Visit River House Inn and Restaurant
There are many reasons to visit the River House Inn and Restaurant in Ashe County. Whether you are there for dinner, relaxing for the day, or staying for the weekend, the River House Inn will be a wonderful experience.
Find a rocking chair, sit back on the porch, and enjoy watching the New River’s tranquil waters make their way downstream. After time well-spent at the River House Inn and Restaurant, you will feel refreshed and look forward to returning.
Along with the many events held throughout the year, the River House holds two major events during the summer.
A Wine Tasting held at the beginning of summer and the Blues Fest held just as the first hint of color appears on the trees. Both evens bring people from near and far to enjoy a day well spent on the banks of the New River.
The River House Inn is also a perfect destination for business meetings or conferences as well as wedding venues.
The River House Inn and Restaurant is on the New River in the quaint communities of Grassy Creek and Crumpler in northern Ashe County, a short drive from West Jefferson and Boone.
River House Inn’s History
Part of what makes the River House Inn so special is its unique history. Some of the buildings on the property date back to early 1870’s.
In 1824, Meredith Ballou first built a home on the river-front property, having received a land grant of 10,000 acres. One of Meredith’s descendants built the first version of the River House in 1870. The property stayed within the Ballou family until deeded to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1980.
UNC Chapel Hill put the house on the market – the estate had a couple different owners in the 1980s and used as a horse farm until 1988.
Gayle Winston, a Grassy Creek native, bought the remaining acreage in 1988, renovated the main house and adjacent buildings to create the River House Inn and Restaurant that still stands today.
