Tellico Tales: The Old Hotel

Tellico Tales: The Old Hotel. . While this building has had many titles, the heart of it has remained the same. For over 100 years it has provided a place for workers, residents, and tourists to reside. Constructed in 1916 by the Babcock brothers in honor of their mother, Harriet Vose Babcock; they called it Mother’s Home. When that name faded away, it was only fitting to be called the Babcock Hotel. This building was intended to be a work home for the employees of Babcock Lumber Co. G.W. (Pop) and Paulina Munz purchased the hotel in 1927, thus changing the name to Munz Hotel. The couple was born in Germany and moved to the United States where they lived in New Orleans, L.A. There, Mr. Munz worked as a chef. A chef owning a bed and breakfast lead to great things. They moved to Tellico in the late 1910s – early 20s where he operated the hotel before purchasing it. Stories from the locals talk about how he would cook elaborate meals for the guest, and to this day the original cast iron stove is still in the building. In 1922 Tellico Plains High School seniors held their class dinner in the backroom of the “Munz Hotel”. Though Pop passed away in 1948, his family kept the hotel in business until 1975 when it was purchased by Ferd and Sina Cole. It remained in business until the early 2000s. Inside the building much of the original furniture is still in place. In total there are 12 guest rooms and 2 bathrooms in the upstairs hall. With original and antique charm pouring from its boards, this building holds much love from Tellico. Under operation of the Coles, sometimes its doors would be opened for a Christmas open house, and it truly gave visitors a chance to stop back in time. As you walk past conversations you might hear of someone talking about, “The old Hotel” and how their relatives would stay there when they came to visit. Maybe you’ll hear about how they picked up an antique plate from a porch sale held on its floorboards. For decades this building has left a piece of itself with every visitor and continues to do so even to this day., Project Leader: Hannah Morris – Project Assistants: Merritt Sherrer and Isabella Wilson – Project Advisor: Sheann Graham – Constructor: Thomas Graham – Constructor Assistant: Kolton Stakely., Sponsored by: The Cole Family