The perfect romantic escape is less than an hour away, tucked in the forest with sprawling hiking trails, trailing to the most incredible waterfall. The history of the property known today as Evins Mill actually dates back to 1824, when a Tennessee Land Grant recorded it as Lockhart's Mill. Perhaps the most well-known proprietor was the politically prominent Evins family. Edgar Evins was a state senator and successful businessperson with a variety of interests, including banking, bussing and oil. He bought the property in 1937 and built the present Gristmill two years later, apparently in conjunction with an emerging business in Lebanon called Martha White.
Perched on a bluff overlooking the Gristmill, the Main Lodge is the heart of Evins Mill. Featuring poplar floors, hand hewn log walls and fieldstone fireplaces, the Lodge is home to dining areas and many common gathering spaces guests can enjoy.
One of the highlights of the Evins Mill experience is the cuisine. A wide selection of locally sourced menu options are available and served in an intimate setting. In an effort to procure its food from local vendors who raise their animals in a humane, grass-fed and chemical-free environment and who grow their produce organically, the resort is pleased to partner with many Tennessee-based or otherwise nearby food purveyors such as Quarter Springs Farm, Harmony Lane Farm and Creamery and Calf Killer Brewery to name a few. Travel Packages also include breakfast, hearty sack lunches, hors d’oeuvres and dinner options.
With the completion of the Solstice, a luxury lodge situated at the resort's highest elevation, Evins Mill now fields twenty rooms that can accommodate as many as fifty-four guests, offering the perfect balance of amenities and quaintness.
Whether you set out on a relaxing, healing quiet luxury, on an outdoor-ish adventure, or for a rich local history lesson–you can satisfy all three at this unique retreat in Smithville.
Visit www.evinsmill.com to make reservations or schedule a site visit. Meetings, retreats, weddings and other special events can be booked online as well.
