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Historic Home Tour Vol. 3, No. 1 December 6 & 7, 2019

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Historic Home Tour Vol. 3, No. 1 December 6 & 7, 2019 FREE! TAKE ONE! Historic Home Tour December 6 & 7, 2019 Vol. 3, No. 1 Presented by Maury County APTA Maury Christmas Volume 3, Number 1 features December 2019 2 About the Tour Cover Photo 2 Tour Headquarters 3 Elm Springs 4 President James K. Polk Home 5 Rippavilla Plantation 6 St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 7 The Weaver Farmhouse 8 Haynes Haven 9 First Methodist Church 10 Mayes Place 12 Tour Shirts, Ornaments, & Bake Sale 13 Tour Map 14 Columbia’s Most Wonderful Weekend of the Year Mayes Place owned by David & Debra Hill is one of the many sites featured on this year’s tour. Welcome to Maury County, Tennessee! The 2019 Maury Christmas Historic Home Tour is one of the best tours the APTA has put together in its sixty-eight year history. The history of Maury County is second to none and this tour highlights some of the best. After all, there are not many tours that can boast the home of a U.S. President… I think the Weaver Farm and Mayes Place are my two fa- vorites this year, but each and every site is amazing. You’ll see… There is so much history to enjoy and many great things to see. If you can’t see it all on this trip, plan to visit us again... and again! Maury Christmas, Adam Southern Maury County APTA, President 1 www.maurychristmas.org About the Tour The Maury Christmas Historic Home Tour is a Maury ing site you please. You can visit just a few of the sites or County tradition. The tour began in 1951 as the “Majestic go to all nine— the choice is yours. Middle Tennessee Tour of Homes” and was held each Tour tickets are $25. year in the Fall. Since that time, the tour has evolved into For more information about the tour, call Tour Head- a two-day event taking place annually on the first week- quarters at (931) 381-4822 or visit the tour website, end of December. www.MauryChristmas.org. This year’s tour features eleven sites. More infor- mation about the tour sites can be found within the pages of this publication. The Maury Christmas Home Tour is the annual fund- Here’s how the tour works: raiser of the Maury County Association for the Preserva- 1) Purchase tickets. Tickets may be purchased at Tour tion of Tennessee Antiquities (APTA). Proceeds from this Headquarters (the Athenaeum) or at any of the other tick- event go toward the operating costs and continued et locations (the Maury County Visitor’s Center, the Polk maintenance of the historic Athenaeum. Maury County Home, and Rippavilla Plantation). APTA and the Maury County Visitor’s Bureau are proud 2) Go tour! This tour is geared towards YOU. