Private: Elliott Davenport, Jr
Elliott Davenport, Jr. owns and operates The Wings Group, the exclusive southeastern affiliate of Hall & Hall, a company who routinely ranks among the top land brokerages in the country. When the partners of Hall & Hall looked to expand to the southeast at the urging of clients, Elliott was their guy. A testament to this southerner’s work ethic, collaborative spirit, knowledge, and love of the land, the strategic partnership debuted in 2012 and has since provided southern land buyers and sellers access to a valuable marketing platform and an unrivaled set of skills.
Some of the early outdoor experiences that shaped Elliott the most came from spending time with his family in a dove field on his great-grandfather’s land in north Georgia; land that is still in the family. Elliott’s love of bird hunting fuels a passion for land management designed to promote better habitat and recreational opportunities, while his BA in Finance from the University of Georgia supports the knowledge of real estate values and investment analysis that clients depend on.
Elliott has a genuine desire to serve the land and those who share his love of these special places. An ethic of authenticity, backed by knowledge, is the foundation of The Wings Group’s success. Notable recent sales include the 7,235 acre Blue Springs Plantation and the 8,376 acre Abigail Plantation in Albany, GA; 4,563 acre Loveridge Plantation and 1,913 acre Twin Oaks Plantation in the Red Hills Plantation Belt of Thomasville/Tallahassee; Weymouth Plantation in the lowcountry of South Carolina near Georgetown; Meadow Creek’s 2,558 acres in Spencer, TN on the Cumberland Plateau; 556 acre East Fork Farm and 221 acre Horse Farm in Franklin, TN; the 840 acre Bennett’s Cove in northern Alabama; and several mountainside gentleman’s farms near Chickamauga, GA.
Elliott, his wife, Rebecca, and their daughter, Ellie, live in Chattanooga, TN. Elliott is a self-proclaimed “land nut” and holds real estate licenses in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois, and Kentucky.
Bill McDavid
Raised between Alabama and the Cayman Islands, Bill joined Hall and Hall as a ranch partner in the fall of 1996. He came to Montana to work as a fly-fishing guide and ranch hand during a summer break from law school. Bill returned to Montana after graduation and became the Tribal Prosecutor for the Crow Tribe. In addition to his law degree, Bill holds an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Miami and remains passionate about his music. He is also a skilled photographer specializing in underwater imagery with images having been published by National Geographic, the BBC and elsewhere. He is an FAA licensed UAS (drone) Pilot which he uses for real estate photography and cinematography. He is also a hospice volunteer and dedicated practitioner of hot yoga. It was inevitable that he found his way into a real estate career as the profession stretches back four generations in his family. His love of the northern Rocky Mountain region compelled him to move to Missoula where he handles transactions in the “backyard” as well as those stretching from Florida to California. Bill is currently licensed as a real estate broker in Montana (RRE-BRO-LIC-8609), Idaho (#AB00021997), Florida (#BK3229636), Georgia (#347418), Tennessee (#317360), and California (#01455038).
Meadow Creek
Sections
Overview
Executive Summary
Meadow Creek exemplifies the finest hunting and fishing opportunities to be found in middle Tennessee. On the market for the first time in 50 years, this 2,558± acre property offers an abundance of wildlife that is rarely seen. A QDM program has been in place for several years producing trophy bucks year in and year out, and the turkey hunting represents the best of the southeast, which is a big statement. A unique feature is a three-mile common boundary with Fall Creek Falls State Park, a 26,000-acre wildlife sanctuary. The wildlife flock from the park’s safe haven to the managed food plots and grounds of Meadow Creek, allowing the property to support large populations of deer and turkey. Since the 1960s, much of Meadow Creek’s habitat has been managed for quail, and until the mid-1990s the current owners enjoyed the spoils of wild birds. Over the last twenty years a release program has been fine-tuned to offer a quail hunting experience that gives bird hunters a glimpse of the good old days. This is a true quail hunt that awards you with strong-flying covey rises. Meadow Creek also boasts a fantastic 65± acre fishery with a quaint cabin sitting on the lake’s edge. Meadow Creek is located only one hour from Chattanooga, two hours from Nashville, two hours from Knoxville, two-and-three-quarter hours from Atlanta and three hours from Birmingham. There are nearby airports for private aviation.
