Behind the Cool Springs House in Crockett Park, two stone chimneys stand at either end of a timber-sided pavilion. The chimneys came from a log cabin built around 1830. The siding came from the same cabin's logs, milled into boards in Spring Hill. Since mid-September, anyone can rent the space for $100 an hour.
That price makes it look like a picnic shelter, but the Brentvale Pavilion runs on venue rules. The contract posted for it covers insurance, licensed bartenders, decibel limits, booking 18 months ahead and a strict no-flame policy. That flame ban turns the two hearths into decoration. Anyone hosting a holiday gathering or planning a spring 2027 event should treat Brentvale as a small historic venue, because that's how it's run.
Two Centuries, Three Lives
The pavilion is the third form this structure has taken, and each change explains something about how it works now.
- Around 1830, on Old Smyrna Road. William Temple Sneed, the seventh child of James Sneed, built the cabin from trees felled on his property. It was first called Brentview before becoming Brentvale, according to the account Assistant City Administrator Jay Evans gave at the 2025 dedication, as reported by the Williamson Herald. In the 1930s the home was enlarged by joining two log cabins.
- 1993 and 1994, to Crockett Park. When Roger and Barbara Mick bought the property in 1993, they gave the original log house, the core of the home, to the city and paid to have it moved and reassembled at Crockett Park.
- 2022 to 2025, cabin to pavilion. In July 2022, the Brentwood City Commission and the Brentwood Historic Commission decided to remove the cabin. Foundation settling and nearly 200 years of wear on the logs had left it unrepairable and structurally unsafe. The Williamson Herald reported that Leatherwood, Inc. won a $41,000 contract to take it apart and haul the logs.
The rebuild started with a proposal. In August 2023, Historic Commission Vice Chair Joe Grosson suggested putting a pavilion on the cabin's footprint, using the salvaged timbers as siding. The City Commission approved a separate $260,000 budget for it. Homestead Timber Frames built the pavilion and Majors Construction oversaw the project. The foundation was poured in September 2024 and the frame went up that October. Tad Derrickson of TNTree in Spring Hill then milled the old logs into siding.
The Williamson Herald quoted Evans recounting the pitch: "let's make it a park pavilion shelter so we can have music events and make it a little bit of a destination." At the June 28, 2025 ribbon cutting, the same paper reported, Mayor Nelson Andrews said the project "says something about Brentwood's commitment to history."
For its first year the pavilion was open to drop-in visitors only. On September 14, 2026, the City Commission passed a resolution setting policies for its use, and the city announced public rentals two days later. The city's Crockett Park page still says Brentvale "is not a reservable location," but the September 2026 announcement and its posted rental terms say otherwise.
Where $100 an Hour Sits
The city's rental announcement sets the terms: $100 per hour, a two-hour minimum, a 14-hour maximum, any time between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., and room for up to 100 people. It lists one rate, with no resident discount.
Set beside its neighbors in the park, that rate fills a gap in the middle.
| Venue | Capacity | Sample cost | Booking window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crockett Park Shelter | 100 | $25 for 1 to 4 hours for Brentwood residents in Williamson County; $125 for nonresidents | February through October |
| Brentvale Pavilion | Up to 100 | $400 for 4 hours, one rate for all, plus a flat cleaning fee | Up to 18 months ahead |
| Cool Springs House | Up to 150 | $650 for a Monday through Thursday evening in the November off-season, plus a $250 cleaning fee | Seven days a week, some holidays excepted |
For a Brentwood resident, a four-hour Brentvale rental costs 16 times as much as the Crockett Park Shelter. For a guest from outside Williamson County, the gap shrinks to about three times. The Cool Springs House costs more again. Its posted rates run from $500 for a weekday daytime block in the off-season up to $2,750 for a peak-season Saturday.
Timing matters this week too. The Crockett Park Shelter, the Owl Creek Park shelter and the Rotary Pavilion at Granny White Park are each listed as reservable only February through October. Once October ends on Saturday, October 31, none of them can be booked again until February. Brentvale's announcement sets daily hours but names no season, so ask about December and January dates when you email to book. The city does say its park facilities stay open to the public year-round without a reservation.
The Rules Come From the Venue Side
The Brentvale contract and policies are posted on the Cool Springs House site. Bookings go through the same contact, Kesha Gooding at the City of Brentwood. The rules read like a wedding venue's, scaled down.
- Fire: Open flame of any kind is banned inside the pavilion. LED or flameless candles are allowed. Outside, candles must sit in glass with the flame at least half an inch below the rim. Fire pits are not allowed, and the only other flame permitted anywhere on the property is sterno for keeping food warm. Nothing in the contract makes an exception for the two stone hearths.
- Insurance: Events with more than 50 guests, alcohol, or both require $1 million in general liability coverage naming the city as an additional insured. Serving alcohol also requires host liquor liability coverage. Proof is due four weeks before the event.
- Alcohol: Drinks may be served only by bartenders licensed by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and shots are not allowed. Service ends 30 minutes before guests are expected to leave.
- Music: Outdoor music ends at 10 p.m. and may never exceed 70 decibels.
- Decorations: Nothing may be taped, nailed or stapled to the structure, and no adhesives are allowed. Loose glitter, confetti, flower petals and sparklers are banned. Bubbles, glow sticks, ribbon wands and streamers are on the approved send-off list.
Payment follows venue practice too. Dates can be reserved up to 18 months ahead. Booking more than six months out takes 50% of the rental fee. Closer dates require the full fee up front. The balance and the flat cleaning fee are due six months before the event. The posted contract still has placeholders where its capacity figures should be, so rely on the city's 100-guest figure.
All of this is general information, not legal, insurance or financial advice. Confirm the current terms with the city and your own insurance agent before you sign.
Setting Up a Standalone Rental
How you book changes what you get. Book Brentvale as an add-on to a Cool Springs House event and you can use the house's tables, chairs and restrooms. Book it on its own and you bring your own tables, chairs and trash cans, and guests use the park restrooms during regular park hours. Either way, the renter handles setup, breakdown and cleanup. Parking is first-come, first-served and shared with everyone else using Crockett Park, at 1500 Volunteer Parkway.
The city's list of possible uses covers wedding and elopement ceremonies, receptions, graduation and birthday parties, theater and arts events, meetings, photos and picnics. For a 40-person gathering with no bar, those rules are easy to meet. A 75-person party with wine and a playlist needs a licensed bartender, $1 million in liability coverage that includes host liquor liability, and a plan to have the music off by 10. Behind it all, the hearths stay unlit, and inside the pavilion any candlelight has to come from LED candles.
To book, email [email protected] after checking the Brentvale Pavilion calendar. A rental contract follows by email, and the date is released if it isn't signed within 72 hours.
If a Brentvale booking has you spending more time around Crockett Park and you're thinking about buying or selling near the park, Janelle Waggener can walk you through the streets around it. Let's Connect. Start Your Brentwood Search.