still have all the distorted glass windows in the building and all of the decorative stained-glass work in the foyer.”

The Robin’s Nest, which houses two three-bedroom apartments on the main floor and a third unit that can sleep eight or accommodate parties of up to 99 people on second floor, still has the original beams and 20-plus-foot ceilings enclosed in the crab orchard stone that was used to construct the church when it was built almost a century ago.

The Gipsons said they hope that people will use the beautifully restored building for events as well as weekend getaways.

“With 2,600 square feet in the upstairs unit, it is perfect to hold an event like anniversary parties, reunions, or wedding parties,” Robin Gipson said. “And, with the two three-bedroom apartments on the ground floor, a family that was coming in for a family-reunion or wedding or event could theoretically rent the entire building and have plenty of space.”

Of course, all three units can be rented separately by individuals or families traveling through the region or who want to explore the parks, trails, and waterways of the Upper Cumberland and then visit local restaurants and breweries at night.

The Gipsons said The Robin’s Nest won’t be their only White County investment as they have already been working on two properties on Bon Air Mountain that will provide fun lake-centered getaways for guests, and they hope to introduce both of those properties, called Rustic Charm and Key Paradise, to the community in the upcoming weeks.