|
TEA HOUSE IN THOMPSON'S STATION OPENING SOON
October 2009 Thompson Station, Tennessee
by Ashley Bone
Staff Report for The Advertiser News
The dining room tables are set with floral printed china in the tea house at Homestead Manor Plantation in Thompson’s Station.
Displayed in the gift shop of the home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, are tea pot themed stationary, note cards, books and more. The menu is planned and chef Robin Fulcher was hired. Once construction of the large commercial kitchen is complete, the tea house will be open for lunch and afternoon tea.
Tea house owner Marcia Franks, a former Thompson’s Station resident, said she expects to open by the first or second week of November. Franks, who also owns Franklin Realtors, has been planning a tea house for the past six years.
She’s attended World Tea Expos in Las Vegas. Through an international group in New York called the Specialty Tea Institute, Franks has completed two levels of accreditation and is working on her third and final level.
“We’ll offer 100 varieties of loose leaf tea served on three-tiered trays,” Franks said, adding the teas are imported from Paris, France and other European countries.
Franks said she’s always been a fan of tea and a collector of tea pots. When her daughters were little, she would throw them tea party-themed birthdays.
“I wanted to do something different in the second half of my life,” Franks said of her tea house. “I’m not looking for it to be as profitable as real estate but something fun.”
In 2004, Franks battled breast cancer and her husband, Jay, who owns a real estate development company, purchased Homestead Manor. They restored the 7,500 square foot, three-story home to its original condition and lived there for four years. They had thought of turning the home into a museum but opted for a tea house instead.
The tea house can accommodate 65 guests in various rooms located on the first and second floor of the home. During the warm months, outdoor patio seating and second story balcony seating will be available. Servers dressed in Civil War Era attire will serve a variety of scones, quiche, soups, sandwiches, salads and decadent desserts made onsite by a pastry chef.
Historically, the house is very significant to the town and the Civil War Battle of Thompson’s Station, which was fought nearby. Construction of the house began in 1809 and it was completed 10 years later, Franks said.
The Franks have preserved 50 acres of the property and named it Battlefield Park. Homestead Manor served as a hospital following the battle and large bloodstains remain on the hardwood steps leading up to the third floor.
“I want tourists to come to Thompson’s Station and I want people to experience being in a sitting room and having afternoon tea,” Franks said.
The tea house will also be available for private functions such as weddings, bridal showers, seminars and business meetings. A Fancy Nancy room on the home’s second floor will be available by reservation for birthday parties. A dressing room adjacent to the Fancy Nancy room is outfitted with shimmery girls outfits and shoes so little girls can dress up for a tea party.
Bruce Richardson, a tea expert and author, will host a book signing at the tea house from 12-2 p.m. November 21.
Frank’s daughters Bryana and Tonya are assisting with running the tea house.
“I like that I’m able to work with both my girls,” Franks said.
The Homestead Manor Plantation Tea House is located at 4683 Columbia Pike in Thompson’s Station. Hours of operation, starting in early November, will be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for lunch with afternoon tea served until 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The gift shop will remain open through 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
For more information, Marcia Franks may be contacted at Marcia@homesteadmanor.com or call (615) 790-2309.
|
|
|