Spring Hill's Oldest Houses Are Turning Into Places to Hang Out This Fall

Long ago, a Spring Hill woman had been engaged to an older Nashville businessman for two months when her father read in the newspaper that the businessman had married someone else. Her family sued for breach of promise and won $2,800. She used the money to buy a house just off Main Street. People called it "the house that kisses bought," and over time that got shortened to the Kissing House. Main Street Maury told the story in August. The occasion was a burger kitchen and a beer garden moving into the building.

There aren't many buildings left in Spring Hill with stories that old. In the same article, the Kissing House's owner said the town once had a busy downtown comparable to Columbia's. Much of it was destroyed by fires and tornadoes in the mid-20th century. That loss explains a lot about this fall's calendar. The old houses that did survive have become the places that host people. This season, historic grounds in Spring Hill are hosting a beer garden, a burger kitchen on the way, house tours, a barbecue festival and a movie night, spread across three addresses.

"Options" and "Places" Aren't the Same Thing

Bill Benedict has owned the Kissing House for about a decade. He has served on Spring Hill's Historic Commission and its Downtown Redevelopment Commission. He told Main Street Maury that Spring Hill's growth has brought plenty of shopping and dining "options." What it could use is more "places" where neighbors stop and get to know each other.

"But we don't really have a heart, a place for people to gather, so this concept is… a place for people to come, hang out."

He calls the approach "adaptive reuse." A historic home opens to the public, and the money it brings in helps keep the building standing. The other historic sites below are run differently, but the same idea applies to them. Opening the doors is how they stay part of town life.

What's Happening at 412 McLemore Ave.

The Kissing House was built in 1878 in the carpenter Gothic style of the time. It sits on McLemore Avenue, just off Main Street. If the address sounds familiar for food, that's because it used to house I Love Juice Bar and Brunch Collective.

The plan is to put two local businesses under one roof:

• Babylon Beer Garden, Benedict's own brand, has started pouring in one wing of the house. Its website lists hours of Friday and Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m.
• Loose Wheels Squashed Burgers, run by Marcus Malone with Katie Rose, is moving into the main house's kitchen. Malone's "squashed (not smashed)" burgers have won awards, including "Best in State" from Travel magazine. The truck built its following roving around Columbia, and Loose Wheels had a Columbia storefront from 2014 to 2020.

Malone said the new space would feel "like you'd see in an old general store or an old diner." The planned menu includes salads, soups and a Burger of the Month along with the burgers. The truck isn't going away. Rose said they are booked for catering "a whole nother year."

A word on timing: the August coverage described the kitchen move as about a week out, and we haven't found a later report confirming it finished. A Google-backed local business directory lists Loose Wheels hours of Tuesday through Saturday at lunch and dinner, closed Sunday and Monday. It also says those hours can change. Check before you go, especially if you're counting on a burger and a beer on the same visit.

Benedict has also talked about live music and local artists setting up on the lawn to sell their work. Those are plans for later, not events on the calendar yet.

Rippa Villa Is Already Doing This at a Bigger Scale

At 5700 Main St., Rippa Villa shows what a historic house looks like once public use is part of its routine. The house dates to 1855 and was one of the leading farms in Middle Tennessee. On November 29, 1864, the home and the families living there were caught in the middle of the Civil War. The Battle of Franklin Trust runs the site today, and it isn't only for out-of-town visitors.

On Oct. 9, Spring Hill Parks & Recreation hosted a free outdoor showing of Hocus Pocus on the grounds, and Williamson Source reported that guests were invited to bring chairs, blankets and snacks. That night is past, but the house is open most days, and right now it's cheaper than usual to visit.

According to the Battle of Franklin Trust's Rippa Villa page, people who show up with a $10 ticket can also buy Eric A. Jacobson's new book, The Cheairs Family & Rippa Villa: The Old Union, on site for $5. The limit is one discounted copy per party. The house is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Trust's own pages give different Sunday opening times, so confirm Sunday hours when you book.

The walking tour connects back to the Kissing House. It covers the downtown Benedict described, or what's left of it. The 100-minute route starts at Rippa Villa and passes the William McKissack home, the Gorham Wing house, the Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, the site of the Freedmen's Bureau school built after the Civil War, and Spring Hill Cemetery. It ends at the home of Martin Cheairs. The tour doesn't go inside any buildings.

Oaklawn Mansion Hosts a Barbecue Festival on Saturday

The third historic house hosts the only all-day festival on this fall's list. The Well Outreach holds its 21st annual Whole Hog Festival at Oaklawn Mansion on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entrance is off Denning Lane. New this year is a cookoff among eight internationally recognized pitmasters. The rest of the day includes live music, craft booths, kids' activities and food trucks. Tickets are sold at the entrance. The festival page doesn't list a price, so bring a way to pay at the gate.

One Weekend, Old Buildings and New

This weekend, the historic sites share the calendar with newer spots around town.

1. Friday, Oct. 16, 4 p.m. Harvey Park Playground reopens with a community celebration and music, Williamson Source reports.
2. Friday or Saturday evening, Oct. 16–17. Babylon Beer Garden's posted hours at the Kissing House are 6 to 10 p.m.
3. Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Whole Hog Festival at Oaklawn Mansion.
4. Saturday, Oct. 17. The Awaken House holds its third annual Fall Fest at 3035 Reserve Blvd., with games, a petting zoo, bounce houses, vendors, coffee, food trucks and live music.

Later in the month, according to Williamson Source, Spring Hill Public Library at 144 Kedron Pkwy. hosts an all-ages Halloween magic show on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10 to 11 a.m. It includes interactive illusions and a treat, and costumes are optional. Rippa Villa's $10 tour offer runs through the end of December. That makes it an easy plan for the slower weeks after Halloween, or for when family comes to town over the holidays. Note that the house is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Spring Hill can't rebuild the downtown it lost. Between McLemore Avenue, Main Street and Denning Lane, though, the buildings that survived are open to the public this fall: one pours beer while a burger kitchen moves in, one gives tours of the house and its downtown neighbors, and one hosts a barbecue festival on its lawn.

At Team Tate Real Estate, we love sharing the stories behind Middle Tennessee's places as much as the places themselves. If you've found a favorite corner of old Spring Hill, or you have a question about the town you'd like us to look into, contact us. We're always happy to talk about it.