Construction details on this structure vary from the slave dwellings, and include mortise and tenon joinery and hand-planed and rabbeted lapped siding. These details suggest that the carriage house may pre-date those dwellings. Note the hand-forged . . . — — Map (db m147661) HM
The chicken coop may date to the Stanford family's ownership of Clover Bottom. The Stanfords were the third and final private owners of the property. Arthur F. Stanford (1881-1939) and his brother bought Clover Bottom from Anna Gay Price in 1918 and . . . — — Map (db m147636) HM
This is one of the few surviving late 19th-century horse barns in Davidson County.
Architectural historians refer to the style of the building as a transverse crib barn, or a central aisle barn. The structure was erected by 1898, most likely when . . . — — Map (db m147663) HM
Until the coming of Phillips [overseer at Clover Bottom] in the spring of 1858, the colored people lived in cabins and houses promiscuously scattered about the place. Entertainments like quilting bees and dances, where people . . . — — Map (db m147635) HM
When Jackson's plantation turned a profit in the 1820s, he invested it in slaves and buildings. Letters sent from Jackson to Andrew Jackson Jr. and his overseer in 1829 show that brick was being made for new buildings. In September 1829, Andrew . . . — — Map (db m85383) HM
Rachel Jackson quietly suffered through Jackson’s bid for the White House, as his enemies attacked the circumstances of their marriage. Although Jackson easily won the presidency, Rachel dreaded the gossiping whispers of Washington’s social circles. . . . — — Map (db m81403) HM
Andrew Jackson took on life with grit and determination. Both served him well. Through persistence, ambition, and luck, the boy born into a struggling immigrant family and orphaned at age fourteen, would become a respected lawyer, judge, . . . — — Map (db m81404) HM
Andrew Jackson arrived at the Hermitage in 1804 with nine slaves. By 1821, that number had risen to fifty. In 1823, Jackson brought another thirty enslaved African Americans here from his recently sold Alabama plantation.
Faced with pressing . . . — — Map (db m81405) HM
The idyllic planter’s life presented to white visitors by the Jackson family was based on the unpaid labor of over 150 enslaved black men, women, and children. Without the grueling labor of these individuals, the Jackson family could not have lived . . . — — Map (db m52407) HM
For nearly thirty years – from the construction of the brick dwellings in 1829 to the sale of this parcel of land in 1856 – the Field Quarter was home to at least eight enslaved families at The Hermitage. With fifty to eighty . . . — — Map (db m85429) HM
In the years after Andrew Jackson’s death, the Jackson’s financial situation changed for the worse. The log farmhouse/slave cabin slowly fell into ruin. In 1889, the state of Tennessee entrusted the property to the Ladies’ Hermitage Association. . . . — — Map (db m81406) HM
While the bold and dramatic claim center stage, history is also written in the quite, humble ways...and lives. Alfred Jackson was unique among the enslaved at The Hermitage. Born at The Hermitage to Betty, the cook, and Ned, the carpenter, Alfred . . . — — Map (db m81407) HM
Of all the young men Andrew Jackson helped raise, perhaps none showed as much promise as Rachel's nephew Andrew Jackson Donelson. Donelson became Jackson's ward at age five when his father died.
