The lodge
The house Samuel Kress built
Samuel Kress, of the five-and-dime stores, built this 15-bedroom private mansion on the mountain in 1940 as a family retreat, and later used it to train his staff. The floors, the tongue-and-groove walls and the bathroom tile are still his.
How it was built
1940
Lumber went down the mountain and stone came up
Kress admired European and Art Deco architecture and built accordingly. The beams and the lumber were milled right here on the mountain. Some of that timber went to New York City, where he traded it for the Italian cut stone that faces the building and the patio today.
Before the house went up, he built a mill farther down the slope to process the timber. That mill is now The Parker Mill (opens in a new tab), a wedding venue five minutes away. In the 1970s the whole mountain was bought by Smoky Mountain Mental Health, which used the house as offices and the mill as a training center.
Shared spaces
The rooms everyone uses
The Grand Patio
Covered, front and center on the lodge, and opening off the main living area upstairs. Kress’s Italian stone faces it, and there is plenty of seating, all of it turned toward the Smokies. Coffee happens here in the morning and most evenings end here.
The Great Room
Timber trusses, a wood-burning stone fireplace, leather sofas and a pool table. The complimentary coffee bar is set out here every morning. Groups use it as a meeting and dining room.
The fire pit
Stone, on the lawn, pointed at the view. Bring marshmallows; the chairs are already out.
The cedar hot tub
Outside, facing the valley. Guests write about it more than almost anything else: the smell of the cedar, and the fog coming up the valley at dusk.
The details
The practical details
- Rooms
- 15 bedrooms, 21 beds and three sleeper sofas. Seven rooms and suites book individually; groups can reserve the Entire Lodge, 13 rooms exclusively, the top floor or the Kress Suite. Group rentals
- Kitchens
- A commercial kitchen for groups, a full kitchen in the Kress Family Suite and a small kitchen in the Blue Ridge Suite. Mini fridges in every room.
- Food
- A coffee bar in the Great Room every morning. There is no restaurant, but meal packages and a private chef can be arranged for groups and retreats.
- Wi-Fi & parking
- Both free. Ample parking, including room for shuttle buses.
- Check-in
- 3 PM, and check-out is 11 AM. Someone is usually on site; if you will arrive late, we send self check-in instructions.
- Getting here
- One paved mile up Smoky Cove Road from US-74. Any car makes it. Directions
Check your dates
Book direct here, or call and talk to someone who knows the lodge.