In 1896, entrepreneur Clay Faulkner told his wife Mary he’d build her “the grandest mansion in Tennessee” if she would move next to their “Gorilla Pants” factory, 2-1/2 miles north of McMinnville.
Faulkner’s solid-brick, 10,000-square-foot mansion had all the “modern conveniences” when it was built – electric lights, indoor plumbing, central heat, and more.
Today, Mr. Faulkner’s Falcon Rest Mansion is open for tours as a historic attraction. It’s filled with museum-quality Victorian antiques, and some say it’s presided over by a friendly ghost – perhaps the proud builder himself.