Abandoned places tell a story. Some places have great history while others are cloaked in mystery.
“Vampire Hotel” (moniker) is an abandoned structure near Kentucky Lake in the Land Between The Lakes. The stone and concrete structure was partially torn down in the 1960s with the creation of LBL but part of it remained. It was one of just a handful of remaining structures in LBL not completely removed. Throughout the 1990s, it had become a popular hangout spot with locals – some of whom were less than reputable.
We’ve always enjoyed experiencing and seeing the oddities of the Four Rivers region. That’s why this site, Four Rivers Explorer, exists. But before we began this site, we had a section of our main tourism site, Explore Kentucky Lake, that was dedicated to the unusual and lesser-known aspects of our area. We called the section “Explorations”.
The remains of this limestone slab furnace are all that is left of The Great Western Iron Works. Great Western opened in 1855 and in a 34-week period produced 1,350 tons of iron. The production of high-quality iron required twenty bushels of charcoal, 800 pounds of ore, and 80 pounds of limestone.
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area was once home to over 2,000 families and several small tight-knit communities. The Tennessee Valley Authority took over the vast 170,000-acre peninsula between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in the 1960s. TVA purchased the land from the families and many of them found new homes in nearby communities.
One resident, however, refused to move.
