Spring Hill’s historic ‘Kissing House’ adds to the legacy with a new brunch eatery, beer garden

Spring Hill’s historic “Kissing House” is about to add to its history again, as a health-aware brunch spot and after-hours beer garden, breathing new life into a site listed among the National Registry of Historic Places.

Bill Benedict bought the residence eight years ago, hoping to make something more of it than a uniquely designed old house; he wanted the community to benefit from its use.

Community juice lovers probably remember the most recent business Benedict brought to The Kissing House, I Love Juice Bar, a venture of Fresh Hospitality food operation, which announced its opening in 2017 but recently closed.

“My concept was adaptive re-use,” Benedict said, an idea that calls to mind the similar business operation on Main Street, where late Spring Hill teacher Mattie Laura Harris once lived for years. The former Harris home is now the popular local gathering place, The Fainting Goat coffee shop.

“I wanted to create something that would sustain and help preserve the building,” Benedict said. “But also, to open it to the community.”

Running a startup restaurant out of the historic home for several years after purchasing the location, Benedict eventually sold his business and is today re-emerging with new business partners, Josh and Pamela Batovsky.

Benedict’s adjusted business venture, Kissing House, LLC will be two-fold with the Batovskys at the forefront, the architect and entrepreneur said.

Benedict said Josh and Pamela Batovsky have a winning concept that pairs with his own vision.

The Batovskys recently relocated from California to Spring Hill with hopes of starting a business, building new roots.

Experiencing a series of setbacks during the height of COVID-19 just like many business owners, Batovsky said California felt particularly impossible as a place to ever see their business hopes to thrive again.

“We owned restaurants and a clothing store in California,” Batovsky said. “We got rid of those and fled to Tennessee.”

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Josh said landing in Spring Hill was where he and Pamela wanted to end up, keeping a business that was “family friendly and community focused.”

The Brunch Collective will soon have a soft open that Josh says he hopes will bring the perfect solution for families looking for more than a place to go eat, but moreover, find activities to share together and make connections with others.

“The Collective will feature brunch plates, coffee, and the return of the house Juice Bar,” Josh said. “Upstairs we will have our Boutique, The Boho Butterfly.”

Josh said that the boutique is currently located in Columbia but will be moving its operations to the Kissing House. Fresh flowers by the bouquet are also part of the business model.

“The idea of ​​The Collective is that there are multiple things the community can come and experience and not just have a breakfast and leave,” said Batovsky. “You could come play Cornhole, a tabletop game, and if you want to stay all day, you can get lunch.”

Later in the evening, the event plan is for Benedict to bring a night concept for relaxing and fun after hours.

Once the Collective closes, the plan is for Benedict to transition the business into his own adult-oriented third place, with a working moniker turning the tone to a place more befitting Benedict’s concept: Babylon Beer Gardens.

“And that really fits into our multi-faceted idea for The Collective,” said Batovsky.

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About ‘The House that Kisses Bought’

Located at 412 McLemore Avenue just off Main Street, the Carpenter-Gothic architectural style house was built in 1878 by a man named Peter Ritter and eventually owned by the Odil family, whose own history with the house harbors its own intrigue of love, betrayal and compensate. According to the history documented in the court case record from 1898, Sarah Odil was betrothed to marry Hugh Brown, unaware that Brown was married in Nashville during the time of their engagement, to a wife who was dying and not expected to live long.

As Benedict tells the story, Brown takes Odil on a romantic walk, where he pledged his love and intent to marry and care for her, sealing the promise with a kiss.

“Sarah was quite the catch and was courted by quite a few locals,” Benedict said. “One of those being Hugh Brown who went to church with the family.”

Even though Sarah’s father was reluctant to give his daughter’s hand in marriage due to Brown being 15 years her elder, he consented.

“A few weeks later, Sarah’s father opened the paper and found Hugh Brown had married another woman,” Benedict said. “To say the least, he was a little upset and went to the Sheriff to press charges against Hugh.”

The Odil family won the lawsuit against Brown and were awarded an amount equivalent today to around $100,000, Benedict said.

Sarah, along with her family filed a suit against Brown for breach of promise and was awarded $2,800, which allowed Sarah Odil to purchase the home, current owner Bill Benedict said.

The Kissing House name was adopted thereafter, Benedict said, in a time when the Odil family owned a local market and were prominent residents of Spring Hill.

The kiss that sealed the unkept promise that was Brown’s undoing gave the home the name it retains in the play based on the real-life saga: “The House That Kisses Bought.”

The Brunch Collective is expected to open sometime in July.

For more information visit thekissinghouse.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Spring Hill’s ‘Kissing House’ to offer brunch, beer garden