Welcome back: Chilhowee Inn reopens in Walland

By Melanie Tucker
of The Daily Time Staff

The oldest surviving inn in Blount County is doing more than just surviving these days. Chilhowee Inn, built in 1903 in Walland, has reopened its doors to the public in its newest phase as a bed and breakfast.

John and Carolyn Pullias purchased the property at 5291 Old Walland Highway, back in January 2005. They have spent the last three years reviving and restoring this historic inn that was built soon after the Schlosser Leather Company located here in 1901. The name Walland is derived from the two men -- Walton and England -- who were key partners in the company.

First, there was a five-room cottage on the lot that accommodated traveling businessmen with the tannery. One year later, the much larger inn was added to provide accommodations for additional guests and for teachers at the public school.

The Pulliases moved to Blount County from Middle Tennessee in 1993 and already had in mind buying a piece of property for their "dream" bed and breakfast. Carolyn came upon the Chilhowee Inn, which had sat vacant for years and tracked down its owners in Dallas. When contacted, the couple said they had no intentions of selling. The old inn was going to be their place to retire.

But John and Carolyn never gave up, and continued to call them now and again. Then in 2004, the Dallas couple called the Pulliases and said they were ready to sell.

The tasks at hand

In August, 2004, John and Carolyn got their first walk-through.

Carolyn said she didn't know what to expect.

"John is a list maker so I told him to write everything down that he saw in the house that might need work," she said. "That way when we would know what we were getting into and we wouldn't forget anything."

When they finished looking around, Carolyn asked her husband for his list. It contained only three words: kudzu, kudzu, kudzu.

"Everything else was fixable," John explained. It was this fast-growing plant that had him worried. It had taken over the back lot and was encroaching on the inn.

The couple did purchase the property and would spend four months living in a motor home on the site, getting it suitable for them to move in. The roof leaked, there were holes in the floors and bare wires everywhere. The kitchen floor was dirt.

As they worked on the restoration, guests would stop by and inquire about the project. Inez "Granny" Adams provided the couple with some old photos of the inn and stories about its livelihood. The neighboring Tiptons became friends as well and helped the new owners at each stage of the process. The couple's family also spent summers and vacation time doing all they could to help make this dream a reality.

The guest rooms are named for these helpers. And the rocking chairs on the spacious front porch that looks out over Little River, have important names engraved on them as well. Adams has her own rocker on the porch and she's welcome any time, the Pulliases said.

Digging through history

Shag carpet had to be removed, but what was underneath were wood floors in relatively good condition. The interior doors date back to the time the inn was constructed, but the indoor staircase came later. Originally, the stairs were located outside. Coats of paint and some tender care were needed most, Carolyn said.

John and Carolyn weren't able to determine when the inn ceased operation, but they surmise it must have been in the 1960s. They believe it was open as a restaurant into the 1970s.

The inn was famous for its fine cuisine. On the wall in the large gathering/dining area is a menu decades old that featured a Palm Sunday feast. Cost was a mere $2 for most entrees.

The couple that has taken over this piece of Blount County history, deem it important to keep remembrances of its past. They both said they have never regretted taking on this monumental task and now just want to share their inn with the rest of us. It has been open since February.

"We have never felt like we made a mistake," Carolyn said. It did take longer than we thought it would but that's OK."

In 2006, the inn made its debut with the community when the Pulliases held a Christmas open house, which they continue to do annually.

Welcome home

"It becomes almost like a homecoming for people in Walland," John said. "They come in and sit and visit and tell stories and see people they haven't seen in a while."

Family reunions, weddings and receptions have been booked at the inn in recent months. There is room on the property to erect a tent. Thee are a total of four guest rooms in the inn, each with its own bathroom.

Work is still going on, mostly on the private living quarters for the Pulliases. They have uncovered artifacts at every turn. Their collection includes an amber-colored Coca-cola bottle from about 1910 and a glass train that once contained candy, also dating back several decades. It was found during some excavation work.

Just recently, they dug up an old wooden foot bridge that was used to navigate across the nearby creek. John said he will find the proper place for it soon.

Other inns that once served similar purposes as this one have either burned down, fell down or been torn down. Carolyn said they feel fortunate that attention was paid to this one and that it can now once again tell its story.

The doors are open and the Pulliases are serving guests.

"This property has had so many phases through the years," John said. "We are just another piece of the history here. Eventually it will move on and somebody else will do something with it. Hopefully it will continue on."