Restoration of Sabine Hill

Restoration of Sabine Hill. Sabine Hill State Historic Site. , Bringing Sabine Hill Back to Life , Sabine Hill remained in the Taylor family through the latter 1940s. In August 1936, W. Jeter Eason with the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) visited Sabine Hill and took detailed photographs of the structure. This proved an invaluable asset during restoration. Sabine Hill was one of only four structures in Carter County to be recorded by HABS. At that time, the house was vacant and the surrounding property was rented to local farmers. In 1949, James L. Reynolds purchased the house in hopes of restoring it to its former grandeur. Throughout the Reynolds' occupations of the home for several decades, renovations and stabilization efforts ensured the structural integrity of Sabine Hill. In his 1981 book Architecture in Tennessee 1768-1897, author James Patrick referred to the home as a "spectacular design of Federal Architecture."

In 2007 Sabine Hill was threatened by demolition for an apartment complex. This plan would have required a rezoning of the property, and citizen action groups, as well as descendants of the Taylor family, raised awareness of the home's historical significance to prevent its destruction. The Tennessee Historical Commission weighed in, and the Tennessee Preservation Trust placed the home on its "Ten in Tennessee" list of the state's most endangered properties. The rezoning request was ultimately denied by the Elizabethton Regional Planning Commission. To ensure the home's preservation, private citizens purchased the house from the owners who had sought to demolish it. This generous act allowed much-needed time until it could be acquired by the Tennessee Historical Commission, using state monies from the State Lands Acquisition Fund. Sycamore Shoals Historic Park and the Tennessee Historical Commission partnered with a plan to save the property and develop it as a heritage tourism asset for the region. Sycamore Shoals agreed to operate the property as a unit of the park. Fundraising and stewardship efforts were undertaken by both community members and Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park for some years before restoration funding could be obtained.

In 2012 the Tennessee Historical Commission received capital funding to restore Sabine Hill. The preservation project included historic paint analysis, dendrochronology, and archaeology along with in-depth examination of the original architecture. This ensured that the restoration of the home would be historically accurate. The combined efforts of local residents, descendants, historical enthusiasts, and state agencies guaranteed that Sabine Hill would be preserved and enjoyed by future generations.

[photo captions] , . (marker background photo) The Historic American Building Survey took this photo of Sabine Hill in 1936. The house was in poor condition and vacant. (Source: Library of Congress) , . (right center photo) Dr. Henri Grissino-Mayer extracts a core in the west parlor with a student looking on. The core was used to determine the construction date of the house (Source: Collection of Sycamore Shoals State Park)