Jeannie Seely's "Pennsyltucky" home becomes a songwriting hub

Jeannie Seely's Pennsyltucky home, the Cumberland River cottage the country singer named after her 1973 song "Farm in Pennsyltucky," is being turned into a creative songwriting hub one year after her death. The property is now owned and maintained by The Jeannie Seely Trust, established as part of her estate planning, and will host private songwriting sessions, small gatherings and intimate events.

The cottage sits on a spot Seely bought in part for its proximity to the Grand Ole Opry, where she performed 5,397 times, more than any artist in the show's 100-year history. A red barn modeled after the Opry's backdrop stands beside the cottage, with oversized letters spelling out "OPRY," and the screened porch overlooking the Cumberland River is where Seely recorded her weekly Sundays with Seely program for SiriusXM's Willie's Roadhouse.

Songwriter Erin Enderlin was among the first to return to the cottage after Seely's death, having previously written there with Seely and Bobby Tomberlin on "Like I Could," a song later recorded by Rhonda Vincent that reached Number One on the Bluegrass chart.

Enderlin called the sessions pure joy: "I absolutely loved writing with Jeannie," she said. "She was so creative, and fast." She recalled being caught up in three or four of Seely's song ideas at once while she was still working out just one of her own.

Visitors to the cottage will also be able to see Seely's piano, awards, photographs, vinyl records, eight-tracks, cassettes, CDs and a handwritten recipe from her grandmother, among other personal mementos preserved inside. Writers interested in booking a session at the country singer's former home can reach out through her website.