The original portion of the Dry Ridge Inn was built in 1849

as a parsonage for, what was at that time, the Salem Campground, a religious revival camping area that had been incorporated in 1832.

The surrounding area, which is now know as Weaverville, had been named Dry Ridge by the Cherokee Indians long before the campground was established. During the Civil War the parsonage was utilized as a camp hospital for Confederate soldiers suffering from pneumonia.

The high altitude and pleasant weather of the surrounding grounds made it an ideal area for soldiers recovering from the then-fatal illness.  In 1888, a man named C.C. Brown bought the parsonage, remodeled it, and turned it into a home for his wife and eight children. Reportedly, Brown wanted the tallest house in Weaverville, so the building’s hip roof gives way to additional gables and added height to its peak. Members of the Brown family occupied the home until 1958, during which time one of the eight children, Fred, became the mayor of Weaverville.

As the town of Weaverville grew,
it became a practice for many of the large homes in the area
to take in overnight and weekly guests who were visiting the area,
which had become renowned for the natural beauty
of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.