Jackson saw to young Donelson's education, sending . . . — — Map (db m182555) HM
In 1921 the State rented land west of Shute Lane and erected two hangars here for the 105th Observation Squadron, Tennessee National Guard. The airfield of about 100 acres was named for H. O. Blackwood, who gave $1,000 to aid the project. The first . . . — — Map (db m147683) HM
In 1940, The Ladies' Hermitage Association constructed this building to be used for meetings and receptions. Today, the cabin still serves as a meeting place and classroom, and is also rented for private functions. — — Map (db m85380) HM
Although no Civil War battles were fought here, the war touched Andrew Jackson's farm in other ways. Jackson had been a firm Unionist, putting down Nullification and its potential for civil war during his presidency. However, after his death, his . . . — — Map (db m214555) HM
In 1780, the Gower party, tending Middle Tennessee's first cotton and corn crop, were killed or captured by Indians. On nearby Stone's River some flatboats were built for Aaron Burr's abortive expedition. The famous match races between Andrew . . . — — Map (db m147672) HM
Most of the 483 Confederate soldiers buried here were veterans who died while in the Confederate Soldiers' Home which stood about 1 mile north of here. Also buried here is Ralph Ledbetter, former slave and bodyguard to a Confederate officer during . . . — — Map (db m147676) HM WM
Residents of the Tennessee Confederate Soldiers’ Home gained admission by proving that they served in the Confederate army honorably and that they could no longer provide for themselves. For most, an approved pension application or military record . . . — — Map (db m182543) HM
After the Civil War, many soldiers struggled with poverty, mental health issues, and physical disabilities. The federal government, along with concerned citizens, provided pensions and group homes for Union soldiers. In the former Confederate . . . — — Map (db m182547) HM
In spite of the threat of violence, the men, women, and children who Andrew Jackson held in bondage still found ways to fight against the injustice and inhumanity of slavery. There were several instances of slaves running away. Jackson family . . . — — Map (db m85475) HM
As early as 1815, school was held nearby at Stoner's Lick Methodist Church. In 1843, early settler Timothy Dodson granted land for a dedicated schoolhouse that was built c. 1855. After it burned, classes were held at the Hermitage railroad station . . . — — Map (db m147673) HM
From this point, you have many tour options inviting you to think about another time here at this 1120–acre National Historic Landmark. Use the map to guide you to any of the many points of interest you’ll find throughout Andrew Jackson’s . . . — — Map (db m85369) HM
This path leads to the Field Quarter, an area that was once home to at least eighty enslaved African-Americans. A series of illustrated signs near exposed building foundations at the site help you to “see” what life was like for this . . . — — Map (db m81410) HM
This path leads to the Field Quarter, an area that was once home to at least eighty enslaved African-Americans. A series of illustrated signs near exposed building foundations at the site help you to "see" what life was like for this part of the . . . — — Map (db m85379) HM
Andrew Jackson built a cotton gin and press at The Hermitage in 1807, both of which stood in the field in front of you. It was a shrewd decision on Jackson's part, not only making his plantation more self-sufficient, but also generating additional . . . — — Map (db m85479) HM
Andrew Jackson called it his farm, but in reality, The Hermitage was a large cotton plantation dependent upon enslaved labor. All the agricultural activities on Jackson’s 1000 – acre plantation supported his cotton. On average, Jackson’s . . . — — Map (db m81422) HM
On Cumberland River, two miles north, was Andrew Jackson's plantation, Hunter's Hill, which he bought in 1796 and where he lived until 1804 when he sold it to Colonel Edward Ward and removed to the adjoining tract to which he gave the name of the . . . — — Map (db m147681) HM
The Hermitage icehouse, a common feature on larger farms and plantations during the nineteenth century, stood on the north side of the smokehouse.
Archaeological excavation at this site in 1993 uncovered a portion of a 20 by 20 foot . . . — — Map (db m85480) HM
Prescribed grazing at the Hermitage improves forage, animal, soil, and water resources.
Animal resources are improved by striving to maintain quality forge 3” to 8” tall. This height allows graze animals to have optimum intake. . . . — — Map (db m81424) HM
Native warm season grasses grow well during the summer heat. These are bunch type grasses, and the bare ground between the grass clumps provides wildlife cover and nesting space. Habitat conditions are excellent for species such as bobwhite quail, . . . — — Map (db m85446) HM
In 2006, archaeologists discovered a slave cemetery at the site of a new subdivision on the former Ingleside plantation that once adjoined The Hermitage.
This cemetery likely held the remains of the enslaved from not only Ingleside, but also . . . — — Map (db m182548) HM
For the Jackson family, the enslaved were property and the foundation of their wealth. The monetary value of the enslaved far exceeded the combined worth of the Hermitage land, mansion and other improvements.
