This past week as I was reading the American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, I thought back to a visit we made to Hermitage. Hermitage was the home Andrew Jackson built outside Nashville, Tennessee. The day we visited it was a rainy fall day. To me it seemed like the perfect day to be there. There were only a couple of cars in the parking lot and, except for the docents, we saw very few people during our entire visit. The rain and a lack of tourists gave it a feeling of sadness.
The mansion is the first building we visited. By today’s standards you could hardly call it a mansion. I’ve seen bigger homes in today’s suburbs. What made this a mansion was the grandeur of the place. I could imagine elegant guest roaming through the rooms. I only heard the whisperings of the docents as I walked from room to room. The house seemed sad and lonely, as if it were asking, “Where is everybody?”
The most unique thing about this house is it’s authenticity. The Jackson family lived in the house up until the Ladies Auxiliary Commission purchased the house and began efforts to preserve it. That means a visitor will see original colors, wallpaper, furniture and accessories. It was amazing to be able to look at this home the way it looked in the early 1800s.
All of my pictures of that visit have disappeared. The only thing I can share with you is this Strictland print showing the house and the front grounds. I swiped it from the Heritage website.
When Andrew Jackson built this house his wife Rachel requested a garden. The garden is still there to the side of the mansion. It was enjoyable to walk it even in the rain. Rachel died after Andrew was elected to his first term but before they could leave for Washington, D.C. Rachel was buried in a corner of her garden and later Andrew was buried beside her. There is a modest dome built over their graves. It added to the sadness of the day.
There are outbuildings to see on this property that are still standing. There is also a lovely gift shop that sells items appropriate to the period. I bought a beautiful umbrella that day. I pretended it was a parasol and I was one of the grand ladies coming to call on Rachel Jackson.
Join me next week for another of my Favorite Places.
Thanks so much for this! We’ve always wanted to visit Jackson’s house and I’m glad to have this preview of what to expect.
I love going into those houses and seeing how they lived then – especially what they called “mansions,” as you say. Did they have inside bathrooms by the time of Jackson? (I’m always interested in how they did the bathroom thing!) One of the things I do like about Jackson is his devotion to Rachel. What a sad story!
Sounds like a great place to visit when I go visit a friend in Nashville. I love historical houses.
I’m almost through with American Lion and have had the urge to visit The Hermitage the whole time I’ve been reading it.
That must have been a fun visit; especially with your parasol.