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Corner House Celebrates 25 Years! By: L. Jarod Pearson One of Cowan’s most famous establishments celebrated its Silver Anniversary in 2009! The Corner House opened for business in June 1984 under sisters and co-owners Bobbye Cox and Freida Money. Since that time the Corner House has served not only as a dining option for area visitors but also as an attraction in and of itself. Sewanee students and faculty, elected officials, business leaders and Cowan locals have been enjoying the pleasant daily luncheons at Corner House for a quarter century now. Corner House helped put Cowan on the map by appearing in travel magazines, newspapers and television programs throughout the years. The business is so named because of its location in a historic home at the corner of East Cumberland and North Hill streets. Potential customers encouraged Freida and Bobbye to choose a simple name that would be easy to spell and easy to associate with the business. The name Corner House was chosen and it was definitely a good pick. The historic home was already a Cowan landmark. It was built in the early 1900’s by members of the Miller family descended from the Scotch-Irish pioneers who settled Cowan in the early 19th Century. The house is a Queen Anne-style cottage with the original three fireplaces, leaded glass, woodwork and pine floors still intact. Customers enter the Corner House like entering the home of a friend and are seated in one of three small dining rooms. The atmosphere and the menu selections represent the dining traditions of an English tea room. The most popular items, according to Mrs. Cox, are the Chicken Divan and the Chicken Salad, two items that have been on the menu since the restaurant’s inception. The menu has slight seasonal variations, such as Turkey and Apple Stuffing through the winter and Seafood Salad during the summer. Every guest is treated to a basket of lemon poppy seed muffins before the meal is served only to be tempted by the “rich and famous” dessert selection afterward. The Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie is a Corner House legacy, but the author of this article is partial to the Lemon Ribbon! And who can pass up a glass of Corner House Tea? It’s a secret recipe that blends fresh hot or iced tea with fruit juices for something truly refreshing. Mrs. Bobbye Cox became the sole owner of the Corner House in 1995 and has made hundreds of friends throughout the years. Bobbye has made wonderful contributions to the Cowan community, most notably the ongoing trend to decorate the town in pumpkins, corn stalks and colorful bows for the fall season. To commemorate the Silver Anniversary of Corner House, Mrs. Cox released a Corner House cookbook. The book is dedicated in memory of Mrs. Lucille Morris Burt and Mrs. Ollie Durm Burt, Bobbye’s mother and grandmother, respectively, who “taught me the love of cooking.” The cookbooks are available for purchase ($16). It’s a wonderful gift idea! Stop by for a wonderful luncheon, served Monday through Saturday 11 to 2. And be sure to order the house tea!
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