Hey Guys!
This post is a continuation of my Girl’s Weekend Getaway post. If you didn’t read Day 1, click here.
On the way home from our girls weekend getaway in Granville, we stopped off at several places along the way.
The first stop was the house of Tilman Dixon. He was the former Captain of the Revolutionary Army. He is buried near the house.
The house dates back to the late 1700’s. It’s located in Dixon Springs…the town got it’s name from the Captain.
Someone actually lived in this home so I couldn’t get a good shot of the house.
The next stop was the James Debow Home in Hartsville. This home was built in the 1800’s. It was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers. James Debow was the chairman of the County Commission.
Read more about the history of the house here & here.
Read here about more historic homes in the area.
We decided we were ready for lunch so we found a small place on the square in Hartsville called Dillehay’s cafe. Here’s a few reviews on the place.
The cafe served country style cooking. Once you walked into the restaurant, you walked all the way to the front and ordered “cafeteria style”.
They had 2-3 different kinds of meat & 4-5 different kinds of vegetables to choose from. They also served cornbread, rolls and good ole’ southern sweet tea.
We both ordered the country fried steak with mashed potatoes, green beans and creamed corn. It was very good.
Once we finished lunch, we walked around the historic square for a bit. We snapped a few pics of the historical markers and buildings and headed on our way.
The next stop was at Bledsoe Fort Historical Park in Castalian Springs.
The park is an 80 acre park where you will see the restored 1790 cabin of Nathaniel Parker; a 1790s Irishstyle stone cottage; Bledsoe’s Lick, a prehistoric natural spring; the archaeological outline of Bledsoe’s Fort, ca. 1780; the Isaac Bledsoe family cemetery and more.
Read about things to do in the area here.
Nathaniel Parker’s cabin
Holston Road (Aka Avery Trace)
Other things that can be seen at the park
The next stop was also located in Castalian Springs. It’s called Wynnewood State Historic Site. It’s a national historic landmark.
Wynnewood is believed to be Tennessee’s largest 19th century log structure.
It was built in 1830 as a mineral springs resort and was later occupied by Confederates & Federals during the Civil War.
It was the Wynne family home for 140 yrs. In 2008, it was heavily damaged by a tornado but has been completely restored.
You can tour the home from Wed – Sun (times vary) $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under & $8 for Seniors (55 & up). The house is closed for tours during the mons of Nov – Mar.
Read more about the history of Wynnewood here
The next stop was just up the road from Wynnewood called Bledsoe’s Lick where the home of brother Isaac & Anthony Bledsoe and their families lived. The two brothers were killed by Indians and buried in the family plot near here.
The Bledsoe Female Academy is also located near here.
Our next stop was also located in Castalian Springs. It’s called Cragfont. 
The house was built in the late 1700’s. The house was operated by the Winchester family and slaves. Mr. Winchester and his wife had 14 children.
In 1863, the 1st Kentucky Calvary occupied the house and grounds.
In that same year, George Winchester was captured and imprisoned along with Napoleon Winchester at Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie until the war ended. Susan Winchester, George’s wife, died in Dec 1864.
After the war, pressing financial obligations forced George Winchester to sell his ancestral home and move to Memphis where he practiced law until his death in 1878.
The house is open to the public April 15th to November 1st weekdays from 10 – 4 except on Mondays. The house is open by appt only Nov 1 – April 15th. The admission fee is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children 6-12 and free for children under 6.
Read more about the history of the house and the Winchester’s here. & read a great blog post about this family and house here.
The Cragfont was our last stop of the day. There are lots of historical places in Tennessee that are worthy of a visit. You should definitely take the time to visit these places and the historical places around your area.
Thanks for reading!