This old home was erected around 1915 to accommodate the growing family of William and Mary Buchanan. Mr. Buck (as he was called) had come to the area as a school teacher and married the local post mistress, Mary Hart. He later became owner and/or operator of the General Store, Train Station, Post Office, and Western Union Office in Green Cove. This establishment became the supply, communication and storytelling spot for farmers and youth throughout the area.The pot belly stove, still in the station, carries many stains of tobacco juice and is the silent harbinger of thousands of tales.

    The old house provided lodging for numerous school teachers over the years and Mary kept her fledgling teenage daughters (and anyone in sight) busy putting together lunches for the Norfolk and Western passengers and crew who were in route from Abingdon to North Carolina. It was a daily chore to prepare 25-50 lunches. Each lunch cost $.50 and consisted of ham biscuits, fried chicken, fresh tarts and coffee in a coke bottle. From the 1920's to the 1960's, Mary maintained this steady support for the passengers and crew of the N&W and, of course, most of the food items were home grown. It was not uncommon for the Virginia Creeper to be snowed in and the travelers would over-night at the Buchanan home, filling up all the available floor space.

    The house has been completely renovated and opened to receive its first guests on July 1, 1999. The three bedrooms are named for the Buchanan daughters: Adele, LaVaun, and Eleanor; the common room is named for Clarice, the youngest daughter.

   Among our goals for the Inn is to restore some of the hospitality of yesterday and bring to all who pass by a warm place of charm, friendship and delectable cuisine from the recipes of Mary's granddaughter, Annette.

Copyright 2004 O. Winston Link Museum. All rights reserved.

The photographer, O. Winston Link, was a frequent visitor to the Buchanan house and to the Green Cove Station. In 1984, he was married to Conchita Mendoza at the station, behind the weighing scales. He returned to Green Cove in 1991 when the station was presented to the Forest Service for historical preservation as a gift from the Buchanan family. His last visit came in the fall of 1999 when Preservation Magazine sponsored his visit to photograph him in the same location of his famous image, Old Maude Bowing to the Train . At that time the stairwell of the Buchanan Inn was dedicated to O. Winston Link. Visit the web site, http://www.linkmuseum.org/ .