sgt. alvin c. york state historic park

After years of talking about Sgt. York I finally was able to visit his State Park. It was a wonderful experience and his story needs to be shared with the youth of today. Tennesseans should be proud of his roots and how he shunned the spot light and fortune to return to his humble beginnings. The tour of his home was very interesting as well as the millhouse and milldam. Unfortunately his general store was closed and it will mean another trip when it opens In March.

The preservation of the story of Sergeant Alvin York is an amazing addition to Tennessee. Children, young and old, should make a point to stop here and enjoy the history and story telling.

Be sure to stop at the country store across the street from the home. You can watch a few short videos about Alvin. We were very fortunate to visit on a day that Alvin's son Andy was at the house. He was very friendly and fun to talk to about his mom, dad and the home. He told some stories that we did not see in the video and had never heard. The old country store has drinks, snacks and souvenirs. We also drove a few miles to the cemetery where he and family were buried. Really enjoyed our time there.

We met his son sitting at the desk greeting guests. I was so amazed late on a Saturday afternoon that this could possibly happen. We really enjoyed the house tour and the surrounding area. It was a complete story as to what happened after the war.

My husband and I visited Sgt. York state park fourth of july weekend. My husband and I both enjoy history and there is much to be found here. We enjoyed the country store and the video shown of sgt yorks life. The tour of his house was very interesting and we really enjoyed the walk from his house to the cemetery. The view from his grave is beautiful. We then went down to the mill which is beautiful and nice for a picnic lunch. We thoroughly enjoyed this visit.

We visited the park and the house. One of York's sons was there to give the tour of the house.For the historical value it is worth visiting.

We have heard for years the story of Sgt. York and his amazing military life. So on visiting his home, I expected to see more about the Medal of Honor winner. It was very awesome to learn about his family life, before and after his war service. Also about his work to educate the people in his community and his dedication to his country and faith.The people working at the different sites were great and even under rainy skies, we had an excellent visit.

What a beautiful part of Tennessee. Visiting the Sgt. York home, general store, gristmill, and cemetery plot is an interesting historical trip to take. The most decorated soldier in WWI, Alvin York couldn't have come from more humble beginnings. He was a conscientious objector but still found himself called to war. We visited the home he and his wife and children lived in, the general store that he and his family ran, a feed mill business, and finally, his grave sight. There aren't many places to eat in this area as it is very rural. So either picnic by the falls and river where the gristmill is, or go to the home cooked meals restaurant across the street. Re the house, everything in the house was as it stood when he and his wife lived there. Many of the people who run the stores, gift shop, and house, are York relatives. The grave sight and church he attended, was in a lovely valley. It takes a full day to do all this. My suggestion is to do some research before going there so you get more out of the experience. Also, grab that Sgt. York movie video starring Gary Cooper, and watch that.

