Fontanel, More Than A Mansion
by Brenda L. Madden

Nestled in the woods not far from downtown Nashville is an impressive 136-acre entertainment complex, Fontanel, which opened earlier this year. Music industry moguls, Marc Oswald and Dale Morris purchased the property several years ago from country music legend, Barbara Mandrell. Since then, the mansion has been used for private music industry parties, photo and video shoots and TV tapings. Now, for the first time, the mansion is open to the public, making this the only home of a country music entertainer available for tours. While Fontanel holds a special attraction for country music fans, it brings so much more to the Nashville area. In addition to the Mandrell family home, Fontanel includes a restaurant, gift shop, walking trails, and an outdoor amphitheater.

The Farm House Restaurant dishes up southern, home-style cuisine in a quaint, country setting. From fried chicken and country catfish to hand cut steaks, salads or a farm-fresh breakfast, there is something sure to please any palate. Even down-home specialties like “chow chow” are available to tantalize your taste buds. A “Farm to Fork” establishment, the Farm House Restaurant obtains most everything from beef to cheese from area farmers and a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) style garden giving the menu a local flavor.

The 140-seat eatery is country top to bottom with hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings adorned with quilts, decorative plates on the walls, green tables and gingham window treatments. A small corner stage spotlights local singer/songwriters on selected nights, adding even more “local flavor,” to go with their delicious and reasonably priced country fare.

Across from the restaurant is the Stone House Visitor’s Center and Gift Shop. The original structure on the property, it now serves as the information center for Fontanel. Visitors can purchase tickets for mansion tours and concerts as well as browse through a unique collection of local crafts and jewelry, gourmet gifts, Fontanel souvenirs, and edible pleasures from the world-renowned Loveless Café and Fontanel’s own canned goods, also produced locally.

Ensconced in scenic beauty, Fontanel offers the perfect setting for The Trails. Two miles of biking and hiking trails run through the woods circling around the mansion giving the hiker a breathtaking glimpse of the land and the wildlife. Earlier this year, Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center released four Great Horned Owls on the property. Jaime Dudney, Directory of Hospitality for the Fontanel Mansion and daughter of Barbara Mandrell, helped release the birds. In true country music fashion, Jaime named the birds, Roy Acuff, Little Jimmy Dickins, Minnie Pearl and Hank Snow. The trails are intermediate-level and are free to use.

Also tucked away in this picturesque setting is The Woods, a 2500-seat outdoor amphitheater. With state of the art sound and a magnificent stage overlooking a grassy area, it is the perfect location for a concert. The Woods recently hosted a Second Harvest Food Bank benefit show with The Farm, Gretchen Wilson and Montgomery Gentry. Although the rain showed no mercy that night, the artists electrified the audience, the sound was impeccable and the night was a huge success! This is a premiere venue for live music and next season should prove to be spectacular.

Obviously though the crown jewel in the Fontanel complex is the 27,000 square foot log home, built by Barbara Mandrell and her husband, Ken Dudney, in 1988. Once touted as the largest log home in the United States, it is three stories with over twenty rooms including six bedrooms, five fireplaces, thirteen baths, two kitchens, a soda fountain room, indoor pool, and indoor shooting range. Made up of approximately five and a half miles of logs from Montana, the longest measuring 54 feet with an average weight of 1800 lbs., the log “cabin” took 15 months to build and is an architectural marvel.

At the entrance to Fontanel is a custom-designed fountain spotlighting three bears, representing Barbara and Ken’s three children, Matthew, Jaime and Nathaniel. Shared throughout the tour are other personal mementos and memories including the autographed log in the “Great Room,” which sports the signatures of celebrities like Bob Hope, Robin Leach, Erma Bombeck, and Minnie Pearl to the personalized neon signs in the soda shop, Fountain Fontanel advertising family favorites like Barbara’s Big Bad Banana Boat, and Nathan’s Nasty Nachos.

Additionally, Fontanel includes some of the original furnishings as well as photos from Barbara’s career. Owners, Marc Oswald and Dale Morris have also added country music memorabilia from their personal collection. Not promoted as a museum, visitors are encouraged to feel at home, sit on the couches, pick up the guitars, and take plenty of photos and videos – definitely, not a museum atmosphere.

Festively decorated for the holiday season, Fontanel is presenting “Christmas In Dixie,” an exquisite Christmas celebration. Upon arrival, young carolers greet visitors at the entrance, once inside the party begins with intimate musical performances from The Farm, Heart & Soul and Alabama’s Randy Owen during which guests sample holiday delicacies from the many food stations throughout the mansion. Fontanel co-owner Marc Oswald comments, "We've enjoyed the Rockettes, the ice sculptures and the incredible light displays at Opryland for years. 'Fontanel's Christmas in Dixie' complements the opportunities in the area, yet we created it to be different from everything else out there."

Fontanel is a fine addition to the Nashville community. Not only is it a sensational attraction for tourists, but Fontanel offers much for local residents.

www.fontanelmansion.com