Andrew Jackson himself had no . . . — — Map (db m52412) HM
Stone Hall and the cabin Eversong on the Stones River are situated on land that
before white settlers came was Native American Indian hunting grounds controlled
primarily by the Cherokee, but also used by the Shawnee and Chickasaw. . . . — — Map (db m147665) HM
Artifacts found during excavations of the Field Quarter have much to say about daily life within the Hermitage enslaved community. Animal bones tell us a great deal about diet. Buttons and sewing equipment provide details about clothing. Marbles, . . . — — Map (db m85445) HM
This crude, unhewn piece of everlasting granite
is here to mark the resting place of manly men
men like it: firm, solid, true men who, in support
of principle, uncomplainingly endured hunger,
cold and deprivation which history cannot . . . — — Map (db m182551) WM
Like its landscape, so too have the homes of the Hermitage been touched by time and circumstance. Andrew and Rachel Jackson's first Hermitage home was a substantial and well-furnished two-story log farmhouse, where they lived from 1804 until well . . . — — Map (db m85367) HM
The Belted Galloway is an heirloom breed of beef cattle originating in the mountainous region of Galloway in southwestern Scotland. A hardy breed, they are naturally polled (hornless) and are distinguished by their thick heavy coats and white belt . . . — — Map (db m81425) HM
This cemetery provides a resting place for many members of the Donelson family whose original burial sites have been lost to development. It is not original to the Hermitage Church grounds.
In 1948, a local chapter of the Daughters of the . . . — — Map (db m182534) HM
In 1806, Andrew Jackson purchased 640 acres north of the first Hermitage and in turn used this land mostly for field crops such as cotton and corn. Jackson chose this portion of that land to build dwellings for his field slaves because of its . . . — — Map (db m85432) HM
Known as “Muddy Spring” in Andrew Jackson's time, this fast flowing spring was the primary source of water for the fifty to eighty enslaved men, women, and children who lived in the nearby Field Quarter.
Along with its life-sustaining . . . — — Map (db m85382) HM
These log buildings tell a remarkable American story unlike any other. From 1804 to 1821, as a two-story farmhouse and kitchen outbuilding, the First Hermitage housed future United States President Andrew Jackson and his family. Here, Jackson lived . . . — — Map (db m52420) HM
This small brick privy or necessary is something of a mystery. No documents or illustrations record the presence of such a building when the Jackson family lived on the property. Archaelogical evidence suggests that an older building may have stood . . . — — Map (db m85374) HM
Home of Andrew Jackson (1767~1845), Major General in the Army, hero of the Battle of New Orleans, and seventh President of the United States. It was originally built in 1819; partially burned in 1834, during Jackson's second term, replaced by the . . . — — Map (db m36280) HM
In 1823, Andrew Jackson donated the land, a portion of the funds, and the labor of his slaves to build this simple church. There's little doubt that it was the encouragement of Rachel Jackson, a devout Presbyterian, that prompted her husband's . . . — — Map (db m182525) HM
As with all living things, the Hermitage Garden cannot be wholly defined by any particular moment in time. Gardens grow and change. Few records tell us about the appearance of the garden Andrew Jackson enjoyed. Jackson hired gardener William Frost . . . — — Map (db m85370) HM
At a time when limited resources led to smaller dwellings, the distinctions between indoor and outdoor life blurred. When Jackson lived in the log farmhouse, this area buzzed with dawn-to dusk activity, sounds and smells. Cramped housing for white . . . — — Map (db m81426) HM
At first glance, The Hermitage Landscape may seem largely untouched by time. Look more closely, however, and discover the changes brought by over 200 years of labor...living...and a changing America.
White Americans and their slaves first . . . — — Map (db m85360) HM
Elegant as it is, The Hermitage Mansion is also a prime example that, indeed, beauty sometimes does lie “in the eye of the beholder.” Andrew Jackson's visitors got their first good look at his home as they rounded the graceful curves of . . . — — Map (db m85366) HM
As was common at large plantations, Jackson hired a white overseer on an annual contract to supervise farm operations, particularly the lives and work of the enslaved. The overseer's contract began on January 1, after the previous year's crop had . . . — — Map (db m85477) HM
This log building was not part of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. In 1929, a fire destroyed one of Jackson’s original barns. To help replace it, The Ladies’ Hermitage Association purchased and moved this log building from the nearby Hunter's Hill . . . — — Map (db m52416) HM
Andrew Jackson's strong sense of family extended beyond those he embraced during his lifetime.