I was 12 years old when my father said to me "Sergeant York died today." We were from Tennessee but living in New Jersey at the time, and I didn't know who Sergeant York was. My father explained that in World War I, Alvin York, a Tennessee farm boy, had outflanked a German machine gun nest, killed several Germans, and accepted the surrender of 132 others. Six years later, when I was a senior in high school, I caught the movie "Sergeant York" on TV, with Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, and Joan Leslie.I make a point of spending the night in Historic Rugby, about 27 miles away, once a year, and had meant for years to drive to Pall Mall and see this attraction, but never made a point of doing so until this weekend. I'm certainly glad I did. It's well worth a visit and is within easy driving distance of Nashville, Cookeville, Knoxville, and points in Kentucky. It's a part of American history that should not be missed.Drive up highway 127, a nicely maintained 2-lane road, into Pall Mall, ironically named after the fashionable Pall Mall district of London by John Marshall Clemens (father of Mark Twain), who once lived nearby. On your left, you'll see a store/visitors' center with a large sign proclaiming that the tour starts at that point. On the south side of the store are the entrance to restrooms, a map of the historic site, and a sign proclaiming "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." In the front of the store, there is a display of the Ten Commandments. I doubt that Richard Dawkins is planning a visit any time soon.In the store, which was built on the site of York's own general store, a cheerful teenage girl in a tie-dyed T-shirt will look up from her cell phone, welcome you, and escort you into a side room, where you can watch a video narrated by, of all people, that grand old man of American newscasting, "America's uncle," the late Walter Cronkite. Briefly but eloquently, Cronkite narrates the story of York's life, his World War I adventure, and the life of service and dedication he pursued after returning to the United States. Refusing numerous endorsement deals, even though he was newly married and in debt, York devoted himself for the next 45 years to the causes he believed in, including vocational education for area teens, entering World War II to oppose Hitler, and promoting his deeply felt Christian faith. The room where the video is shown is also decorated with York memorabilia, including the front page of a newspaper relating how he tried to reenlist during World War II, though already in his 50s and suffering from diabetes; instead, the government asked him to stay here and help the war effort by speaking at bond drives and other means. The store itself is a convenient place to buy gifts and souvenirs as well as getting a cold soft drink or even a bite to eat. Leaving the store, you can cross the highway to the York farm. This site was eventually purchased and presented to the Yorks as a gift by a grateful nation, and a spacious, two-storey house was built on the site in 1922; it was here that York raised his ten children, fed dozens of hungry neighbors--his dining room table apparently had 16 seatings a day for meals--presided over a family establishment that included his wife's unmarried sister, and corresponded with influential figures far and wide, in pursuit of his ideals of enlightened government, peace with security, and the spread of the Christian faith.What looks like a rather modern tank sits on the grounds as you enter; it is a portable anti-aircraft battery that was introduced and failed in 1983, but the house displays a letter to York from President Reagan, noting the planned introduction of the new weapon and thanking York for his heroic service. Also on the grounds is a replica of the Statue of Liberty, perhaps 6 feet high.The side yard of the house is tree-shaded and has a bench for visitors. Entering the house, you are greeted by Caitlyn, a park ranger, who speaks with the sort of singsong lilt of the local people and treats you as though your visit was expected and hoped for, as well as a woman who is a widow of one of York's sons, who was a policeman killed in the line of duty some 40 years ago. Until recently, another of York's sons, Andrew Jackson York, was also a ranger, and often regaled visitors with stories of his father, though he wasn't there when I visited.The house is full of interesting artifacts, from York's World War I uniform and weapons to hats worn by his wife, Gracie, to a machine York used to cut his own vinyl LP records, recording spoken messages for his friends, to a calendar from York's General Store, with a picture of Jesus pronouncing healing on the servant of the Roman centurion. Rather ironically, there is a picture of Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis--ironic since York, in 1939-1940, vigorously opposed Lindbergh's isolationism and "America First" stance, urging war preparedness and early entry into World War II, instead.I'll offer one proviso: the exhibit is an exhibit of York's *whole life--not just his wartime exploits.* If you are a military history buff and visit the place expecting a large display of World War I-related matters, it may not be exactly what you expected. In fact, it occurred to me that the display of World War I-related materials at the Woodrow Wilson Historic Birthplace and Presidential Library in Staunton, VA, may be more extensive than what is found here. I don't mean any of this as a criticism; just offering a factual point.The house also contains a separate video about York's life.Leaving the house, you can pick up a hiking trail perhaps a couple of miles in length, that takes you along the nearby Wolf River. The trail is nicely maintained, but if you walk it during warm weather, you will be well advised to spray yourself with insect repellent before you go. A swinging bridge over the river is perfectly safe, but the entrance and exit ramps are rather steep--not really handicapped-accessible.Leaving the bridge, you are faced with a rather steep flight of stairs that takes you up to a country road. Standing on this road, you see a church to your left, which is the same church where York made a profession of faith 100 years ago; across the street is a cemetery where York and members of his family are buried. You may think, at first, that a prominent fenced-off burial site in the center of the cemetery is the York burial site, but you need to keep going, forward and then to the left, until you spot the York site, displaying an American flag. Early pioneers of this area, people who preceded York, are also buried here.Walk or drive a further half-mile up the road, and you'll see a sign on the left: "York Bible School." Follow the path up the road a couple of hundred feet, and you'll come to an abandoned building from the 1940s, constructed of wood faced with field stone. I was reminded of the verse from the Bible, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The building, which breathes a sort of sad grandeur, contains several rooms that must have been classrooms, as well as a sanctuary for chapel services. Making your way back to Highway 27, you can also see the York Grist Mill, which diverted part of the water from the nearby river into a mill pond, using water to power a turbine-and-screw system that used the most advanced technology of that day to grind corn meal to a particular fineness and made "York's Special Bolted Corn Meal" famous throughout the region ("bolting" was a technique for refining the meal). The mill sits on spacious grounds that include picnic tables and charcoal grills for cookouts, as well as space that can be rented for weddings; one was being set up when I visited. This is a great place for anyone to visit. I was never a veteran, and I certainly don't share York's religious beliefs, but I honored the spirit of a true American hero--a man who, while mixing with the powerful and famous, never let that make him forget his duty to his friends and neighbors on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. Go by yourself, with a veteran who will appreciate York's wartime heroism, or with your children or grandchildren to show them a glimpse of America of a vanished age.

You should stop at the museum on the highway and see the video. Across the road is his home after WWI. His daughter-in-law was the tour guide in the house. We visited the mill. There was bathrooms and a nice shelter house at this location. We also drove out to his grave.

Just a great place to chill for an afternoon....soothing water and plenty of shade trees...Love this place!

One can not remain unmoved emotionally after visiting this place. It is the home place of the most highly decorated soldier of WW1. To see the rugged beauty of this area, then try to imagine the terrible battles that Sgt York was in. The State of Tennessee has done right by their native son; great park, simple grave sight and monument. The grist mill and creek are great to gain a glimpse of how life used to be.

The area is beautiful in it's own right. There is a grist mill, falls, picnic area, fishing area, Alvin York's home, old store building, the church he attended and his grave site. What really made our visit special was meeting his son, Andrew Jackson York. We took pictures with him and got his autograph along with all the stories he told about his father and the filming of the movie. If you haven't seen the movie Sgt. York, you need to do so; before the visit or after.

This is a very nice place to visit. Free self guided tour of the grist mill. Park also has 2 shelters, picnic tables, and restrooms. Also, across the street is the home of Sgt. Alvin C. York. Tour of home is free and very interesting if you like history. Tour of home is self guided. Also, Sgt. York's son might just happen to be there to answer any questions you may have.

Although the park is a drive from Rugby and the Grey Gables Inn, it is a nice memorable area for this special man. If you haven't seen the movie, you have to see it before truly appreciating this special Tennessean.