Andrew Johnson National Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
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One of Andrew Johnson's homes
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Greeneville, Tennessee |
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| Built | 1830 |
| Architect | War Department |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Visitation | 51,189 (2019) |
| Website | Andrew Johnson National Historic Site |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000073 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is a special place in Greeneville, Tennessee. It is looked after by the National Park Service. This site honors Andrew Johnson, who became the 17th President of the United States. He took office after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The site includes two of Johnson's former homes, his tailor shop, and his burial place. His grave is located within the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery.
The cemetery is also the resting place for Johnson's wife, Eliza McCardle Johnson, and his son, Colonel Robert Johnson. Other family members and important people are buried there too. The site was first made a U.S. National Monument in 1935. It officially opened on April 27, 1942. Later, on December 11, 1963, it was renamed a National Historic Site.
Visiting the Site Today
Today, the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site covers sixteen acres. It has three main parts for visitors to explore. These parts are the Andrew Johnson Visitor Complex, the Andrew Johnson Homestead, and the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. When you visit, you can even get a copy of an admission ticket from Johnson's impeachment hearings. Every year on May 26, visitors get to vote on whether they think Johnson should have been removed from office.
The Visitor Complex
The Andrew Johnson Visitor Complex includes the visitor center, a museum, and Andrew Johnson's tailor shop. At the visitor center, you can watch a short film. It is about 13.5 minutes long and tells the story of Johnson's life in Greeneville. His tailor shop is a single room, just as it was when he worked there. A special building was built around it in 1923 to protect it. Kids can become Junior Rangers by finishing a fun activity book.
Andrew Johnson's Homes
Andrew Johnson's first home in Greeneville is right across the street from the visitor complex.
The Andrew Johnson Homestead is another important part of the site. It looks just like it did when Andrew Johnson and his wife lived there. They lived in this house from 1869 to 1875. Johnson had bought the home in 1851. During the Civil War, soldiers stayed in the house. It needed repairs when the Johnson family moved back in 1869. This house is a two-story brick building built in the Greek Revival style.
The National Cemetery
The Andrew Johnson National Cemetery was created in 1906. Andrew Johnson owned twenty-three acres of land outside Greeneville on a place called Signal Hill. When he passed away in 1875, he was buried on this property. On June 5, 1878, a tall marble statue was placed near his grave. It was so big that the hill's name was changed to "Monument Hill."
Johnson's daughter, Martha Johnson Patterson, inherited the land. In 1898, she wanted the land to become a park. In 1900, she worked to make it a national cemetery. This would mean the federal government would take care of it, not just her family. The United States Congress agreed in 1906. By 1908, the United States Department of War took control. Later, on May 23, 1942, the National Park Service became responsible for the cemetery.
