Presidential Sites: Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage, Nashville, TN

Of all the presidential sites, The Hermitage is one of the finest. Located just outside of Nashville, Tenn., it was the home of Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel Donelson. This is the second largest presidential site in the country, but it was very much a family home. It is unique in that it has almost all its original furnishings, right down to the wallpaper, which dates to the early 1800s.

The Jacksons had many guests visit them during their lifetimes and that tradition is still carried on today. There are costumed guides who take you through the house on tours. They will give you details of the lives of Andrew and Rachel and their adopted sons Andrew and Lyncoya, their granddaughter Rachel and Alfred, one of their slaves. A 15-minute video in the visitor center will familiarize you with the history of the Hermitage. After you watch the video, you can take a headphone tour of the grounds.

The Hermitage is never the same twice. History is no longer being made here, but it is being discovered every day. There is ongoing site development. During summer, the Hermitage becomes an active archaeological site. Currently, they are trying to piece together the lives of the slaves, who have been for the most part neglected in the historical records. Visitors are allowed to sift through the dirt looking for artifacts and to question the archaeologists. A wagon tour highlighting slave life at the Hermitage has been added.

There is a construction project as well. The original Hermitage, which was a log cabin, has been restored to the way it was during the slave era, 1820 to 1865 when it was used as housing for workers. HGTV did a feature about it and Alfred's original cabin is also available to visitors.

The main house is not large but every effort has been made to maintain it in pristine condition. All the rooms are behind glass and you have to view them from the halls. You need to be able to walk up stairs as the house is not handicapped accessible. When you finish the tour, you walk out to view the kitchen and smokehouse and then head out into the grounds.



As you began your tour of the grounds, walk out to the Field Quarter Springs and the remains of field slave's quarters which have been discovered. It is a half mile walk and this is where the slaves, who worked in the fields, spent their time off of work. The remains of four brick cabins have been found and there are traces of two earlier log cabins in the same area. Some of the items from these excavations have made their way into the museum exhibits at the visitor center. They have shed amazing new light on the life of the slaves and what their family lives were like.

What has surprised everyone is that no matter where the slaves worked, in the fields or in the house, there appears to have been very little difference in their accommodations and what they possessed. They all had coins found in the ruins of their homes as well as pieces of dishes, marbles, porcelain doll heads and many other items. Life was hard but there was some time for the children to enjoy toys.



Lastly, you will want to walk in the garden and visit the graves of Andrew and Rachel. There is a small family cemetery on one side. You will also notice Alfred's grave alongside Jackson's tomb. When Alfred died, he left all his possessions and everything he had been given by the Jacksons during his lifetime back to the house. In exchange for this, he was allowed the privilege of being buried here. It is a wonderful testimony to his love for the General.



In the visitor center, there is a really wonderful museum with additional information and possessions of the Jacksons. Once inside the museum, you will be introduced again to Andrew, his wife Rachel, their adopted son as well as her nephew Andrew Jackson Donelson. In the museum, you will find artifacts uncovered during archaeological digs on the property, additional items that belonged to the family and a history that takes you beyond the occupation of the house by members of the Jackson family. Allow a half hour and 45 minutes to visit this museum; there is a lot of information there.

After you leave the Hermitage, turn left out of the parking lot and follow the road to the Hermitage Church and Tulip Grove. These are just two additional pieces to the amazing story of Andrew and Rachel Jackson. You should allow the better part of a day to fully enjoy the Hermitage.

If you want to find out more about the Jacksons, Irving Stone has an excellent novel called "The President's Lady" which is an honest and sometimes brutal look at the love story that was Andrew and Rachel Jackson's marriage. He so loved her that he once said: "Heaven with be no heaven to me if I don't meet my wife there".

The Hermitage is a must visit for anyone who will be in the Nashville area and has an interest in American history.


Other Presidential Homes:


James Madison


James Monroe