Sabine Hill

Sabine Hill, the large Federal-style structure on the knoll to the south, is one of the oldest surviving homes in Carter County. General Nathaniel Taylor (1771-1816), a veteran, of the War of 18 12, began the construction of Sabine Hill shortly after the war. Taylor, who served as the first sheriff of Carter County and as a member of the Tennessee General Assembly, died before the house was finished. His widow, Mary ("Polly") Patton Taylor, completed the house about 1818 and was a highly successful businesswoman and landowner; the Taylors owned more than 3000 acres in Happy Valley. Two great-grandsons of the Taylors became governors of Tennessee: Alfred A. and Robert L. Taylor, who competed in the famous "War of the Roses" of 1886. Another great-grandson, Nathaniel Harris, became governor of Georgia and was one of the founders of Georgia Tech. Sabine Hill was added to the national Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Tennessee Historical Commission acquired the property in 2008 and extensive restoration-has taken place since then. , , Department of Appalachian Studies, East Tennessee State University , Tennessee’s War of the Roses. , The 1886 Tennessee gubernatorial campaign is one of the most memorable in state history as two brothers ran against each other. Alfred A. Taylor, a Republican, faced off against Robert L. Taylor, a Democrat. The Taylors, who grew up in Happy Valley, were great-grandsons of General Nathaniel and Mary Taylor of Sabine Hill. Newspapers dubbed the campaign "The War of the Roses," a reference to the contest between the rival houses of York and Lancaster in fifteenth-century England. Both brothers were excellent storytellers and fiddlers, which made for a lively campaign. Despite the "war" metaphor, the race was good natured. Although Bob Taylor won, brother Alf eventually won the governorship himself, in 1920. , [photo captions] , . Sabine Hill façade (ETSU Dept. of Appalachian Studies) , . Sabine Hill rear view, showing the detached kitchen. (ETSU Dept. of Appalachian Studies)