The Pence House

This log house was located in the fertile Reedy Creek Valley on the Edgeman-Pence 200 acre plantation, part of the Pendleton Grant, purchased in 1805 from James Gaines by Samuel Edgeman for $600.

In the 1830’s, the log house was the home of Joab & Mary (Gott) Pence and their seven children. Joab had come to Reedy Creek Valley about 1805 with his parents, Margaret & Revolutionary War Captain George Pence. Mary Gott Pence was born in Sullivan County, the daughter of Lott O. and Elizabeth P. Gott.  By 1830, Mary Gott had married Joab Pence, and her sister Hannah Gott married Samuel Edgeman, Jr.  The two sisters then lived quite close to each other on the Edgeman-Pence Plantation.

Joab Pence died in their house in 1860, and Mary survived him thirteen years during which the family saw many Rebel and Union troops pass by to raids, skirmishes and battles in Kingsport-Blountville area.  A year after the Civil War this Pence house and their 121 acres was valued at $2,115 a large sum of money for this period of history.  Mary’s son, Samuel Pence inherited the house and farm which remained in the Pence family well into the 20^th century.

In 1995, the historic Pence log house was donated by Joe Wimberly and Carl Braun.  With each log marked, it was dismantled, moved to the Netherland Inn Complex by P.T. Nottingham Jr. and his Bent Nail Construction Co. employees who with other volunteers (over 25 people) spent many hours as masons, carpenters, and log daubers to complete the preservation of this historic house as the Netherland Inn Visitor’s Center, complete with Museum Shop, public restrooms, and storage space. Financial assistance and professional services were donated by Joe Wimberly, Association for Preservations of Tennessee Aquitities’ Kingsport Chapter , H.T. Spoden, P.E. Muriel C. Spoden, and George E. Pence in memory of his wife, Mildred Pence.