Story By Casey Perfetto and Photography by Ben Finch, Finch Photo

Perched high above the Emory River, the stately Victorian home at The Manor at Stowers Hill has watched over Harriman, Tennessee, for more than a century. With its wraparound porch, original woodwork and panoramic mountain views, the property is timeless in every way. But for Lori and Chad Brown, it also marked a brand-new beginning.

Lori, a trained vocalist and former University of Tennessee staff member, and Chad, a former executive at Bush’s Beans, weren’t just looking for a historic home, they were praying for a property that would allow them to pursue a shared calling: to create a place where weddings could feel personal and deeply meaningful. “We had no idea what God was calling us to do,” Lori says. “But we took a leap of faith and moved to Harriman. We just knew we were supposed to start a wedding venue here.”That leap led them to the historic Stowers property in December 2017. Maryville Stowers began building the house in 1906 and completed it in 1909 for his wife and ten children. The home was crafted using white oak lumber from his own business, Stowers Lumber Company. The house is three stories tall, with a large turret and wraparound porch, classic hallmarks of the Queen Anne Victorian style. It sits behind two original brick columns that stand at the roadside entrance. Above them once hung a sign that read, “Welcome to Harriman.” A spring on the estate once supplied water to downtown Harriman and still flows quietly through the property today.

When Lori and Chad first walked through the front door, the house still ran on its original radiators and power lines draped across the property. The barn was a red horse barn with dirt floors and stalls, untouched for years. Still, they saw what it could become. “We rolled up our sleeves and got to work,” Chad says. They installed heating and air, buried 700 feet of power lines, and removed decades-old vinyl siding, restoring the home’s exterior to its original charm. The barn transformation was equally hands-on. Chad and Lori saved wood from the original stalls to build tabletops and barn doors by hand. What began as a dirt-floor horse barn is now an open, elegant venue space that hosts nearly 20 weddings a year. “We wanted it to feel welcoming and memorable, with character and intention,” Lori says. Inside the house, craftsmanship from the early 1900s remains at the heart of the design. Nearly all of the wood trim and paneling was milled by Stowers himself. The grand staircase, and expansive parlors showcase the thoughtful construction that defines the home’s historic beauty. Still, the Browns have layered in their own personality. Antique church pews, cozy textiles and a palette of soft colors mix with heirlooms and carefully chosen vintage pieces. Chad is passionate about history and preservation. He even has a booth at Superlative Vintage in downtown Harriman, and that love of character shows in every detail. The pool table in his game room, stamped with the year 1917, is original to the home and has been passed down through its history. Radiators throughout the house have been thoughtfully repurposed as decorative surfaces.

The Manor at Stowers Hill is more than a business, it’s home. It’s where Lori and Chad raise their young son, Zeak, and live out their calling. Both serve as pastors at New Life Church in Harriman, Lori as Worship Pastor, and Chad as Executive Pastor. They first met while marching in the Pride of the Southland Band at the University of Tennessee, and music remains a meaningful part of their lives. Chad is an accomplished pianist and often plays the baby grand tucked into one of the home’s twin parlors.

The Browns have never rushed the process. Instead, they’ve taken on projects as time  restoring, decorating and refining over years. “This house was our hobby,” Lori says. “In between weddings and raising our son, we’ve been slowly making it a home.” And though stories of the house being haunted have circulated in local legend, the Browns see it differently. “We’ve prayed over every corner,” Lori says. “There is peace here. It feels covered.”In the end, that is what the Manor is. It is a place where beauty, purpose and history come together. Couples begin new chapters, families gather under century-old trees and the legacy of the home continues to grow with each passing season. “We didn’t dream this life,” Lori reflects. “But God’s dream for us was so much better than anything we imagined.”