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Tuesday, November 10, 2026Nov 10

‘Hobbit house’ in East Tennessee hill is off the grid

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photo A new building in Athens is turning heads and drawing crowds.

ATHENS, Tenn. – A new building in Athens is turning heads and drawing crowds.

“A hobbit house, maybe,” says Jenny Ewing as she laughs.

It looks like it belongs on a movie set, but the earth-sheltered building serves a more practical purpose. Made mostly of recycled materials it’s the new office of Keep McMinn Beautiful, a volunteer-driven organization, around since 1990, educating the public about being environmentally conscious.

Read more from our news partners at WRCB.