The Branners

John Roper Branner, who built the house, was the grandson of Michael and Christina Branner, who came from Virginia in 1799. Their son, George, married Mary Ann Roper. George and Mary Ann were John Roper Branner's parents.

John Roper Branner started out in business with his brother, William, in a little store in the basement of the Roper Tavern in Dandridge. John left William to tend to the store and went to Mossy Creek, about ten miles away.

Mossy Creek as seen from Glenmore circa 1890. Note the mill and zinc mining operations (white flash near center).

In 1861, John Roper Branner became president of the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad and held that job until his death in 1869. John gave some of his own property to the railroad. He built his home on a hill overlooking the railroad lines so he could watch the trains go past.

Mossy Creek Depot, as seen from Glenmore circa 1900.

This was a very good location, and it was near the stately homes of other Branner relatives. From 1868-1869, John Roper Branner built his dream house, which he called "The Oaks." Following Emancipation, several of Branner's former slaves continued to work for the family and were the primary masons, carpenters, and laborers in building his new home. Descendants of those former slaves, many of whom took the Branner surname, return periodically to touch a piece of their ancestral heritage.

Sadly, John Roper Branner never got to live in the house. He died shortly before it was completed. John's widow, Deborah (ne้ Massengill), had to oversee completion of the house and move her children there. Afterward, John's brother, Joseph, ran the Branner Institute for Young Ladies in the house.