Historical Documentation and Design Criteria for the Tabard Inn (Tennessee Lodge), Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Appendix H to Design Memorandum No. 7 DRAFT
Miller, Wihry & Lee, Inc.. 1980. Historical Documentation and Design Criteria for the Tabard Inn (Tennessee Lodge), Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Appendix H to Design Memorandum No. 7 DRAFT. Combined Historic Structure Report and Cultural Landscape Report. Building Conservation Technology, Inc.. Nashville, Tennessee
The purpose of this study was to develop design criteria for the proposed Tabard Inn complex that are based on historic precedent, as determined through research. This report presents the findings and analysis of the historic Tabard, its role in the community of Rugby, Tennesee, and the significance of both. Documentation shows that it was not only the physical architectural features of the Tabard Inn that made it significant, but also the landscaping, decorative arts, use patterns, people, and traditions. The original Tabard Inn burned in 1884. In 1900, when the second Tabard Inn burned, no replacement was built. In 1978, a Lodge Feasibility Study was completed comparing various lodge sites and historical and natural themes. The study concluded that the feasibility of a lodge at Rugby, Tennessee outweighed other alternatives and would be viable if the design and theme of the lodge were based on the historic precedent of the Tabard Inn, and if the lodge management, operation, and visitor experience were integrated with that of the historic Rugby community as a whole. During the design phase of planning, agreement was established that the Tabard Inn site should be purchased by the Federal government and that the Inn be rebuilt for practical use as a lodge. This substantial research and pre-design analysis of the historic Tabard Inn site and facilities were part of that planning process. The research is presented in the four parts of this report: Documentation, Analysis, Development, and Supporting Data. Rugby is on the southern border of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Rugby was a unique English settlement and social experiment in Tennessee's Cumberland mountains, established by 19th century political leader and author Thomas Hughes. The design of the Victorian landscape surrounding the Tabard Inn was a significant feature of town life, and the inn was the center of social, festive, and recreational activities. The hotel is also significant for the people associated with it.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Miller, Wihry & Lee, Inc.
- Date of Issue
- 1980-03
- Publisher
- Building Conservation Technology, Inc.
- Units
- BISO , SER
- Keywords
- Abner Ross, burned, Cottage, cricket ground, Cumberland Plateau, English garden, folk music festival, guest house, hotel, inn, landscape, lodge, nursery garden, recreation, restoration, Romantic Style, Rugby, Rugby Colony Historic District, settlement, social experiment, sublime, Thomas Hughes, town plan, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Victorian