The Old Rankin House

The Rankin house built in 1854 is the oldest home in Dunlap, Tennessee.  I have spent a total of three years putting this house together, I have rebuilt it from bottom to top. At the time, in 1852, it was a pinned building. A gentleman by the name of William Rankin was the owner of this house. He owned 28 slaves, one thousand ackers of property, and started up the only bank in Dunlap. When the Civil War broke out, he fled to Alabama because he was a Confederate. By this time the first 5 months of being here, I pillioned the crawlspace so the house would be level, and for more support. While working there I found a passageway from the first floor to the sistra then to the outside. This was obviously a secret way to get out of the house. While in the crawlspace, I also found a gun, an old army knife, and a military badge for a bugle blower. I also found a broken sword, bullets, a musket horn, and bones. The biggest find was a cash register used in the 1800's.  After finishing the crawlspace, I then started on the first floor. There I found a bunch of old newspapers that was used for installation that dated back to the 1850's to the 1900's. I have found an old fireplace which was in the center of the home on the first floor in a bearing wall, with bricks dated to the 1850's with bricks that have Chicago and Atlanta written on them in bold letters. I found a cracked anvil,and a couple of iron skillets inside this fireplace. When I tore the floor up, I found Confederate money from South Carolina, and a hidden door that lead to the crawlspace. At The time the house was completed for Mr. Rankin it was 1857. In July of 1860 Rankin and his Wife fled to Alabama due to Union Soldiers heading South through Nashville to engage in the Battle of Chicamunga and the Tennessee River. This house was then made into an elite hospital for the Union Officers.  Mr. Jones believes that this information was never documented due to the Rankin House being a secretive command post for the Union. While finishing up the floor boards I found old medicine bottles including  doctors names. At this time I started on the second floor. This building was constructed out of wooded beams and old pegs. All the beams had to be re-pinned due to various reasons such as being rotted. Then I found an 18 x 20 beam that seemed to be completely hollow due to rotting, this beam was a main floor joist. Come to find out this beam was not rotten but a seceret compartment. There I found silver dollars, gold coins and two books. Many other treasures were found. There was also an old Mulberry tree in the back yard that had been hit by lightning. In the process of taking down the tree, I realized the base was hallow, there I found eye glasses and more medicine bottles along with surgicial tools. At Coops Creek (which runs along the property) I started a Memorial for my son Andrew, which died at the age of 16. It was then I discovered a stair. I continued digging and found a total of five stairs leading to an old spring. In this old spring I found more gold pieces, Indian artifacts, knives, eating utencils, coke bottles from the 1920's, and I continue to find more little treasures.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my story. At present all items are displayed in the house, while getting my resturant up and running. You are more then welcome to come see these items for yourself.We are having concerts starting with goose creek symphony June 12, 2011.  The gates will open at NOON CENTRAL.  On  July 10, 2011 The Mill will be presenting Janis Joplin Big Brother Holding Company and in September, Monster of Rock presenting  AC/DC and The Steve Miller Band.