Deer Lodge, Tennessee
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Deer Lodge, Tennessee | |
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  Deer Lodge, Tennessee  Deer Lodge, Tennessee | |
| Coordinates: 36°12′05″N 84°45′33″W / 36.20139°N 84.75917°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Morgan |
| Elevation | 1,575 ft (480 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 37726 |
| Area code | 423 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1306319[1] |
Deer Lodge is an unincorporated community in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. It is located along Tennessee State Route 329 5.8 miles (9.3 km) west-southwest of Sunbright.[2] Deer Lodge has a post office with ZIP code 37726, which opened on April 16, 1886.[3][4] The community was established as a health resort in the 1880s by Rugby colonist Abner Ross.[5]
Deer Lodge was originally situated around a 300-acre (120 ha) tract of land acquired by the Davidson family in the early 1800s. In 1845, James Davidson built a grist mill and saw mill on the land. In 1876, Peter Fox purchased the land and attempted to establish a sheep ranch, but was unsuccessful.[5]
In 1884, Fox sold the land to Abner Ross, a former Rugby colonist. Ross, who had been the proprietor of Rugby's Tabard Inn, decided to convert the tract into a mountain resort. He constructed a Victorian-style house, Walnut Knoll, which was soon followed by a string of similarly-styled houses built by new residents. He also constructed a printer works, which has since been relocated to Rugby.[5] By the end of the 1890s, Deer Lodge had two hotels (the Mountain View and Summit Park), a newspaper (the Southern Enterprise), a theater, a band, a planing mill, and numerous clubs and civic organizations.[6]
By the mid-20th century, the community had declined, however, as many children and grandchildren of the original settlers moved away.[5][7] The population of Deer Lodge was just 155 in 1930.[6] On February 6, 2025, a EF2 tornado impacted Deer Lodge killing two: a mother and a daughter. The wreckage is still being recovered.
