1799- Maple Grove Inn, or Glenmary

The Maple Grove Inn was built in 1799. Apparently, it was originally known as Glenmary, as well as Mount Ebenezer, the Parsonage, and the Alexander-Ramsey House.

Location: 8800 Westland Drive, Knoxville

The original Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church was built a few years earlier right in front of where the Maple Grove Inn was built. The Cedar Springs cemetery is still out in front of the Maple Grove, although the church has moved. For some reason, the Knox County Metropolitan Planning Committee, on its "Southwest County Sector Plan" web page, says that this house was built around 1825. However, the sign at the entrance to this establishment says "Built 1799." The MPC website says "Glenmary, also referred to as Maple Grove Inn at 8800 Westland Drive, was constructed around 1825 and mixes Federal and Georgian style architecture."

The National Park Service administers the National Register of Historic Places. Its website features a "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form," listing "Historic and Architectural Resources in Knoxville and Knox County, Tennessee." It says that "this form is used for documenting multiple property groups relating to one or several historic contexts."

One of the properties listed in this registration form is Glenmary:

"In 1792, Charles McClung was commissioned by the Knox County Court to locate a thirty-foot wide public highway from the Knox County Courthouse due west through Campbell's Station to the western boundary of Knox County. The improvement was completed by the summer of 1795. In July 31, 1795, the Knoxville Gazette announced the "wagon road" was open from "Southwest Point" (Kingston) to Bledsoe's Lick. White's Fort, Bearden, Ebenezer and Loveville were all along this road before it reached Campbell's Station. The John Campbell-Matt Russell House (Survey No. 85), the Kennedy-Baker-Walker-Sherrill House (Survey No. 94), Knollwood (NR - 5/12/75) and the Alexander-Ramsey House (Glenmary, Survey No. 3646) are among the few left in this area."

"Ebenezer was probably the first settlement in the Sinking Creek or Ten Mile Creek area. Ten miles west of Knoxville, Ebenezer Byram built a cabin around 1786. An Indian attack was made on the cabin that year and again in 1792. In 1792, Reverend Samuel Graham Ramsey (Francis Ramsey's brother and Dr. J.G.M. Ramsey's uncle) organized the first church in the community. It was called Ebenezer and was the third oldest Presbyterian church in the county. Ramsey owned land on both sides of the stage road, present-day Kingston Pike and his house was called the Parsonage. He established Ebenezer Academy, a school for boys, at his home. His wife conducted a school for girls. Among the early settlers in the area were John Alexander (Ramsey's uncle), Dennis and Isabella McCaughan, Thomas Walker and Charles McClung. John Alexander's home, Glenmary, may have also been known as the Parsonage, the home of Samuel Graham Ramsey. Another, later (1839) home built by Thomas Walker still stands at 645 Mars Hill Road (Survey No. 12710) as does another Walker House, the Kennedy-Baker-Walker- Sherrill House."

From the context of these two passages, it sounds like the home was owned by both John Alexander and his nephew Samuel Graham Ramsey. I have never seen any record of who owned the house after that.

I found a book that has some more information about the Rev. Samuel Graham Ramsey, and in addition to a summary of his life, it briefly mentions his home. The book is "Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. IV," by William B. Sprague, D.D. Published by Robert Carter & Brothers, New York, 1858.

Rev. Samuel Graham Ramsey

“The ancestors of Samuel Graham Ramsey were Scotch Irish Presbyterians. He was a son of Reynolds and Naomi (Alexander) Ramsey, and was born on the 20th of October, 1771, at Marsh Creek, York (now Adams) County, Pa., whither his parents had removed shortly after their marriage…”

