Clay Faulkner, who founded Mountain City Woolen Mills in 1873, built his fortune on “Gorilla Pants,” a garment so durable he claimed even a great ape couldn’t tear them. In 1896, after the popularity of his trousers rose, Faulkner declared that he would build “the grandest mansion in Tennessee” for Mary, his wife, as a gift. For the time period, Falcon Rest was considered especially lavish, complete with central steam heating, a telephone, state-of-the-art electrical fixtures, and indoor plumbing. After Clay’s death, Mary moved to Nashville, Tennessee and sold the house. Falcon…
