John Anthony Smith grew up within a stone's throw of a castle-like mansion in the Sequatchie Valley, and this fall he will be opening its grounds to the public at the first annual Glancy Harvest Festival. The mansion itself will not be open.
Mr. Smith, who has built a highly successful anti-hacker business based in Chattanooga, was able to buy the Glancy Sherman Mansion at 4275 Valley View Highway in Sequatchie.
The new festival will be held there on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 3 p.m. until dark, featuring food, a live band, prizes, bouncy houses, fireworks, games, watching the Tennessee vs. Alabama game and more.
Traffic will be directed to parking.
Here is some history on the mansion:
Glancy Sherman was born on Oct. 10, 1862 and came to the town of Sequatchie in 1889 from Lundy’s Layne, Pennsylvania. He helped develop the town’s water system, built the Sequatchie Supply Store in 1890, and started the Sequatchie Handle Works in 1899. He also bought up a considerable amount of farmland along the Little Sequatchie River and several thousand acres of mountain land laced with coal and other minerals. Within two decades Glancy was considered Marion County’s wealthiest landowner and industrialist. On January 3, 1906 Glancy married Miss Bertha Tower, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Tower of Chattanooga.
After their honeymoon the couple resided at Glancy’s residence on Alabama Avenue in Sequatchie. Their daughter, Earline Sherman died at birth on February 17, 1907. The Shermans never had another child. In 1925 Glancy built the “Sherman Filling Station” in Sequatchie to accommodate the increasing number of automobiles. In 1927, Glancy built his wife a beautiful home on 30 acres of land in Sequatchie. The home was shaped like a castle, the stone was hauled in from Sewanee that it was built of. The grounds were laid out and beautified with many statues and ornaments.
For decades the Glancy mansion was the prettiest residence in Marion County, and Mrs. Sherman’s fame as an accommodating hostess spread throughout the region. Her housekeeper was Ms. Gladys Pernie Washer, who stood a mere 4'3" tall.
Glancy Sherman passed away on Oct. 17, 1935 and his wife, Bertha lived until March 21, 1967. The Sherman mansion would have several owners, including Judge Clifford Layne.