History

The story of rickshaven

In the late 1800’s, Fanny Jones Ricks came to the Polk County mountains from Yahoo City, Mississippi and “found what she had felt would be an ideal home for the rest of her life”. She purchased about 1,700 acres (1,300 of which are now Ricks Mountain property) to the west of Tryon Peak & first lived in a tent. This was raw mountain terrain with no access, so with a maid companion, a man from Mississippi, a mule and a wagon, the three of them built an amazing road up the mountain.

Approximately 8 years of work brought them halfway up the mountain where Mrs. Ricks built a small house, known as Sunrise Cottage. After living there for several years, Mrs. Ricks decided to continue building the road to the top of the mountain, an elevation of about 3,200 feet above sea level.

Upon arriving at the top of the mountain in the early 1900’s, Mrs. Ricks built a large mansion out of stone and wood found locally on the mountain. The house, known as Rickshaven, had 15 rooms with indoor plumbing and heat, rock patio with koi pond and bird bath, a glass covered greenhouse with steam heat, and a separate nearby 6 room house for live-in help. And this was in the early 1900’s, rivaling the Biltmore Mansion just a few miles up the road from Ricks Mountain! The Vanderbilt Biltmore Estate is now a very popular tourist destination. Sadly, Rickshaven House was destroyed by fire in 1977, but the stone foundation of this elegant mansion can be seen today at the top of the mountain. pictured to the left

There is much more to the story of Fanny Jones Ricks, but certainly these amazing accomplishments are sufficient to appreciate the historical significance of the Ricks Mountain property and the recognition of Mrs. Ricks as a true Renaissance woman!