“He was afterwards a student at Liberty Hall, now Washington College, in Virginia, then under the Presidency of the Rev. William Graham, for whose character he had such admiration that he adopted his name, Graham, as part of his own. After completing his collegiate course, he studied Theology under the same distinguished instructor and eminent divine, and on the 20th of April, 1795, was licensed to preach the Gospel by the Presbytery of Lexington. Mr. Ramsey, for a short time after he was licensed, travelled in Virginia, and preached in several different churches. He afterwards extended his missionary tour to the "South Western Territory"—since the State of Tennessee. There he met with an elder brother—Col. Francis Alexander Ramsey, who had preceded him to the West twelve years, and was then settled at his late residence, Swan Pond, Knox County…”

“The two brothers went together still farther into the adjoining frontier settlements. A hearty welcome greeted their arrival at each cabin, and a cordial wish was everywhere expressed that the young minister should remain in the country, and organize churches in the wilderness. He listened respectfully to their solicitations, visited several forts and stations, and preached to many who had not, since they left fatherland, heard a Presbyterian sermon. His was indeed the "voice of one crying in the wilderness." Thousands came out to hear and welcome the arrival of the strange minister. They followed him from station to station, and heard him gladly…”

“With this purpose he returned to Virginia. But there a new era in his life began to open upon him. In his peregrinations through that State, he had met with Mrs. Eliza Allen, the widow of the Rev. Carey Allen, who died in Kentucky in the summer of 1795. Mrs. Allen was the daughter of Col. William Flemming, M. D.,—a native of Scotland, and a graduate of the University of Edinburgh,—a surgeon of the Virginia troops, and a commander of one of her regiments at Point Pleasant (Kanawha) battle where he was severely wounded…”

“They were married on the 24th of February, 1797; and in December of the same year, they migrated to, and settled at, Mount Ebenezer, by which name they designated their private residence, eleven miles West of Knoxville,—the then seat of Government of the State of Tennessee. Mr. Ramsey then became the Pastor of the Grassy Valley Congregation, preaching, on alternate Sabbaths, at Ebenezer and Pleasant Fount. Over these Churches he exercised his ministry, being ordained and installed in 1798…”

“Besides his engagements with his Congregation proper, Mr. Ramsey, for a time, preached to the Church in Knoxville, left vacant by the sudden death of its Pastor, the Rev. Samuel Carrick. During that time, he rode, every third Sabbath, eleven miles to Knoxville, preaching in the Court House; and it was owing to his persevering efforts that the late church edifice of the First Presbyterian Congregation in that city was erected…”

“During the suspension of his ministerial functions at different periods, on account of existing or apprehended hemorrhages, he taught a classical school. Ebenezer Academy he first opened about 1801; and. after a temporary suspension, it was again opened in 1809. Young men flocked to his school from all parts of the State…”

The Rev. Samuel Graham Ramsey died on July 5, 1817, and “was buried in Ebenezer church-yard.” His widow lived on for almost another 20 years.

Connections:

The Knox County registration form says that John Alexander was the Rev. Samuel Graham Ramsey's uncle, and that the Rev. Samuel Graham Ramsey was Francis Ramsey's brother and Dr. J.G.M. Ramsey's uncle.

On wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com, I found some genealogical research into the Alexanders and Ramseys, done by a John Wynne. Wynne's resarch says that Francis Alexander (1693-1760) was the father of both the aforementioned John Alexander (1733-abt. 1814), as well as Naomi Alexander (1736 - 1813). Naomi Alexander married Reynolds Ramsey (1736-1816), and two of their children were the aforementioned Samuel Graham Ramsey and Francis Alexander Ramsey.

According to user-generated content on findagrave.com, John Alexander, Naomi Alexander Ramsey, Reynolds Ramsey, Francis Alexander Ramsey and Dr. J.G.M. Ramsey are all buried at Lebanon In The Fork Cemetery. Also, Samuel Reynolds Graham Ramsey (1771-1817) is buried at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church Cemetery (aka Ebenezer Cemetery), which is right out in front of the Maple Grove Inn, on Westland Road. Findagrave.com has a page for him, but no photo of his grave, which was apparently just marked with a fieldstone.