New Look: Elkmont Renovations Finished By National Park Service

A restoration project 15 years in the making has finally been completed! The National Park Service has finished its renovations of the homes and cabins in the Elkmont Historic District, giving the area a fresh new look while remaining full of its fascinating history. These abandoned settlements are located in what’s known as Daisy Town, where private vacation homes are just around the corner of the Little River. Continue reading as we dive deeper into the Elkmont renovations:

A total of 19 restored homes, painted in bright colors and featuring a homely charm, can now be seen by visitors. These homes were originally built before Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934. Around the 1910s-20s, Elkmont was a thriving logging community and home to the Little River Lumber Company and Railroad. The town would cut down trees and use the railroad to transport them to a sawmill in Townsend, before being shipped off around the world.

The project officially concluded with the final touches being made to the Chapman-Byers Cabin. With that, all 19 structures became open for visitors to explore for the first time ever! We highly recommend a visit to Elkmont if you’re interested in learning more about the area’s rich history.

Restoration efforts began in 2009 when the National Park Service approved a plan that, in addition to restoring 19 buildings, included a total of 60 structures that were beyond repair and eventually demolished. Many of these homes were built by vacationers from Knoxville, as Elkmont transformed into a resort town. It became the first area in the Smokies to serve as a hub for tourists.

The non-profit organization Friends of the Smokies became a part of the restoration efforts in 2019. The next year, the organization established a $9 million endowment to help fund the restorations in Elkmont and other areas of the Smokies.

What to Know About Elkmont

Have you ever had a chance to visit Elkmont Ghost Town? If not, you should! The area first became settled in the 1840s and was known initially as “Little River”. In 1901, Colonel Wilson B. Townsend purchased 86,000 acres of land located on the river. A railroad was then built to connect the riverside logging site to the Little River Lumber Company’s sawmill in Tuckaleechee Cove.

Over time, the logging community turned into a must-visit escape for wealthy families in Knoxville. They would take the train to Elkmont for weekend getaways and eventually a resort community was established. The Wonderland Hotel in Elkmont was built in 1912. It was later closed in 1992.

So, where did the “Ghost Town” part of the name come from? When the national park was established in 1934, residents had to decide whether they would sell their homes for full value and relocate, or sell their properties to the National Park Service for a discounted price but be allowed to remain in their homes for the rest of their lives. By 1992, most of the leases had expired but there was no one to maintain the roughly 70 historic buildings. These abandoned structures led to the area being called Elkmont Ghost Town.

Will you make plans to see the renovated structures in Elkmont? If you do, be sure to check out one of the park’s top hidden gems, the Elkmont Troll Bridge!