![]() It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. During a one-hour guided toour, visitors can view exhibits that document the life and work of John Overton, his relationship with Andrew Jackson and the history of the Overton plantation and Nashville during the Civil War, then explore the lavish gardens that surround the plantation. For a unique history tour try combining Travellers Rest with The Hermitage and Cragfont for a glimpse into three big names on the Tennessee frontier with Overton, Jackson and Winchester. The house was saved from demolition and restored in 1954 to become a museum when construction of a visitors center uncovered additional human remains from a prehistoric period. Travellers Rest is open every day from 10 a.m until 4 p.m. Today, archaeologists know that the remains were part of a large Mississippian village site. ![]() Historically, it is significant because Overton discovered a large number of prehistoric skulls on his property. ![]() At one time, the plantation covered 1,050 ares and was worked by 80 slaves. An addition was made to the house in 1812 to accommodate more members of the Overton family and a long ell was added in 1820 when Overton married a widow with five children. In fact, he was a co-founder of Memphis, Tennessee. Located at 636 Farrell Parkway, the two-story structure with four rooms was built in 1799 by Judge John Overton, who was an advisor and close friend of Andrew Jackson. But don't pass up an opportunity to visit Travellers Rest Plantation and Museum to get another perspective. Well, that certainly is an important part of it. Travellers Rest was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.I suppose most people visit Andrew Jackson's Hermitage to get a perspective on the history of Nashville, Tennessee. A Tour of Travelers Rest: Travelers Rest. 1820) and adjoining garden, which served as a home for two formerly enslaved persons after the Civil War. Inn & Plantation Buildings Self-Guided Tours Original Furnishings. To the north is the two-story Weaving house (ca. Behind the main structure is Overton’s law office (reconstructed in brick in the 1950s), a barn, and outbuildings to the east, south, and southeast. Fronting the house is a small formal garden lined by symmetrical hedgerows. The main house, an L-shaped structure at the center of the northern section of the property, is connected to the remnants of an historic circular carriage drive set around a grassy oval and shaded by large magnolia trees. The narrowly tapered southern section of the site is an open lawn lined by trees on either side. Now encompassing nine acres, the slender, triangular plot is bounded by the railroad to the northwest, a dirt road to the southeast, and a large parking lot to the northeast. In 1954 the historic mansion and grounds were deeded to the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Tennessee. Rail lines then bisected the property, much of which was developed into residential subdivisions. In 1946 the Overton family sold the plantation to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company. The surrounding Overton plantation, which featured a peach orchard, an English garden, and apple trees, spanned some 2,300 acres and was tended by 80 enslaved persons who grew subsistence crops, as well as tobacco and cotton. From 1820 onwards, the small frontier house was expanded incrementally, evolving into a Federal-style plantation home that served as the Confederate headquarters during the 1864 Battle of Nashville. Originally named Golgotha (“hill of skulls” after the native burial remains) by Overton, the estate was later christened Travellers Rest, referencing his work as a traveling circuit judge. In 1796 the parcel was purchased by Judge John Overton, who constructed his frontier home on the site’s incline. Originally the site of a Native American village and sacred burial ground, this twelve-acre tract was gifted to Charles Maxwell as part of a Revolutionary War grant.
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