| Sources |
- [S27] The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com/, (Blount County, Tennessee), , 22 Apr 2004.
Mabel England White obituary
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 25 Jun 2005.
Georgia Lee Metcalf obituary
- [S27] The Daily Times, http://www.thedailytimes.com/, (Blount County, Tennessee), 4 Mar 2012.
Stone House Manor perfect place for items from past
By Melanie Tucker | (melt@thedailytimes.com)
In a 100-year-old house on the edge of town, friends Susan Henderson and Maggie Crawford have hung the “Open” sign on a business they have been gravitating toward for years.
Henderson had been a caterer for a long time here in Blount County, sold her equipment, went into real estate and then watched the market drop like a brick. Crawford just retired from the florist business and was ready to travel the country with her retired husband, Richard, who spent his livelihood working for the railroad.
But both Henderson and Crawford took that proverbial fork in the road in January when one of them drove by the old stone house on Tuckaleechee Pike and saw it was for rent. These two have been friends for 25 years and had talked about opening a place together. Henderson would be the chef, and Crawford would now have a place to sell and display her many antiques.
Open for business
An agreement with the property owner was reached, and Stone House Manor came into being. In the front rooms and upstairs, the Crawfords have antiques for sale, from jewelry to clocks, glassware and quilts. Maggie has also made room for some of Blount County’s most talented artists and crafts people. People like Maxine Falls, Ron Malone. Steve Russell, Marie Strain and others who create anything from license plate art to miniature paintings to jewelry made from silverware.
“The house had been a residence up until a few months ago,” Crawford explained. It seems like this business venture was meant to be, she said. Everything has come together in what the two business partners call “their ministry.”
The Crawfords started collecting antiques when they were first married, 40 years ago, and Maggie said they still have the first piece they ever bought — a kitchen cabinet that went into their first three-room apartment. The collection, Crawford said, has certainly grown from there.
The Crawfords have two children and four grandchildren and have already picked out what they might want. The rest. Maggie said, will be sold in the store.
Talent is everywhere
Falls, a local artist, has some of her miniature paintings for sale here. She also did some freestyle painting in the store and did a painting of the Stone House Manor as it looked in its heyday.
“We are trying to use this as a venue for local artists,” Crawford explained. “They need to have a place for their work because there is so much talent here.”
Both the upstairs and downstairs rooms in the historic home are filled with things like Ron Malone’s Junk to Jewelry collection, where he takes common objects like silverware and rocks to create one-of-a-kind works of art. In addition, he also does repairs.
“There is no such thing as junk,” he maintains. “It’s stuff.”
Aprons, casserole covers, diaper bags, knitted hats, bibs, hair bows, bath products, scarves and note cards have found a home here among the antiques and art. Crawford said she probably has 12 different artists and crafts people represented, and room for more. There are quilts that are about 100 years old lining the upstairs balcony.
Henderson has built up a clientele in her Sweet Tree Bakery and Cafe in just a short time. She makes soups and chicken salad for the Tuesday through Saturday lunches. Her desserts — like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake and Mandarin Cake — are to die for.
Those who have been eating her cooking for years will say the worst thing she has ever made is wonderful, Crawford said.
Stone House Manor isn’t set up like the traditional antiques store where different booths line the walls. The antiques are meshed together with the artists’ creations, giving the whole place a more cozy atmosphere.
“We wanted to give it a more homey feel,” Crawford said.
Welcome, welcome
Richard Crawford did a lot of the work to get the home ready for its transformation. He painted, hung moldings and whatever else his wife dictated. He has even added one of his creations to the shelves, a lamp made from a carburetor.
The place has only been open for a few weeks, but already Crawford and Henderson said they have met so many people and heard story after story about the house. One man who was 95 stopped by and told Maggie his dad had built the house. Neighbors have become friends, too, Crawford said, and they frequently stop by for dessert.
Henderson said they have gotten calls from clubs wanting to host meetings here, and one even wanted to hold a wedding reception. The house is too small for that, Henderson said, but they are leaving themselves open to new ideas.
The parking is finished and the dinosaur made from license plates sits in the side yard. Henderson promises to have delectable treats on hand for our visits. And the Crawfords will give a grand tour of the place to whoever stops by.
The Stone House seems poised for the next 100 years.
Mark A. Large
Stone House Manor is located at 3533 Tuckaleechee Pike in Maryville, just off U.S. Highway 321 about 4 miles
from the traffic light at Smith Mortuary. It is visible from the highway. A license plate dinosaur sits in the yard.
Take a gander
Stone House Manor and Sweet Tree Bakery and Cafe is located at 3533 Tuckaleechee Pike in Maryville. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The business is operated by Maggie and Richard Crawford and Susan Henderson.
Artists and crafts people selling their items at the shop include Ron Malone, Karen Simmmel, Christy Shimmers, Marie Strain, Cleo Clendenine, Sarah Allen, Steve Russell, Julie Walls, Tammy Schlosser, Gail Karnoupakis, Jan Kitelyn, Maxine Falls, Norma Tosh and Molly Bate.
- [S84] E-Mail, Margaret "Maggie" Crawford [CorysTNMimi@aol.com], 23 Jun 2013.
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