Historic Rugby — Attraction in Tennessee

Well worth a detour!

My mom and I really could not have loved our stay in Rugby any more. Every year, we road trip across the country and delight in discovering historic, off-the-beaten-path places. We stayed for one night at the Newbury House (managed by Historic Rugby and bookable on their website), which is a new favorite. We eagerly anticipate returning to this gem and introducing other friends and family members.

On Thursday night, two road-weary gals pulled into Rugby after a long day of driving. It was 7pm and the only souls about were a gentleman mowing the lawn and a friendly black cat (who we later learned is famous enough to be emblazoned on souvenir Rugby t-shirts). The self check-in process was a piece of cake and we were into the beautiful building in a breeze (what a charming original Victorian doorbell!). Noticing the cafe was closed up for the night, we were a little worried about being apparently stranded so far from food, but imagine our delight when we discovered a kitchen in the Newbury fabulously stocked for us with all manner of treats: cookies, donuts, oatmeal, tea, coffee, bagels, fresh fruit, juice, milk, granola bars, cereal....This happy surprise felt like something right out of a fairy tale. Every room in the Newbury was spotless. The building is right out of history, but all of the utilities were flawlessly updated and functioning. The bathroom was just as nice as any you would find in a modern hotel. The shower was heavenly.

When we woke up, we enjoyed lunch at the cafe and a tour of the town beginning at the Visitor's Center. A highlight was a long conversation with the gentleman running the printing shop. Our only regret was that we could not have stayed for longer.

Other highlights: -Our Newbury guest rooms were beautifully appointed with antique furniture, much of it original to the town. -A guest book in the Newbury contained signatures of recent visiting descendants of the town's original founders! -Everyone we met was incredibly hospitable and warm. The volunteers obviously love what they do. -No TVs in our rooms, hooray! How often does that happen? A++ for that (Though tv watchers may be comforted to discover the communal tv in the Newbury kitchen). -It’s obvious that no attention to detail has been spared. What a pleasure to peer back in time at the town via the original photos hanging on all of the walls.

Thank you for all that you do to share and preserve this interesting history. You’ve done a magnificent job of bringing it to life and we enjoyed the opportunity to step back in time. We can't wait to return to check out your program of events, hiking trails, and...

This was my second stay in Rugby for a Writer's related event. The speaker- Paul Young, author of The Shack, was much more than I could have ever hoped for.

We stayed at the Newberry House and I think housekeeping needed to pay more attention to their tasks. First, there were 3 wasps behind the bathroom mirror, which was attached only at the top. They were flying around the room and bathroom until we were able to kill them all.

Second, there was a large number of dead lady bugs on the window sill, which was not acceptable either. The room was very dusty. I hope this gets resolved as it is a lovely place to visit and stay, but no one wants their clothes to be covered with dust or cobwebs from being inside.

The new owners of the local restaurant have done a nice job and we enjoyed our meals there. The ladies helping out in the Visitor Center are very pleasant. Overall it was a lovely weekend, but when one sees and envelope on the dresser from housekeeping asking for tips- I had to say it...

Rugby is a fascinating place. It's a must-see location for history buffs and antique collectors or anyone looking for something different while trekking through East Tennessee. In school, I vaguely remember learning about Christian Socialist co-ops popping up in American in the late 19th century but this was my first time seeing the site of one; and I have to say, I was enthralled by the stories and items housed here.

There are some great deals on antiques and old furniture sets so if you're into that sort of thing I recommend checking out the shops; the prices were great and so were the items.

Didn't have time to do the whole tour but we did check out the print shop and that was awesome; Beth gave us a wonderful walk-through of all the 19th century type machinery and let us take a few samples home with us.

If I'm ever in striking distance again I will come back! It's a...