Reaching into the future to touch generations yet to come, he deeded a small portion of the garden in trust to serve as a family cemetery. Stones . . . — — Map (db m85372) HM
At a time when America was growing in more than material ways, the Jacksons, too, were touched by matters spiritual. In the early 1800s, the stresses of a young nation on the move to new political, geographic, and economic areas produced rapid . . . — — Map (db m182530) HM
The remains of the North Cabin stood near this spot until 1988 when it was dismantled because of structural instability. The foundation of the chimney is the only part of the building visible. The North Cabin was a one-story log dwelling with a . . . — — Map (db m85478) HM
Of all the enticements Tennessee offered settlers, one promised both survival and a future: Water. Falling from above, bubbling up from below, flowing in broad river “highways”: Water.
Two natural free-flowing springs made The . . . — — Map (db m81428) HM
Rarely do facts alone uncover the past. Scholarship, judgment, and analysis all have roles in interpreting evidence, and hints, of long-ago lives. So it is with these stones marking the location of a building that Hermitage archaeologists have named . . . — — Map (db m52410) HM
In 1915, The Ladies' Hermitage Association planted this double line of trees to serve as the border for a new entryway intended for visitors arriving by automobile. Each tree came from a battlefield where Andrew Jackson fought, such as the Plain of . . . — — Map (db m214554) HM
The stately trees and park-like grounds of today’s Hermitage bear scant resemblance to the working plantation of Andrew Jackson’s time. As the farm developed, trees were cleared to make room for fields and pastures.
By the time the first . . . — — Map (db m52408) HM
In 1834, Andrew Jackson Donelson began plans for his eventual return to Tennessee when Jackson's presidency ended in 1837. Donelson chose to build a new home on his land adjoining The Hermitage. There he could be near Andrew Jackson, as he had been . . . — — Map (db m182561) HM
Designed by Jos. Reiff, who was also builder of the Hermitage, this house was built in 1836 for Andrew J. Donelson, Jackson's namesake and secretary. A West Point graduate, Donelson was at one time minister to Prussia, and held other offices. In . . . — — Map (db m147680) HM
Andrew Jackson
Born March 15, 1767 - Died June 8, 1845
Grand Master of Tennessee 1822-1823
President of the United States 1829-1837 — — Map (db m214563) HM
Dr. James Hoggatt, owner of the 1,500-acre Clover Bottom Farm, also owned sixty slaves here. One of them was John McCline, who lived here with his three brothers and his grandmother. McCline cared for the farm's horses and cattle among other tasks. . . . — — Map (db m147621) HM
Hermitage Church erected in 1823 by citizens of the community.
Andrew Jackson influenced by his wife Rachel Donelson Jackson gave the land and the largest contribution
Marked in 1936 by Rachel Stockley Donelson Chapter D.A.R. — — Map (db m214562) HM
General LaFayette visited The Hermitage on May 5, 1825. Andrew Jackson exhibited the pistols LaFayette had given to George Washington in 1778. — — Map (db m214556) HM
Organized in 1846 by Elders Peter and Thomas Fuqua, New Hope Baptist Church is one
of the oldest churches in the Nashville Baptist Association. In 1847, one mile south of here, a log church edifice was erected. It was destroyed by fire in 1871. . . . — — Map (db m154967) HM
In memory of
Rachel Stockley Donelson who lies here
Born in Va. 1716, died 1794
and her husband Col. John Donelson
Born in Va. 1718
Killed by Indians in Kentucky 1785
Erected by their decendants and Rachel Stockley Donelson Chapter . . . — — Map (db m223801) HM
The two buildings in front of you were not part of Andrew Jackson's Hermitage. The Works Progress Administration built the structure to the right in 1936. Today, the building holds the Administrative Offices of The Ladies' Hermitage Association, but . . . — — Map (db m214564) HM
The Hermitage
Has been designated a registered National Historic Landmark under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1955
This site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United . . . — — Map (db m214561) HM