A couple of weeks ago I posted a news story courtesy of WATE6 in Knoxville that mentioned a new development named the Anakeesta project that included hotels, retail, and activities. Standing in the way of this project were historical buildings, and one such building is the Martha Jane Huskey Ogle cabin, and the other was used as a health clinic.

The Ogle cabin was home to the first person who settled in Gatlinburg, Martha, and also housed her five sons, two daughters, her brother, and her husband William; he died in 1803 before he could return home after collecting his family in South Carolina.

The developers that are spearheading this new project wanted to be able to save the old buildings and have spent the past few months planning on a way to keep them intact. They made an agreement with the Sevier County School District by donating the clinic building to them and agreeing to move it to Pittman Center, which is about ten miles east of Gatlinburg. The Ogle cabin will also be saved and will be moved further down the Parkway. The first building will be moved in mid-October and the $15,000 price tag will be paid by the developers.

This is fantastic news due to the sheer sensitivity these buildings have to the community and the willingness of these developers to foot the bill and work with the area in perserving a major part of history. There will be more news of this development, and you will find the lastest news right here.