our history begins in 1932
When Susan Wiley Cooper Walker, the recent widow of Andrew Carnegie’s business associate John Walker, moved to Maryville from her native Pennsylvania to be near her sister Beth who resided in a home on the Maryville College campus with her husband Dr. W.P. Stevenson, the College Chaplain. She fell in love with the wooded grounds surrounding the campus and persuaded the administration to allow the building of a grand residence in those woods for her remaining years if she agreed to will the home to the College upon her death. The College agreed, and Mrs. Walker designed and built a stately 26 room residence along with the adjacent Carriage House and named her home Morningside. A renowned naturalist, avid gardener, and designer, some of her original shrubs, garden paths, and stonework remain and are enjoyed to this day.
Mrs. Walker passed in 1950, and the house served as a President’s residence for a time followed by use in later years as a restaurant and event facility called Morningside Inn. The Main House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 with acknowledgement for its classical revival architecture.
1997
In 1997 Ruby Tuesday, Inc. entered a lease agreement with the College to develop the property for use as a company retreat and training facility. RTI restored the Main Lodge, Carriage House, grounds, and constructed two additional buildings on the property, the Wiley House and Walker House, for overnight accommodations. The Lodge operation has expanded through the years to become a public hotel, restaurant, and special event center which now supports a diversity of activities such as weekend destination weddings, dining in the Restaurant at RT Lodge, corporate retreats, and individual overnight guest accommodations for both leisure and business travelers.
2021
In the spring of 2021, RT Lodge was purchased from Ruby Tuesday by a local group of investors who are dedicated to innovative development of the Lodge operation while preserving the history and community essence of the iconic property. The new ownership, Morningside Lodge LLC, spearheaded by Beth McCabe-Holman as President, is eager to continue serving its community and providing an authentic place of rest and retreat to all those who visit. Above all, the Lodge will continue stoking the spirit of hospitality that the property has been known for since it was built by Mrs. Walker so many years ago.
Morningside Inn
Mrs. Walker purchases her first vehicle. She was the first female to purchase a vehicle from the local dealership.
Mrs. Walker's Tea House where our current Front Fireplace is located
