The Land Remembers: A Story of Stewardship at Running Rock

When you stand on one of the ridges at Running Rock and look out over the forested hollows and crystal-clear streams, it’s easy to feel the weight of time. This 260-acre mountainside in Pittman Center, Tennessee, isn’t just another patch of the Smokies. It’s land with a story—one that stretches back to the earliest days of settlement in these mountains and now finds new life in our commitment to preserve it for generations to come. This is a story our family of which our family is so very excited to be a part.

The story begins in the late 1700s with Frederick Emert, a Revolutionary War veteran who fought at Brandywine, Germantown, and Yorktown. After the war, Emert made his way south and settled in what became known as Emert’s Cove, just up the road from our property. He cleared land, raised a family, and helped lay the foundation for communities in Sevier County. His life embodied the pioneer spirit: resilient, rooted in the land, and deeply connected to these mountains.

Later, the Smelser family continued that legacy on this very mountainside. Jacob Smelser and his wife raised nine children in a humble one-room cabin here. They lived simply—farming the cove, kids having 1 pair of shoes per year, drawing water from the streams, and finding their rhythm with the ups and downs of Laurel Creek. The land provided for them, and they, in turn, treated it with care.

It remained in the family until the Chaffins, from Knoxville, chose to leave it largely untouched. Seemingly forgotten with no development, no farming, no logging for 100 years or so it only saw the occasional grouse hunter. The mature forests grew thicker, the streams continued their steady flow, and the wildlife found refuge in the quiet hollows and ridges. That long period of rest is what makes this place feel so special today: it’s a rare slice of the Smokies as they once were, before mainstream tourism reshaped so much of the landscape. Venturing out away from the cluster of activuity in the center, one might even find one of the abandoned home places.

Now, as we bring Running Rock to life again, that history and our love of the outdoors guides everything we do. We purchased this abandoned farm in late 2021 with a clear purpose: to create a truly sustainable destination while preserving the land’s biodiversity and natural beauty. More than 90% of the property will remain in green space. Our authentic Appalachian cottages are intentionally spaced within natural buffers, tucked into the terrain rather than imposed upon it. Old logging roads are becoming hiking trails that let guests explore without disrupting the ecosystem. We’re restoring habitats, protecting the streams, and designing every element—from the village square to the fire tower—so that the land itself remains the star of the experience.

This isn’t just marketing talk. It’s a direct continuation of the stewardship that has defined this place for over two centuries. When guests walk the wooded paths or sit by the stream listening to the water, they’re stepping into that living story. The solitude you feel on a trail here isn’t accidental—it’s the result of thoughtful, low-impact design that honors the past while securing the future. The views of Mt. LeConte, the mature canopy overhead, the wildlife that still calls this home: these are the gifts of generations who chose preservation over exploitation.

At its heart, Running Rock is about reconnecting people with the original spirit of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Not the crowded entrances or the bright lights of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, but the quiet, restorative power of nature that drew families like the Emerts and Smelsers here in the first place. We believe the best way to experience these mountains is the way they were intended—immersed in them, with minimal footprint and maximum respect.

As we move forward with construction and prepare for those first exclusive stays, we’re reminded daily why this work matters. Every tree we plant, every trail we carve gently into the ridge, every cottage designed to blend into the forest is part of a larger promise: to keep this mountainside as a beacon of true conservation in the Southern Appalachians.

If you’re someone who feels the pull of these mountains—the call of clear streams, shaded forests, and star-filled nights—we invite you to be part of the next chapter. The land remembers its past. At Running Rock, we’re making sure it has a thriving future.

Thanks for reading, Jake