Just the Facts
- 2,558± acres located in middle Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau.
- Represents some of the best recreational hunting and fishing land in the state; a QDM program has been implemented that routinely produces trophy bucks, the turkey hunting rivals any of that to be found in the southeast, and the release quail program is of a quality rarely found these days
- 65± acre lake provides excellent fishing that adds tremendously to the setting
- A quaint and attractive 2,528± sq. ft. cabin sits on the lake’s edge
- One hour from Chattanooga, two hours from Nashville, two hours from Knoxville, two-and-three-quarter hours from Atlanta and three hours from Birmingham
- Shares a three-mile common boundary with Fall Creek Falls State Park, a 26,000-acre wildlife sanctuary
- On the market for the first time in 50 years
Broker's Comments
As a land broker, this is the type of property you crave to have the opportunity to represent. Meadow Creek is not just a good tract, but a great tract offering the finest recreational hunting and fishing opportunities in middle Tennessee. Every feature of this property complements the others, and collectively they produce a world-class sportsman’s retreat.
Locale
Location
Meadow Creek is located on the Cumberland Plateau in both Van Buren and Bledsoe Counties. The property fronts Park Road (Highway 284) and is on both sides of Meadow Creek Road, a gravel road managed by the county.
For private aviation, the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport is only 35 minutes from the property and can support all planes with its 6,000-foot runway. In addition, there is a well-maintained 3,000-foot private runway on an adjacent property that the neighbor has allowed the owners of Meadow Creek to utilize over the years. This allows for immediate access to the property.
- 20 minutes = Spencer, TN
- 45 minutes = Cookeville, TN
- 45 minutes = Crossville, TN
- 1 hour = Chattanooga, TN
- 1.75 hours = Knoxville, TN
- 2.00 hours= Nashville, TN
- 2.75 hours = Atlanta, GA
- 3.00 hours = Birmingham, AL
Locale
Fall Creek Falls State Park: This State Resort Park, situated on the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, contains 26,000 acres of rugged beauty. Inside Fall Creek Falls are first-class recreational facilities, including an 18-hole golf course and untrammeled pristine wilderness. Fifty miles of trails, including twenty-five miles of hiking trails and twenty miles of biking trails, lead the visitor away from the roads and into the wilderness at Fall Creek Falls. This is Tennessee's largest state park and it includes some of the most spectacular scenery in the South with over half the park designated as a natural area wilderness. The park’s 345-acre lake has yielded state record bluegill and channel catfish. Meadow Creek shares a three-mile boundary with the park and this convenience greatly expands on the recreational opportunities for Meadow Creek’s owner.
Cumberland Plateau: Stretching across eastern Tennessee from Alabama north into Kentucky, the Cumberland Plateau rises more than 1,000 feet above the Tennessee River Valley to a vast tableland of sandstone and shale dating as far back as 500 million years. Carved over time by flowing water, the plateau today is a labyrinth of rocky ridges and verdant ravines dropping steeply into gorges laced with waterfalls and caves, ferns, and rhododendrons. The Cumberland Plateau's rivers and streams sustain some of the country's greatest variety of fish and mollusk species, and the ravines and deep hollows are among the richest wildflower areas in southern Appalachia.
Climate
Lying within the United States’ humid subtropical zone, the area offers a mild, pleasant climate and four distinct seasons. Spring arrives in March with mild days and cool nights, and by late May temperatures have warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days. On average, July is the warmest month of the year, and the area has an average annual rainfall of 55 inches. Fall is marked by mild-to-warm days and cooler nights. Winter is usually mild, with the coldest days featuring lows near or slightly above freezing and highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Snow occurs periodically, with an average annual accumulation of approximately five inches.
