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Dolly Parton embraced her roots throughout her 80-year life — and that includes the Tennessee cabin where her storied journey began.
The country legend’s origins were as humble as her childhood home — a two-room cabin in Locust Ridge in the Great Smoky Mountains, located outside of Sevierville in east Tennessee. It’s the small residence she shared with her parents and 11 siblings.
The cabin had a kitchen and a single bedroom, and no electricity or running water. For nighttime visibility, the family caught fireflies in jars and placed them throughout to illuminate the interior.
The home still stands, though it’s closed to the public. But during Parton’s upbringing, it had a kitchen with a table for six, a washing basin between the kitchen and the bedroom — and just a partial wall separating it all.
Parton was proud of this home, so much so that she had it recreated for her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Parton’s brother Bobby handled the design, while Parton’s mother, Avie Lee, offered her stamp of approval.
“These mountains and my childhood home have a special place in my heart,” reads a sign just outside of the replica. “They inspire my music and my life. I hope being here does the same for you!”
The Dollywood cabin lets visitors see what Smoky Mountain life was like for the family in the 1940s and 1950s.
Images of the bedroom show several beds, and even a baby’s crib, standing side by side.
Meanwhile, the kitchen has a vibrant floral wallpaper, curtains on the windows, cast-iron skillets hanging from hooks and a standalone stove for heating. The eating space is wallpapered with newspaper clippings, while a table is topped with a gas lamp.
Despite the crippling poverty in which the family lived, the replica shows a cozy reality — giving a glimpse into the happy family who resided inside.
English (US)