DEL.ICIO.USFROM ATLANTA TO ... CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
One-tank trip: Rugby, Tenn.
For the Journal-Constitution
Sunday, April 12, 2009
A peculiar piece of British history remains largely untouched atop the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Rugby, a settlement surrounded by the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, is an unexpected find of Victorian buildings sure to give visitors that frozen-in-time sensation.
The story of the tiny town is as captivating as its surviving structures. Established in 1880, it was the brainchild of British author Thomas Hughes, who dreamed of a utopia in the New World where the second sons of the aristocracy — those unlikely to inherit family wealth — could work, study, play and socialize in civilized harmony.
Historic Rugby
Christ Church Episcopal, built in 1887, is still active. Visitors can either attend the morning services on Sunday or take a tour.
Historic Rugby
The Thomas Hughes Library is one of the earliest free public libraries in the South. Visitors, after donning white gloves, can flip through its books.
The original settlers, from both the British Isles and the United States, erected more than 60 structures, all in the Victorian style of the day. In its heyday in the mid-1880s, more than 300 people called Rugby home and enjoyed the benefits of the Thomas Hughes Free Public Library, Christ Church Episcopal and various social groups. Unfortunately, a variety of problems, including fierce storms, a typhoid epidemic and less-than-fertile farmland, conspired against the town’s success.
Though the official population dwindled, Rugby’s structures survived. Descendants of the colonists maintained the community until full-fledged restoration efforts began in the mid-1960s. The nonprofit Historic Rugby Foundation was formed to support the buildings, including the Episcopal church, the 1882 library with its original furnishings, books and magazines, and Hughes’ home, Kingstone Lisle.
Today, 20 historic buildings, a cemetery and original trails are open to the public. New residents are moving into Victorian-style homes built on the undeveloped housing tracts of the original plan. About 75,000 people a year trek into the forest to find the settlement.
A new visitors center near the original schoolhouse gives tourists the best overview of Hughes’ vision. A mural depicts the town’s original layout, and a short film documents the history and restoration efforts. Guides escort guests through the most intriguing parts of town.
Don’t miss
• Thomas Hughes Free Public Library, one of the earliest free public libraries in the South. “It’s also accurate to say today that it’s unquestionably the oldest, unchanged surviving free public library in America,” said Barbara Stagg, the Historic Rugby Foundation’s development director. The 7,000 books and periodicals that fill the floor-to-ceiling shelves are a microcosm of the community’s life and interests. Ask the tour guide for a pair of white cotton gloves and you can carefully flip through the best-selling books of a bygone era.
• Kingstone Lisle. Thomas Hughes’ home, a modest beige frame structure, was built in 1884. The sparsely furnished rooms, including the study and kitchen, give visitors a good idea of how austere pioneer life on the plateau was.
• Christ Church Episcopal. The quaint, steepled structure has been in continuous use since it opened its doors in 1887. Take a tour or attend Sunday morning services.
• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Rugby is surrounded by parkland, featuring 5 miles of walking, horseback riding and biking trails. The Big South Fork River is ideal for paddling or whitewater rafting. There’s also a campground for overnight stays.
Dining in Rugby ties into the history as well. The only spot in town is the Harrow Road Cafe, located in one of the original structures. After breakfast, traditional British fare — shepherd’s pie, fish and chips — is served along with sandwiches, burgers and several entrees for lunch and dinner.
Visitors can also stay in the vintage Newbury House Bed and Breakfast, the Percy Cottage or the Pioneer Cottage, the first wooden structure erected in 1880.
Rugby isn’t just about history, but history remains its major attraction.
“In Rugby, you’re stepping into as authentic a Victorian atmosphere as you can find,” Stagg said. “People are certainly drawn here for the outdoors, but the biggest pull is the authenticity and heritage that still survive.”
IF YOU GO
Historic Rugby. 5517 Rugby Highway, Rugby, Tenn. 1-888-214-3400; 423-628-2441; www.historicrugby.org. Guided tours are $7 adults, $6 seniors, $3 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Self-guided maps are available. The visitors center is open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-5:30 p.m. Sundays.
GETTING THERE
Rugby is about 250 miles north of Atlanta. Take I-75 north from Knoxville to Exit 141 at Tenn. 63. Go west on Tenn. 63 for about 20 miles; turn left (south) on U.S. 27 for 8 miles. At Elgin, turn right (west) on Tenn. 52 and follow for 7 miles to Rugby.
WHERE TO EAT
Harrow Road Cafe. Serving traditional British fare, as well as hamburgers and sandwiches. Dinner entrees start at $8.95. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 8:30 a.m.-
7 p.m. Sundays.
WHERE TO STAY
Newbury House B&B. Built in the 1880s as a boardinghouse, this six-room inn has double and single rates starting at $63.22, including tax and breakfast at the Harrow Road Cafe.
Pioneer Cottage. The first wooden structure in town was built in 1880. Today, it holds up to 10 guests, with prices starting at $92.65 for double occupancy and an additional $10 for each extra person. The cottage includes a kitchen.
Percy Cottage. This original structure sleeps up to four and has a kitchen. Rates are $81.75 for double occupancy, with an additional $10 for each extra person.
Gray Gables Bed and Breakfast. A 10-bedroom guest house on the outskirts of town has rates ranging from $80 to $125. Dinner and breakfast are included. 5809 Rugby Highway, Rugby, Tenn. 423-628-5252; www.rugbytn.com.
WHERE TO SHOP
Commissary Museum. Traditional crafts and other items from the British Isles are available for purchase. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-6 p.m. Sundays.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Historic Rugby hosts several special events each year. Coming up:
May 16-17: The 35th May Festival of British & Appalachian Culture featuring music, dance, storytelling, arts and crafts. $8 adults, $4 students.
Sept. 5: The 40th Rugby Village Pilgrimage, a tour of private residences. $14 adults; $4 students.
Oct. 24 and 31: Halloween Ghostly Gathering. $19 adults; $10 ages 6 and older.
Dec. 12: Christmas at Rugby. $10 adults; $4 kindergarten through 12th grade.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
