Home Again

(essay of sorts)

UPDATE:
    If you wish to read more about Pressman’s Home, TN, check out the two three other posts, Pressman’s Home post or with Pressman’s Home in Images and Pressman’s Home Aerial Images.

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Thomas Wolfe was right, you can’t go home again.

Ever gone back to your elementary school and was amazed at how small everything was? That water fountain you used to have to stand on tip toe for, the one where the water always went up your nose, when did they lower it?

Ever returned to a house your family used to live in? Did it feel right? What was missing? What was wrong with it? The image, the smells, the sounds of that time in your head no longer match what is there now, in this level of reality.

I grew up on a farm in east Tennessee. The area was known as Poor Valley, a wide valley between Stone and Clinch Mountains, sort of. The mountains in that area are in relatively straight lines, unlike here in WNC, where the ridges seem to meander. So, if you ‘cross the mountain’ from Rogersville into Poor Valley, you actually cross several mountains.

Nearby is Camelot, aka Pressmans’ Home, aka several other names. It’s history is rather odd, ranging from a Pressman’s School to a TB hospital, to a Spa, to a golfing area to…I don’t know what it is now. It used to be so beautiful.

The maps have the area closest to the old farm as ‘Klondike’ although I never knew anyone to call it that. Across the ridge is Choptack, and was called that, so I never understood why Klondike didn’t remain that way.

When I lived there, the road we lived on was dirt. It’s paved now, although I don’t think it has a center line. Most of the people there are third or fourth generations worth of farmers. Our farm included a big curve in the creek, Poor Valley Creek of course, which gave the bottom land a nice sandy soil. The Native Americans must have liked that area too since we were always finding arrowheads and pottery shards. I even found a nifty fossil or two.

I don’t go back there anymore, basically because I’m not wanted. It’s a long story. But I miss that area, the child in me remembers the freedom that farm kids have but it also remembers the hard labor. It was cool growing up alongside a creek because I could go fishing at any time I wanted. We used cane poles and big red/white bobbers. We went sledding across the creek in another farmer’s field cause he had a hill that was the best for sliding down because it was longer and had contours. My brother and his friend were snow boarding long before it became ‘special’. The biggest hazard was the frozen cowpiles.

The biggest thrill though was riding our bikes. We had this old bike, bless its heart it had been horribly abused. Its chain was gone which meant it had no brakes. We’d push it up the top of the hill by the hoglot and ride it down. If you made it past a certain spot and was still upright, it was a good thing. We used to see how far we could go before we crashed.

There was a certain innocence then, the real world seemed so far away. Rogersville itself was and is a small town despite its historical background. It is not far from the picture perfect town from ‘A Wonderful Life’. On the surface that is.

I write this because, for some reason, I am homesick. I miss that place, the clean air, the ‘earth’ feel. Unless you have grown up on a farm, unless you have grown up in the Appalachian farm areas, you cannot understand that. I wish you could.

(For further reading, read “Growing Up On The Farm” over at Muscadine Lines: A Southern Journal)


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Comments

  1. Hello, I just visited the area you mentioned, I saw the old Pressman’s home and it looks terrible. Old cars parked all around it an all. I was with a friend that lived in the area for a few uears, she told me what she new about the history of the place, we are Printers. Can you tell me more about the place? It would mean a lot to know what it was once like.

  2. It was beautiful. The sidewalks were lined with trees. There was a walkway that went straight from the hotel down toward the factory/school.

    There was also a stable there.

    The factory type buildings still had most of their windows but stood empty. I don’t remember anyone using them for anything.

    The buildings surrounding the lake were black and orange. Looked weird but I don’t remember them ever being another color. There was a building and a shelter on the other side of the lake. I seem to remember there was a round house up there too.

    The hotel was glorious. I *think* it had a clay tile roof. I do know that the entire first floor was marble. It was surrounded by trees.

    There were columns and arches that was once part of the TB hospital. It was destroyed after everyone was gone.

    Against the hill, across from the hotel, was a huge house up on a hill. It had arches and towers at the start of the driveway. We used to go there, in the flat below the house, to pick blackberries and greens.

    It was a beautiful area, full of history. I was far too young to fully appreciate it although I was very intrigued with it. I always wanted to go there and explore. I also wanted to grow up to be rich and buy it all.

    Check with the Hawkins county historical groups to see if they have any information about it. Check the library too. Hawkins county is full of history. The inn in Rogersville is the oldest continually operated inn in the US. During the Civil War, the boarding house across the street was headquarters for one side and the inn for the other. People would only walk and shop on the appropriate side of the street, depending on what they believed. They used to even shoot at each other across the street!

