The Reece Museum Exhibition Publications

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Introduction

Old Deery Inn & Museum: Tennessee Antiquities & the Social Life of Stories is an exhibition based on qualitative ethnographic research conducted in 2016- 2017 by Rebecca Proffitt. The goal of the study was to explore the multiplicity of meanings that are attached to the Old Deery Inn through its importance as a historical landmark within its community, its tradition of hosting a living history museum that interprets local culture, and its place within the official narrative of the Appalachian region as it is represented in tourism literature. The Inn is situated within a variety of narratives that, when layered together, present a complex and intricately constructed identity of place that is shaped by lived experiences as well as perceived cultural markers.

The study documents the historic narrative of the Old Deery Inn from a variety of viewpoints, including fifteen interviews with community members and stakeholders. The ethnographic research is supplemented with written histories and available archeological data, including maps, surveys, and studies performed by the National Parks Service. As the collected interviews were cross-referenced with historical documents and published materials, it became apparent that vocabulary, syntax, and a certain romantic emphasis could be found in nearly all of the written documents that were produced during the mid to late twentieth century. Upon further analysis, nearly all of the current interpretation of the Old Deery Inn can be traced to a 1953 script written by Virginia Byars Caldwell called “Historical Pilgrimage: Tour of Old Tavern (“Old Deery Inn”).”

Start Date

10-24-2022

End Date

4-14-2023

Table of Contents

  • 3: Introduction
  • 7: Map Room
  • 11: William Deery & the Old Tavern
  • 13: Blountville Blue
  • 17: Virginia Douglas Byars Coontz Caldwell
  • 20: Mrs. Caldwell's Loom
  • 25: Early American Woman
  • 31: Pathways of the Pioneers
  • 34: Burning of the Greens
  • 37: Bell-Pull
  • 38: Grandfather Clock
  • 39: The Battle of Blountville
  • 43: The Little Confederacy
  • 45: Conclusion
  • 47: Acknowledgments

Exhibition

Rebecca Proffitt (Research and Curation); Spenser Brenner (Design); Reece Staff (Installation)

Publication Contribution

Rebecca Proffitt (Research and Development); Spenser Brenner (Design)

Reece Museum Staff

Rebecca Proffitt (Director); Spenser Brenner (Exhibition Coordinator); Savannah Bennett (Collections Manager); Mara Reynolds (Digital Access Coordinator); Ashley Gregg (Museum Assistant)

Old Deery Inn & Museum: Tennessee Antiquities & the Social Life of Stories

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