The
Early Years
In the late 1930s, Chicago natives David and Florida Lasier traveled to the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains on their way to the Georgia coast. They were instantly enthralled by the majesty of the mountains and soon began searching for the perfect setting for their new home amidst the beauty of these hills. David found his dream property just four miles from Walland, Tennessee, nestled on a tranquil country road.
On March 21, 1940, David purchased 158 acres of land for $3,500, which would soon become the setting for Blackberry Farm. The property was aptly named after Florida snagged her silk stockings in a thicket of blackberry bushes, and the name Blackberry Farm was born.
David and Florida would spend the next year building a nine-bedroom inn, a seven-car garage and a guest house for his sister, Ruth Lasier Harris, and her husband, Jim, who David hired as the proprietors of the inn. In the Spring of 1941, Jim and Ruth warmly welcomed their first guests to Blackberry Farm. Their inaugural brochure listing read, “Does the change you need mean motoring over mountains, climbing them on woodland trails, playing badminton in sight of them, or just sitting, dozing, and looking at them from a terrace like this? Our guests do all these things and leave saying they’ll be back soon.” Another read, “High on a spur of Chilhowee Mountain in the Great Smokies lies this picturesque 160-acre tract with its guest house newly built for complete comfort.”
Blackberry Farm was also a self-sustaining farm, raising its own chickens, pigs and various crops. The season ran from May 1 to December 1, offering guests a glimpse of the ever-changing beauty that this region had to offer: “Mountain laurel in May, rhododendron in June, flame azaleas in July, Fall colors in October and November. But every season has its delights in this region,” they promised.
Jim and Ruth ran the inn for two more years before their native California called them home, and in the Summer of 1943, they decided to retire from their roles as innkeepers. David Lasier continued to oversee the property from afar, but eventually, on December 11, 1952, he made the decision to sell Blackberry Farm.
The 158 acres, along with the guest inn, outbuildings, equipment and furnishings, were sold to Howard and Eleanor Jarvis of Knoxville, Tennessee. They pledged to carry on the legacy of the resort, which included the main building with its nine guest rooms, the garage and the original farmhouse and barn. Blackberry Farm's story continued to evolve under new ownership, preserving its status as a cherished retreat in the scenic Tennessee countryside.