A social media post in Cumberland County has stirred up residents concerning a Homestead house and Dollar General Store. The house is located in the historic “Homestead” area of the county which was designated as such by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1934 by the New Deal-era Division of Subsistence Homesteads as a way to help farmers and blue-collar workers. In 1988, several hundred of the homes and buildings in the area were added to the National Register of Historic Places. The home in question is located on Highway 127 South, just past the Cumberland Mountain State Park and Sawmill Road. Pictures posted on the social media site shows a backhoe sitting in a field beside the Homestead house. Another picture shows a “for sale” sign in the home’s yard which also shows a “sold” placard. Many are concerned that the house will be torn down so that a Dollar General Store can be placed on the lot. A check with the county register of deeds revealed that the property, 13.5 acres, was purchased by Sevierville Investments LLC of Alabama in December 2017. According to records, the property was originally to be sub-divided but that deal fell through. Crossville Planning Administrator Kevin Dean told 1057 News that the paperwork for the transaction was being handled by another party. Attempts to contact that party by 1057 News have failed. It is still conjecture at this point, but the Dollar General Store that is speculated to be built in the area, is a new state-of-the-art facility which will be even more modern than the Dollar General Market concept. There has still been no “official” word on whether or not the house will be torn down.

Picture courtesy of James F. Keck/Crossville Then & Now.