Little Greenbrier School

Adventures in
Great Smokey Mountain National Park

Having recently relocated to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park area, our first outing in the park was to the Walker Sisters Home via Little Brier Gap. 

The first stop on this moderately trafficked out and back 4-mile trail was this quaint schoolhouse/church. We were intrigued with the history of this structure and hope the story and pictures are of interest to you.

The idea for the Little Greenbrier School began when residents of the area showed interest in having a teacher for the children. The county said they would supply the salary for a teacher if and when the town was able to provide a proper building. The community pulled the resources together and the Little Greenbrier School was established in 1882 with the help of John Walker, the father of the Walker Sisters.

From 1882 to 1936 the Little Greenbrier School enriched the minds of the community both academically and spiritually. A Baptist congregation used the school to hold services, and were the ones responsible for the small cemetery located near the school.

Today the Little Greenbrier School sits empty, tucked away in it’s forest hideaway of history. Now on the National Historic Registry, the school can be reached either by a drive down a gravel road, or via a pleasant hike on the Little Brier Gap Trail. Whichever way you take, the step into history is well worth the trip.

Dream Big, Travel Far, Live Well…

Our next post will feature the next stop on this trail which was the home of the five famous Walker Sisters who spent their entire lives in a cabin in Little Greenbrier Cove that was built by their grandfather in the 1840s.  Come back soon to view this post.

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