Monteagle(Assembly), Tennessee

The Chautauqua of the South.  Formally known as the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly, this enterprise is inter-denominational and family-oriented. It is dedicated to fulfilling its original charter and mission through a variety of spiritual, educational, cultural, and health development activities. Assembly members represent 23 different states and the District of Columbia. This secluded, hilly and heavily-wooded compound is accessible by a single road, with manned-gatekeepers operating during twice-annual summertime festival events. Housing consists of 172 cottages and larger rustic homes connected with narrow roads that are mostly gravel.  Footpaths and wooden-trestle bridges over ravines provide for pedestrian traffic. A swimming pool and tennis courts are part of this enclave. The combination of interesting terrain and tasteful architecture results in a lovely, tranquil setting for this community. A testament to the enduring nature of this community is that most of the homes are bequeathed to younger family members. When we visited, only 6 cottages were for sale. Monteagle is conveniently located just east of I-24, 40 miles northwest of Chattanooga. At 2,000 feet in elevation, this locale provides cooler summertime temperatures than other surrounding areas. This small town is named for "The Monteagle" or "Monteagle Mountain", a section of the southern Cumberland Plateau which is a major landmark on the road between Chattanooga and Nashville. If you are religiously-inclined and want to retire in central Tennessee, you owe yourself a visit to Monteagle.
The term Chautauqua refers to local assemblies that flourished in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century that provided education and entertainment in the form of lectures, concerts and plays. There are only three surviving small town Chautauqua’s in the U.S. and all three are recommended by SmallTownGems.com. The other two are Chautauqua, New York (the original and largest) and Lakeside, Ohio.