An old-fashioned Christmas at Thompson-Brown House

Visitors to the historic Thompson-Brown House on Dec. 1 were treated to a step back in time as the structure was decorated with trimmings from holiday seasons of the 1800s.

Blount County Garden Club members decorated the 200-year-old structure with period decorations for the old-fashioned open house. Visitors could check out the displays of Cades Cove miniature replica buildings and antique tools and toys. The Blount Historic Trust and Keep Blount Beautiful provided a light lunch at no cost. Keep Blount Beautiful coordinator Kristi Falco also prepared chicken and dumplings, which many of the visitors enjoyed.

Melissa Nance, the former director of the Little River Watershed Association, was given a special presentation to honor her work.

According to information provided on www.blountweb.com, by Jennifer Pesterfield and Sarah B. McNiell, the Thompson-Brown House is included in the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the oldest two-story, two pen log buildings in East Tennessee. The exact date of construction or who built it has not been pinpointed, but archeologists believe the house was erected in the first quarter of the nineteenth century.

This is the third year for the Pioneer Christmas at the Thompson-Brown House