Folks, I am the bearer of bad news: For those of you who have attended the "East Tennessee Germanna/Broyles Reunion" in the past years, and for those who might be interested, the "Broylesville Inn" exists no more! The "Inn", which past attendees of the Reunion have visited, burned early Wednesday morning. It was built in 1797 and was one of the oldest buildings in Tennessee. I make no accusations, but read the press release below and make your own judgements of what is happening to our cherished structures in this part of Tennessee. I remember that at last year's Reunion, 2003, Thom announced that a couple from California had bought the Inn and the surrounding land and planned to restore the Inn as a "Bed and Breakfast" enterprise. At the time, I, and others, were elated! That meant someone was going to restore the Inn and preserve it! Phooey! "They buy, then burn!" ================================================== HISTORIC INN LOST 18th-Century-Structure Fire Called Suspicious by: Sue Guinn Legg Press Staff Writer (Johnson City, TN Press) The 18th-Century Broylesville Inn, the oldest building in the Broylesville Historic District of Limestone, was destroyed early Wednesday by a fire authorities described as suspicious. The Limestone and Nolichucky volunteer fire departments were called to the fire at the inn, located on the eastern bank of Little Limestone Creek at the intersection of Gravel Hill and McQueen roads, about 4:43 a.m., and found the building was fully involved in flames. By daylight, all that remained of the 207-year-old, two-story log and clapboard structure were two brick chimneys rising out of its smouldering rubble. Steve Archer, chief of the Limestone Volunteer Fire Department, said firefighters could not find any apparent cause and suspect the fire was set. "It either set itself on fire or somebody helped it," Archer said. Authorities believe the property is owned by Gemma Velasquez of San Francisco, who purchased it several years ago from Kyle and Louise McQueen. Neighbors in the Broylesville community, located a few miles west of Washington College Academy, said Velasquez also owned the historic Eureka Roller Mill in nearby Telford that was destroyed by an early morning fire in August 2002. Archer said the fire department is attempting to contact Velasquez to confirm the information. Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal said arson investigator Deputy Tommy Remine will be working with the firefighters but noted the details are still "very sketchy" and the fire has not been ruled an act of arson. Built in 1797, the inn was more recently known as the Moore House in recognition of its last residents, the late Clarence and Flora Moore, and as the Old Stage Coach Inn for its location on the old stage road from Knoxville to Abingdon, Va. The historic route was a part of the Great Stage Road from Washington, D.C., to Atlanta. The inn had stood empty since Mrs. Moore's death in 1980. In addition to the inn, several 18th- and early 19th-Century structures still stand in the Broylesville Historic District. Broyles Mercantile, a circa 1830 two-story Greek Revival brick building, is located directly across McQueen Road from the inn. The 1812 Ira Green house, occupied by the McQueens, and the circa 1815 Thomas Telford house, home of the founding father of the Telford community, stand nearby. Oral history holds that each of the three U.S. presidents from Tennessee, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and James K. Polk, stated in the inn. McQueen said local legend also has it that slaves were once sold on a large rock outside the front door of the inn, although documented history of its original proprietor, Adam Broyles, seems to contradict that story. According to the Adam Broyles' family history included in the Watauga Genealogical Association's 1988 "History of Washington County", Broyles, 1781-1863, was an outspoken Unionist during the Civil War who disinherited Southern sympathizers among his children and was wrapped in a Union Flag for his burial. The building was originally built as a log home in 1797 by Broyles' father, a blacksmith who was also named Adam, and later expanded into an inn by the younger Broyles. ================================================== NOTES: 1) Sue Guinn Legg descends from the GUINN family which has many ties to the Germanna settlers in Washington and Green Counties in TN. 2) The California purchaser of these East Tennessee Germanna historical buildings seems to be having a string of bad luck. Wonder how much he had these building insured for? 3) The Broyles Mercantile building is not located across the McQueen Road from the inn; it is located across the Gravel Hill Road from the inn. 4) The Moore and McQueen families have strong marital ties to the original Germanna families in this area. 5) Whether or not Adam Broyles was anti-slavery or pro-slavery, the above newspaper article errs in that oral history actually relates that the slave auctions were held on a large rock in front of the Broyles Mercantile building, not in front of the inn. I have the .JPG files of the Johnson City Press article if anyone is interested. Just reply to me privately at mailto:germannaresearch@comcast.net and ask for the files. Regards, SgtGeorge George W. Durman