The Granville Mercantile was built in 1923 and has served a myriad of purposes over the years. When I was a child it was a grocery store, run by the parents of one of my best friends. Later, new owners added a pool table and a jukebox. My great uncle, a World War I veteran, helped operate it as a pool hall in the 1950s. But when it all began, almost a century ago, it was a store—the bustling Granville Mercantile. For the past few decades it’s been vacant, used for storage. It’s suffered the wounds of age and termites, yet it’s stood the test of time, silently facing its older cousin: the Ben Sutton store. Today, the Mercantile has been revived as a place of refuge and respite, a place to meet, relax, play, learn, and enjoy. It’s become what it always was meant to be: a welcoming place on the main street of my hometown.

James Turner, Proprietor

Where is (what is) Granville?

Granville is one of the older steamboat towns in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. It was part of North Carolina when my ancestors moved here in the 1790s. Back then this territory was the Cumberland River, canebrakes, longhunters, Cherokees, and a fight for survival with the elements and the land. Granville was never more than a small town, a place where we were all family, a place where we survived war and famine and nature. Today, Granville has become a tourist town—a place to vacation, a place to breathe.

What to do, what to do…

Granville features natural beauty, primarily the Cumberland River, Martin’s Creek, Indian Creek, and the two horse riding trails in Holleman’s Bend. You can launch a boat at the Wildwood Marina, on Martin’s Creek, on Indian Creek, or at the head of Holleman’s Bend. The two horse riding trails range from the fairly tame Lowland Trail that follows the river from the highway to the head of Holleman’s Bend. The more challenging Wilderness Trail begins near the river at the head of Holleman’s Bend.

In Granville you can rent boats, kayaks, and horses, and you can enjoy a meal at Wildwood Restaurant (on the river) or have a Saturday night supper while listening to live bluegrass music at the historic Sutton’s store—just across the street from the Mercantile. Heck, just walk around town, say hi to your neighbors, and wave to the locals as they drive past. You’ll be treated as a friend when you visit. Before I forget, the fishing is great. From the Mercantile you can walk to two or three nice places to cast your line, or just check out the bass boats heading out early on tournament mornings from the marina. Check out our FAQ page for details on all the things to do in Granville.

But our secret is that Granville is just as appealing for what it doesn’t have: traffic, noise, pollution, and that big-city rush we seem to find everywhere these days. Wake up on a Saturday morning, walk to the Sutton Store for a cup of coffee, then sit inside with the locals or head to the front porch and watch the sun rise into the sky. You will find the chance to breathe and glimpse your sanity as it returns to you. Life’s too short to miss this.

The building is perfect for a little of everything, so if you’re looking to book it for an event, please give me a call or an email. If you’re wanting to book it as a vacation home for a few days, the Airbnb website makes things much simpler for all, so we ask that all stays be booked directly through them at https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/25017197