Property Details
Acreage (Deeded & Leased)
Improvements
Main Lodge – 2,528± sq. ft.: A cozy main lodge is privately situated overlooking the 65± acre lake and is accessed by a long gravel driveway. Constructed in 1973, this lodge has been kept up very well with some recent renovations done to the kitchen and living space. It provides a very comfortable and inviting space that is perfect for spending time with family and friends. It includes five bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen, great room, loft area, mudroom, and a basement. Given that the lodge hangs over the lake, a neat feature that was incorporated are two boat slips underneath the home that are accessed from the finished basement. There is a large stone fireplace for the cooler months and a nice deck and screened-in porch for enjoying the warmer weather.
Caretaker's House – 1,966± sq. ft.: The caretaker’s house is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home that is removed from, but conveniently located to, the main lodge. It is situated near the dog kennels and shop buildings. This one-story home also includes a living room, den, kitchen, laundry room, and a front porch and wood deck. The house was built in 1979 and has been well maintained.
Guest House – 1,434± sq. ft.: There is a small one-and-one-half-story guest house that has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, living area and screened-in porch. It sits on one of the lake’s coves and is only a short walk from the main lodge. The home was built in 1971 and is in decent condition.
Farm Buildings: The shop building is a 12-year-old, metal-sided structure that is 1,449± sq. ft. in size. It is used to support the farm’s operations. A well-designed kennel with 15 dog runs is located just outside the shop.
Recreational Amenities
Wildlife Resources
Deer: Meadow Creek has been actively managed for trophy deer for over 15 years. In the opinion of many, it offers some of the finest deer hunting, especially for trophy deer, in the state of Tennessee with numerous bucks seen, photographed or taken each year scoring 150 points or better on the Boone and Crocket scale. In sharing such a large common boundary with Fall Creek Falls State Park, Meadow Creek has the advantage of benefiting from essentially a neighboring 26,000-acre refuge. The deer grow big in this pristine wilderness and they seek the food sources so prevalent on Meadow Creek. Meadow Creek’s landscape is dotted with lots of well-managed food plots that consist of corn, clover, wheat and oats. Fourteen shooting houses, eighteen tripods and thirty ladder stands are in place and ready for use.
Turkey: Meadow Creek’s population of wild turkeys will rival any place in the southeast. The upland habitat provides excellent nesting conditions and the brood rearing success is particularly high. These uplands are intertwined with hardwood creek bottoms making for some of the most desirable habitat mix that turkeys seek during their spring rituals. As with the deer, lots of food plots and green fields are managed to support the turkey populations and hunting. An owner can expect to hear several birds gobbling each spring morning and to have lots of room and locations to chase these challenging birds.
Quail: Meadow Creek boasts a really unusual quail hunting experience. While not wild birds, the quail hunting at Meadow Creek is wild bird-esque. You hunt for these birds and when the dog goes on point, you are awarded with strong flying covey rises. The owner and property manager have worked relentlessly over the last twenty years to fine-tune this release program and it is truly a sight to behold. Lots of factors contribute to this final product, but a major component is the fact that much of the landscape has been managed to promote upland habitat since the 1960s. The habitat is just perfect to support a quality quail program, which takes years to establish. A very good kennel of well-breed and trained pointing dogs is in place as well. To understand it, you need to come and see it.
Dove: While not currently being planted, there have been productive dove fields on the property in the past and there are plenty of opportunities to expand and grow this component.
Fishing: A centerpiece of the property is the 65± acre lake. In today’s world, permitting to construct a lake of this stature would be extremely difficult and most likely not attainable. Historically, the lake has been a fantastic fishery for largemouth bass and bream. Actively managed, this lake will provide an owner with a trophy fishery. At its deepest point, the lake is 25-feet deep and the dam is in excellent condition with a new syphoning system installed five years ago. Access to the lake is rather unique as the owner’s cabin hangs over the edge of the lake with two boat slips underneath.