Gallatin in Sumner County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Fairvue Plantation

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2022

1. Fairvue Plantation Marker

Inscription. In the early part of the 19th century, Isaac Franklin purchased twelve tracts of adjoining land totaling more than 2000 acres. This land comprised the nucleus of Fairvue Plantation. In 1832, he built Fairvue Mansion, the most elegant antebellum home in Tennessee. The necessary supplies needed for Franklin's seven Louisiana plantations — corn, bacon and livestock — were produced here. In 1882, Charles Reed bought the plantation to develop a stock farm for the breeding of racehorses. Many thoroughbred champions were bred here. After the Depression, the estate was restored to its former glory by William and Ellen Wemyss. Fairvue is considered a historic treasure.

Erected 2014 by Fairvue Plantation Ladies Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals • Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1832.

Location. 36° 21.342′ N, 86° 30.216′ W. Marker is in Gallatin, Tennessee, in Sumner County. Marker is at the intersection of Plantation Boulevard and Nashville Pike (U.S. 31E), in the median on Plantation Boulevard. Marker is at the entrance to the Fairvue Plantation residential development. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1276 Plantation Blvd, Gallatin TN 37066, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Grasslands (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Asher's Trace (approx. 0.4 miles away); Volunteer State Community College (approx. half a mile away); Mare Barns (approx. 0.6 miles away); Ellen Stokes More Wemyss (approx. 0.9 miles away); Fairvue Mansion (approx. 0.9 miles away); Blacksmith Shop (approx. one mile away); Isaac Franklin (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gallatin.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . .
1. Fairvue Plantation. An overview of the plantation's history, including a failed scheme to turn it into a fox hunting and steeplechase course. (Mark Brown, Tennessee Encyclopedia, posted Oct. 8, 2017) (Submitted on May 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Isaac Franklin Plantation (Fairvue). The mansion was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977 but lost the designation in 2005, primarily because of the surrounding residential development and alterations to the house. (National Park Service) (Submitted on May 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, October 8, 2022

2. Fairvue Plantation Marker

Fairvue Plantation image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 29, 2022

3. Fairvue Plantation

The four-over-four-room house has a central hall and double portico in the Ionic style. It also contains Federal construction details such as elliptical fan windows over the doors. Originally planned to be the residential development's clubhouse, it is now a private residence.

Isaac Franklin (1789-1846) image. Click for full size.

via Tennessee State Library & Archives (Public Domain)

4. Isaac Franklin (1789-1846)

He and John Armfield, a nephew by marriage, were among the most successful slave traders in the country. At the height of their success during the 1830s, they had agents in almost every large southern city, a fleet of ships, and earned more than $100,000 in profits annually through the sale of approximately 1,200 enslaved persons.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,715 times since then and 1,405 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on October 8, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. 3, 4. submitted on May 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.