Wynnewood Museum

Wynnewood is the largest log structure still standing in Tennessee at 142 feet in length. It was built in 1828-1830 by A.R. Wynne, Stephen Roberts, and Humphrey Bate as a mineral springs resort on the stage coach line that served as the main route coming into Tennessee from the north. At the time, the area was known as Bledsoe Lick, named for hunter Isaac Bledsoe who arrived in 1772 to find herds of “buffelowes” around the local springs, licking up the minerals. The inn was originally called Castalian Springs Inn, and when they installed their own post office, Bledsoe Lick gained the name it retains today, Castalian Springs, and the inn later came to be called Wynnewood.

A.R. Wynne bought out his partners in 1834, and lived with his wife Almira and their 14 children at the inn. Over the years, the property offered the mineral springs, a bath house, a bowling alley, a pool hall, a tennis court, a dance pavilion, horseback riding, three general stores, the “best chef in the area,” and intentionally rustic cabins where guests could embrace the nostalgia of the olden days. Guests were also allowed to dig up Native-American artifacts and keep what they found.

Behind the inn is a house dating from 1803-1805 used as a dining room and for wealthy guests. There was also an ice house and because Wynne was in the shipping business, he was able to provide such luxuries as ice served in a glass pitcher, and celery imported from tropical climates.  

During the Civil War, the inn was occupied by both Union and Confederate soldiers. Notable guests included Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, and outlaw Jesse James. The bed James slept in is on display. The property was later used by a doctor, and it now includes a display of medical equipment dating from around the Civil War. There are also several historic quilts displayed throughout the inn.