Clover Bottom Mansion facts for kids
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Clover Bottom Farm
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2941 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1858 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001747 (original) 100003900 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1975 |
| Boundary increase | May 7, 2019 |
The Clover Bottom Mansion is a historic house in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It was built in the 1850s and has a long, interesting history. Today, it is the main office for the Tennessee Historical Commission. This group works to protect and share Tennessee's history.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of Clover Bottom
Early Days and the Hoggatt Family
The land where Clover Bottom Mansion stands was first claimed in 1780 by John Donelson. He left the area after an attack by Native Americans. The mansion itself was built in 1859. It was the main building of the large 1,500-acre Clover Bottom Plantation. Parts of an older house, built in 1853, were used in the new mansion after the first one was destroyed by fire.
The mansion was built for Dr. James and Mary Ann Saunders Hoggatt. It was located close to Nashville's very first horse racing track. The Hoggatt family lived there with many enslaved people who were forced to work on the plantation. Mrs. Hoggatt was the granddaughter of Daniel Smith. Her half-brothers were Andrew Jackson Donelson and Daniel Smith Donelson, who were nephews of Rachel and Andrew Jackson. Fort Donelson was named after Daniel Smith Donelson.
Building the Mansion
The mansion was built in the Italianate style. This style often includes features like wide eaves and tall, narrow windows. It looks very similar to another nearby house, Two Rivers Mansion. This makes people think the same builder or architect might have worked on both homes, even though there are no records to prove it. Inside, the home had special French wallpaper and a painted ceiling in the parlor.
Life During the Civil War
Clover Bottom Plantation was a place where enslaved people lived and worked. One person, John McCline, was enslaved there as a child. He managed to escape in 1862 and later worked for the Union Army. McCline wrote a book about his life called "Slavery in the Clover Bottoms." This book gives a rare and detailed look at what life was like for enslaved people in Davidson County before and during the early days of the American Civil War. In 2015, a special marker was placed on the property to tell McCline's story.
Dr. Hoggatt passed away in 1863. During the Civil War, soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies stayed at the home at different times.
Connections to Politics
Clover Bottom Mansion has ties to two members of Congress. One was Meredith P. Gentry, who was Mrs. Hoggatt's brother-in-law. He served in both the U.S. Congress and the Confederate Congress. After his first wife (Mrs. Hoggatt's sister) died, his daughters lived with the Hoggatts. Mr. Gentry later lost all his money by investing in the Confederacy. He moved into Clover Bottom and passed away there in 1866.
In 1886, Mrs. Hoggatt sold the property to a relative, Andrew Price. Mr. Price was a congressman from Louisiana who had family roots in Tennessee. He cared deeply about history and worked to restore the home. He also added several new buildings and raised thoroughbred horses on the property.
Later Owners and Restoration
In 1918, A.F. Stanford bought the house. His second wife, Merle Hutcheson Stanford Davis, moved there in 1927. She owned the mansion until she sold it to the state of Tennessee in 1948. Mrs. Davis lived to be 104 years old and visited her old home just a few months before she passed away in 2011.
After the State bought it, the house was used for different things. For a short time, it was a state trooper outpost. Later, it became housing for teachers at the Tennessee School for the Blind. Around 1980, the house became empty and was not cared for for about ten years.
A group of people, led by Edward Nave, worked hard to convince the State to restore the mansion. Their efforts paid off! Since October 1994, Clover Bottom Mansion has been the home of the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Outbuildings and Grounds
The property also has several other important historic buildings. These include two former slave cabins from around 1858. These are some of the few remaining slave dwellings in Davidson County. There is also an 1850s carriage house, which might be even older than the main house. The horse barn, built around the 1890s, is one of the best examples of 19th-century barns in the area.
In 2015–16, the State restored these historic outbuildings. They also added signs to explain their history. More than 150 native trees were planted, and a walking trail was added. You can visit the grounds during daylight hours. Tours of the office are not available, as it does not have old furniture or exhibits.
Why Clover Bottom Farm is Important
Clover Bottom Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1975. This means it is recognized as an important historic site. In 2019, the listing was updated by the Tennessee Historical Commission. The property's boundaries were made larger to include the other historic buildings, and its name was changed from Clover Bottom Mansion to Clover Bottom Farm.
Images for kids
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Clover Bottom Mansion as seen in the infobox.
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Clover Bottom Mansion.
