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Blackberry Farm Opens its Third Property: High Hampton Resort

Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm
Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm

From ELLE Decor

Over time, certain places begin to take on the intimacy of old friends: they mingle with vacation memories and take root in your traditions. Blackberry Farm, the famed resort in the foothills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, is such a place. In 2012, Town & Country published a veritable love letter to Blackberry Farm, saying “It is something like a workshop—a very comfortable and deluxe one—in how to live.”

T&C stopped by again two years ago when its proprietors, the Beall family, opened the doors to a sister property, Blackberry Mountain. And undoubtedly we will make a pilgrimage to High Hampton resort, the newest retreat from the Beall family, set to open in April 2021.

Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm
Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm

Because while we were relaxing at Blackberry Farm, the Bealls would vacation in Cashiers, North Carolina, where High Hampton is located. The area, about an hour outside of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has long been a popular getaway for Southerners. Forty years ago, Sandy Beall, chairman and co-founder of Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain, bought a vacation home himself and fell in love with the area.

With its private lake, cottages, and hiking trails, the inn at High Hampton was a popular family destination when it opened in the 1930s, offering the same ambiance as a summer camp, but with adult-appropriate amenities like a golf course and a proper restaurant. Over the years, it had become rundown, although the property and its owners, the McKee family, were beloved by the community. Arlington Family Offices and Daniel Communities acquired High Hampton and brought in the team behind Blackberry farm for its peerless hospitality know-how and appreciation for the Cashier's area.

Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm
Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm

"Quality is the word I want to be associated with," the late proprietor Sam told T&C in 2012. "We have a role to move things further toward a better way of life, a more responsible way of life.” The nearly 100-year-old property is being restored—the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places—with thoughtful interventions like work from local artists, refurbished original antiques, and plenty of modern comforts.

"High Hampton has been a place that families come to year after year to slip away, spend time together, and create lifelong memories. The McKee family crafted a unique experience that celebrates both the beauty of the land and a slower pace of life. Our goal is to continue to honor this deep sense of family and connection," says Sandy. The resulting 18 Inn rooms, 40 cottage rooms, and three cabins are all nestled amidst High Hampton’s signature Dahlia Garden and old-growth trees; in true Blackberry Farm style, a dedicated gardener and team will monitor and enrich the local landscape.

Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm
Photo credit: Courtesy Blackberry Farm

High Hampton Inn will also boast a mountainside 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, hiking trails, and a private lake, as well as dining led by Blackberry Farm’s renowned culinary team. Reservations open this month for April 2021; for more information visit the High Hampton resort's website.

See you there next spring?

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