    Did a search:
    http://users.planetc.com/harrysr/pressmanshome/ – good pictures!!

    http://www.etsu.edu/reece/collection.asp

    http://travel.nostalgiaville.com/Tennessee/Hawkins/hawkins.htm

    http://cass.etsu.edu/ARCHIVES/AFINDAID/a308.html

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_L._Berry

  3. I have 3 pictures I can send you of the printing facility and the house next to it. Let me know your email address

  4. I have an Aunt who at one time lived up in the Mountains behind the School and Mosielum . she knows more about Pressmans Home than about anyone living I would say. I have been over most all of it, I know most all the shingles and Gutters where made of Pure Copper. they looked like they was painted Green. fell free to email me and maybe I could get in touch with her . [email protected]

  5. i would like to have some pic. of pressmans home . my wife and i visited it today 7/03/05. i would love to see what it looked like in the early years.

  6. Wayne, check out the links at the bottom of the article.

    The first one listed has some fantastic information and photos of what it used to look like.

  7. I used to live in morristown tenn. on more then one occasion i would take a trip with my friends up that windy mountain to visit that eerie place at night. it is so destroyed that you would think that they were testing missiles there. hey, things change though, and that was like 8 years ago. they had a chapel, and the floor was caved in. one of the basements in the tower with the bridge was fooded. one building had a see through style ceiling that was collapsing regularly…like i said, this place gave me the spooks at night. as far as its history goes,i don’t have a clue. a friend told a friend about it, and then a friend told me. good luck with your search!!

  8. I didn’t get a chance to do any research this summer like I had hoped. I might still find the time to do it this August though.

  9. i’m sure it has an interesting history Paula… good luck with your search, and keep me posted okay. I would like some pictures if you can find some. The country out that way is amazing, however, I only lived in TN for 6 years, and then moved back to NY where i’m originally from. The whole state of TN is rich in beauty unparrelled to any state I have visited. Sorta like you had stepped back in time 10 or 20 years. The people are definitely kinder, the air is cleaner, and the sights in certain areas are breathtaking. Have a good night, or day depending on when you get this message

  10. Rich, check the other comments to this and you’ll find links to online photos and information. (especially comment #2)

    And yes, I love Tenn. It’s not the best state in the US but it certainly is beautiful.

  11. Paula- I bet we went to the same elementary school- Rock Hill?

    I lived in Pressmans home for four years, and I’m pretty sure that the school bus went down that dirt rode you lived on, through Poor Valley. I remember the dust, and having to stand in the aisle for an hour when all the seats were full, and the farm boys not wearing shoes to school.

    Jon Reck

  12. No, I went to the county elementary school in town. The one with the circle library.

    The bus was number 51 (I think) and for many years my grandfather Ruben Johnson drove it. It started down Poor Valley Road from 66, cutting across down past the Singleton’s to New Hope Church road then up to 66. We then went up that mountain toward Sneedsville, turning around at the top. Scary! We then went back down 66, past the old store, and part way up that mountain, turning around at that first big curve. Back down then making a right at the store to head toward Pressman’s Home. From there it took a side road that came out on the other side of, um, shoot, can’t remember the name of it. But it had a curve so tight you could see your own tail lights. We didn’t go up that mountain/hill, but went around it on that dirt road. Then on to Rock Hill, the elementary school and Rogersville High. There was another bus that went on the other side of Pressman’s Home, down another valley.

    We used to be the first one on and the last one off for many many years. And yes, dusty! The air was chewable. We were on the road so early, we’d be well past Pressman’s Home before they would cancel school because of snow. Some parent would meet the bus and tell us. We’d turn around and head back.

    And yeah, the bus would almost always be too full. Four to a seat, standing in the aisles, sitting on the steps. Poor Dwayne Bloomer was the last one on. I doubt he ever got to sit down from his house to Rock Hill.

  13. Got Thought Patterns of your own? Input ’em here.
    My parents lived in Pressman’s Home in the late ’50s until about 1963. My father was a pressman (printer) by trade and worked at the school there I believe. We left TN to move to PA where a new plant was opening.

    I would love to see pictures of the area and to know where it is on a map.

    Thanks

  14. My parents lived in Pressman’s Home in the late ’50s until about 1963 while my father worked at the Pressman School ( I think). They left to help open a new plant in PA.I would love to see pictures of the area. I would also like to know where to find the area on a map. I was less than 2 years old when we moved.  Dad has since passed away but Mom is still alive and still in contact with some folks in TN.

  15. Dennis – check out comment #2 for links to images, as well as the two image pages here on this site (links at the top of the page, first paragraph).

