Birdsong Resort & Marina rises from the ashes with new pearl museum, jewelry showroom

November 15, 2017

BENTON COUNTY, Tenn. — It’s been almost a year since WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News reported on a fire that burned down part of Birdsong Resort and Marina, a destination enjoyed by millions of visitors in Benton County.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News reporter Amanda Gerry was there the morning after that fateful December night, and since then, owner Bob Keast has said he is determined to rebuild. She revisited the scene to see what has become of this unique landmark that was left in ashes.

“It was devastating. Memories you’ll just never forget, the smells, the sounds,” said Lynnette Douglas, general manager at Birdsong Resort and Marina.

Douglas is talking about the fire that completely destroyed Tennessee’s only freshwater pearl museum.

“The pearls will actually disintegrate with heat, so none of the pearls could make it through the fire,” Douglas said.

Owner Bob Keast says the fire left over $2 million worth of damage, and he says insurance is expected to cover less than half. He says some of the items in the pearl museum are replaceable — others are not.

“Well, what’s here is a mess, but we had a pearl jewelry showroom. We had a museum. We had an auditorium. We had all kinds of artifacts relative to the Tennessee River,” Keast said.

But why was this building here in Benton County so special?

They took Amanda Gerry out on Kentucky Lake to show her where many of the gems that were showcased in that museum came from. Birdsong Resort and Marina’s freshwater pearl farm is the only one of its kind in all of North America.

Since that fateful December night, Keast has said he was determined to rebuild the life that is all he’s ever known.

“We’ve been here 57 years, second generation family, and it was very devastating,” Keast said. “As you can see, the fire’s just a time and a place that I like to try to forget, but it’s here, and it’s reality, and we’re moving forward.”

Today the new pearl museum and pearl jewelry showroom can be found in a building in the center of the resort.

“We can dine, we can museum, we can audio visual, and naturally we can buy pearls,” Keast said.

Here you will find Keast and his staff who are still ambitious to tell visitors the unique story of their farm, their pearls and the place they call home.

“Still devastated by the fire, but starting to feel like we’re starting to rise from the fire,” Douglas said.