Dillard House was born in 1794, when Captain John Dillard was awarded a land grant of 1,000 valley acres for his service during the American Revolution. Legend has it that he forged a peaceable trade with the Cherokee for all the land between the two mountain tops. In 1917, Carrie and Arthur Dillard welcomed their first guest, setting a family tradition of wholehearted hospitality. What started as a six-room home has grown into a beloved mountain resort, where generations return for simple, honest southern Appalachian cooking and the enduring warmth of a Dillard welcome.