Our Heritage: History of Reynolds Plantation
Reynolds Plantation is part of what was once known as "Cracker's Neck," a highly favored section of Greene County (named for Revolutionary War hero General Nathaniel Greene). After a period of decline, approximately 7,000 acres of Cracker's Neck was reclaimed by Mercer Reynolds Sr., who built a hunting retreat named "Linger Longer." A Greene County native, Reynolds was a highly successful businessman and inventor, earning a patent for his process of solidifying cottonseed oil. Although he moved to Chattanooga in the 1920s, he maintained ties to the area, often returning to "Linger Longer" to hunt, fish and relax.

During this same period, James Madison Reynolds, Sr., Mercer's cousin, was assembling land in the area for timber production. By the late 1930s the combined land holdings of the Reynolds family approximated 10,000 acres, which was left in a trust. In 1985, the trust was released to his grandchildren.

The owners of Reynolds Plantation began working to determine the best use of the land that their family had owned for so many years. As development of Reynolds Plantation continues, members of the Reynolds family remain intensely mindful of the historical value of the land and the need to preserve, and enhance, its natural beauty and legacy.