116 Depot St. in Watertown, TN
Built in 1898 as a 2 story frame in Victoria Queen Anne style
Edward “Ed” Hale built this home. Hale was a local banker. It was located, importantly, just a block from the railroad depot (which was discontinued at some point in the twentieth century). Before 1885, there were just a few residences in the area. After the Nashville and Knoxville Railroad (1889)and Tennessee Central Railroad (was growing) laid tracks through the town, it became known for a long period of time as Three Forks before changing to Watertown.
Photo by rossograph
In 1912, Rufe “Roof” Patterson converted the home to a railroad hotel with Classical Revival style. He married his wife Vickie Smith Patterson in 1894. The operation became very important to the development of Watertown. The building was enlarged, a red brick veneer put on and a wrap-around porch added with square columns. The Patterson Hotel operated until 1937. The town doctor resided at the place, and it was the regular home to a host of traveling salesmen. The dining room became a common bed & breakfast eatery.
Two years later, in 1939, it became a boarding house which lasted until 1985. The latest owners, Sharon and Robert McComb, purchased the Patterson Hotel in 1988 and opened it as the Historic Watertown Bed & Breakfast in 1991. In 2010, it was open. NRHP 1997
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