    As to where it is, well, find Rogersville on a map. Then, follow 66N. Then take 94E (N?). On most maps, it will have the golf course but may or may not have the lake. Some maps list it as Camelot instead of Pressman’s Home.

    If you can use the coordinates, they are at the bottom of this close-up image. The further away image is interesting too although the coordinates are more general.

    YahooMap

  16. Got Thought Patterns of your own? Input ’em here.My father was a chef at Pressman’s Home back about the late 30’s or early 40’s. I’ve heard of the place from my family and seen a photo of Dad standing with his crew out on the grounds, but knew nothing of it until finding this site. My Dad was from Johnson City and this was one of his ‘big’ jobs as a chef. It was fun reading about the place. Thanks!

  17. This is GOD’S country! I live in Poor Valley, just across the hill, as the crow flies, from Pressmans Home. My grandparents worked and lived there. My grandfather helped to build the damn that holds the lake, and later played on the baseball team, and was a grounds keeper. My grandmother worked for Major Berry in his home cleaning and ironing. As a child I remember taking my grandma for drives thru the double roads of Pressmans Home and hearing all the stories of times gone by, these tales of people, places, of Home always ended with my grandma in tears as she remembered the beauty and the people, while she looked at the ruins left. It is truly a saddness now all the wonderful history lost and ruined. It does live on though in records of the area, for some wonderful pictures and some great stories from the area I suggest a book by Rodney Ferrell called A Place Called Home. And if any of you ever knew a lady called “Aunt Bell” and have some stories to share please let me know, she was my grandma.

  18. I grew up in Morristown, TN not far at all from pressmens home. we all heard lots of stories about it and like most kids went to go check it out many times in the ’90s. We had to sneak in but we always wondered around the home freely, with no trouble at all except for one time , the last time I went there was some people trying to scare us off. they were on one of the top floors of the hospital. We told them to stop trying to scare us and we went on walking around the grounds until we were ready to leave. Having walked around it so much and seeing all the buildings the only thing that comes to mind to describr it is intesely eerie. The church is pristine inside it looks as though the windows have been cleaned from the inside, becouse there is no dust no sign of age or destruction of the walls except for this huge, black, empty hole that has fallen in just inside the door so you can’t get to the altar. the graveyard is there in front of the church. the tennis courts like much of the rest of it is overgrown and falling down. the hospital is the creepiest i used to shudder everytime somebody would want to go in there. i just wonder if you can still catch TB. Thats what they died of over there you know. They were printers of course, the ink, back in those days if inhaled caused TB. TB patieints had to be quarentined, and the disease its self caused patients there to slowly go crazt before they died(all learned from an episode of THE HEARTLAND SERIES on wbir channel 10). But what’s up with all this military stuff? Should we really stay away or are they just trying to scare us. we never meant any harm, just curious. It is definitly a ghost town, you can feel it just walking through there. we should get some kind of paranormal show on cable tv to investigate. Any ideas?????????????

  19. the last time I went there was some people trying to scare us off. they were on one of the top floors of the hospital. We told them to stop trying to scare us and we went on walking around the grounds until we were ready to leave.

    You were trespassing on private property. You were lucky they didn’t shoot you.

    Everyone needs to remember that it is private property. You walking around there is akin to someone walking around in your yard. It doesn’t matter if the private property used to be a wonderful and glorious business/trade school/resort. It is still private property and we need to respect that.

  20. Got Thought Patterns of your own? Input ’em here.

    I just came upon this site accidently. I love it. I am an RN and worked homehealth for 12 years. I didn’t know what Pressman’s home was until then. I would have to drive through to get to a patient’s home. I love the history. Many patient’s grew up there and had great stories to tell. i would love to see more pictures. A couple days ago there was a forest fire there and I’m not sure how much damage it did but a couple buildings were destroyed. Any additional photos and information/stories of Pressman’s home would be greatly appreciated.

    [email protected]

  21. My parents lived in Pressman’s Home, TN back in the early 60’s. I was born in Kingsport and my Dad was an instructor at the printer’s school

  22. I’m glad I found this website. I learned about Pressman’s while searching my family history. Through older cousins I learned that my ggreatgrandfather and greatgrandfather operated a horse and buggy taxi service between the Rogersville train station and Pressman’s, mainly transporting people with TB to the hospital. Unfortunately, my greatgranfather contracted TB himself, possibly through a customer, and died, in his mid-forties. He is buried in the Gonce family cemetary.

    They lived in Poor Valley around a place called Frog Level. If anyone can tell me more about this area or history of Pressman’s, I’d love to hear from you. My email address is jowilliams28 “at” hotmail.com

    (Jo, I changed your email link so that no spambot could grab it)

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