Wessyngton (Cedar Hill, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Wessyngton
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Tennessee
|
|
| Nearest city | Cedar Hill, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Area | 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) |
| Built | 1815 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000830 |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1971 |
Wessyngton is a very old and important house located in Cedar Hill, Tennessee, U.S. It used to be a large farm, mainly growing tobacco. Today, it is recognized as a special historic place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
A Look Back at Wessyngton's History
The Wessyngton house was built in 1815. It was made for Joseph Washington, his wife Mary, and their baby son, George Augustine Washington (who lived from 1815 to 1892). Joseph Washington was a distant cousin of George Washington, the first President of the United States.
Joseph started Wessyngton as a big tobacco farm. His son, George, continued to run the farm and grow tobacco after him.
Family and Politics
George Augustine Washington was involved in politics. He served in the Tennessee General Assembly from 1873 to 1875. This is like being a state lawmaker.
His son, Joseph E. Washington, also became a politician. Joseph served in the United States House of Representatives from 1887 to 1897. This means he was a national lawmaker in Washington, D.C.
In 1860, many people worked on the Wessyngton farm. They helped grow tobacco on thousands of acres of land. After the American Civil War, many of these freed people stayed on the farm. Some worked for the family in the house. Most became sharecroppers. This meant they farmed parts of the land and shared the crops with the owners.
In the 1890s, Joseph Washington and his wife asked an artist named Maria Howard Weeden to paint pictures of some of the people who worked for them. Maria Weeden was a famous artist from Alabama.
The Farm's Legacy
After Joseph's death, his wife, Mary Bolling Kemp Washington, owned the farm from 1915 to 1938. Later, their three children took over.
The Washington family grew a lot of tobacco at Wessyngton. It was known as one of the biggest tobacco farms in the United States. In 1976, Wessyngton was named a Century Farm. This means it had been a working farm in the same family for over 100 years.
The House's Special Design
The Wessyngton house was built in a style called Federal architectural style. This was a popular design for buildings in the early 1800s in America. It often includes balanced shapes and simple, elegant details.
Because of its history and design, Wessyngton was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1971. This list helps protect important historical places in the United States.
