Nashville - Day 6 Part I

For our last day in Nashville, I'll divide our day into two parts - The Hermitage, and Belle Meade Plantation. Saturday (March 1) was our first mild, sunny day of the trip, and, luckily, we'd planned a couple of activities that included time spent outdoors.

We visited The Hermitage first. This is the home and farm of Andrew Jackson, our 7th president, and his wife, Rachel. What began as a log home and rather modest farm site, grew into a large cotton plantation  with slave quarters, gardens, spring-fed creeks, and orchards, and an impressive mansion. Although we were allowed to tour the mansion, we weren't allowed to photograph inside.

Rachel and Andrew Jackson. She died shortly after he was elected president, and never saw the Whitehouse.

Some of Rachel's dining tableware.

The back porch of the mansion. In Jackson's time, there were no trees; they were clear cut for field use.

The mansion's dining room. This was viewed through a glass or acrylic wall from outdoors, so picture-taking was allowed.

The smokehouse

Don at the back of the mansion.

Tools of the trade. We found this away from the mansion, and wondered if the initials belong to slaves who tended the gardens.

The spring house (foreground). The creek runs through this.

Look!! Leaves are budding!! Someplace is enjoying the look of spring...

The spring bubbling up

Slave quarters

The original farm house, later used by slaves. We're told the second story was removed from the home before it was turned over to the slaves.

This is called "grape myrtle" and lines both sides of the path leading from the mansion to the garden, and Rachel's tomb.

Jackson didn't have any biological children, but adopted Rachel's nephew (Jackson's namesake), and a Creek Indian orphan, who died as a teenager.

Rachel Jackson's tomb. We were told that Andrew Jackson spent time here alone every evening.

The grave of one of Jackson's slaves in the family graveyard. No one knows what happened to the remains of the other slaves who died at The Hermitage.

This home is called "Tulip Grove." It was built by Andrew Jackson's son, Andrew Donelson Jackson. It's on the Hermitage property, and isn't maintained nearly as well as the main mansion. The trees with leaves are magnolia trees.