Dixona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dixona
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Dixona
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Dixon Springs, Tennessee |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1789 |
| Architectural style | Log house |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001832 |
| Added to NRHP | July 5, 1973 |
Dixona is a very old and important house in Smith County, Tennessee. It's located near a town called Dixon Springs. This house is special because it's one of the oldest homes you can find in the middle part of Tennessee. It has a long history, including visits from famous people and serving as a key place for the community.
Contents
Discovering Dixona: A Historic Tennessee Home
Who Built Dixona?
The Dixona house was built a long time ago, between 1787 and 1788. It was built by a man named Tilman Dixon. He was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, which was the war where America fought for its freedom from Britain. Tilman Dixon was also the very first person to settle in the area that is now called Dixon Springs. The town was even named after him!
Tilman Dixon received a lot of land as a reward for fighting in the Revolutionary War. He owned about 3,840 acres of land. That's a huge amount of space, like many football fields put together!
A Royal Visitor and Community Hub
Dixona has seen many interesting events. In 1797, a very important person stayed there: Louis Philippe. At that time, he was a Duke, but he later became the King of France! He visited Dixona with his two brothers while they were traveling in America.
The house was also important for the local community. It was the very first tavern in Smith County. A tavern was like a restaurant and inn where travelers could eat and sleep. It was also the county's first post office, where people could send and receive letters. In 1799, Dixona was even used as the meeting place for Smith County's first county court. This means important decisions about the county were made right there!
How Dixona Changed Over Time
When Dixona was first built, it was an eight-room log building. This means it was made from sturdy logs. But the house didn't stay the same. In 1858, a big expansion was added.
New parts were built using brick in a style called Italianate. This style often has wide eaves and tall windows. The house also got new porches with columns, which were in the Greek Revival style. This made the house much bigger, turning it into a two-story home with over 4,500 square feet of space. Even with all these changes, the original log structure is still the main part of the house today.
Protecting Dixona's Legacy
Because Dixona is so old and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This is a special list of places that are important to American history.
Since 2007, the land around Dixona, called Dixona Farm, has been protected. This 148-acre area is kept safe by a special agreement called a conservation easement. This agreement is held by the Land Trust for Tennessee, and it helps make sure that the land and the historic house will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
