Kingsport’s Netherland Inn to reopen, flatboat to be replaced

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — After nearly a full year closed for renovations, The Netherland Inn and Boatyard are set to reopen later this month.

The Inn, located on the parcel that made up the original “King’s Port” in the late 1700s, closed last July for restoration work.

“It was just a this had to be done before you could move to the next one and the next one,” Netherland Inn volunteer and Steering Committee Assistant Chair Bobbie Phillips told News Channel 11. “So was a very time-consuming project. “

Phillips said the project mostly encompassed restoring the “inn” which hosted guests from salt boats and stagecoaches through the 1800s.

Projects included adding new siding, reattaching the original chimneys to the building and restoring floors and ceilings inside the inn.

The restoration was thanks completely to donations and to the work of volunteers, but Phillips said the hard work was all worth it to preserve the site for the next generation.

“I want this to be here for my granddaughter,” Phillips said.

Phillips isn’t alone in encouraging locals and visitors alike to stop by and get a taste of Kingsport’s earliest days.

“It’s just great to share that historical asset we have in our city,” Visit Kingsport President Frank Lett said. “Multiple presidents have spent the night there throughout time. It was the port for salt boats coming down from Saltville, Virginia. Just a lot of historical aspects, the facility that a lot of people don’t know and should come check out. “

The restoration work isn’t done, Phillips said, as the log cabins on the property, including one in which Daniel Boone stayed, require repair. Supporters of the inn are also raising money to replace the famous “flatboat” that used to sit across from the inn, adjacent to the Greenbelt.

Still, there is plenty to see when the Netherland Inn reopens on May 18.

“We have done a great job on restoring costumes, with the furniture and the interiors, and the grounds themselves,” Phillips said. “I just think it’s something that everyone needs to come by and visit.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.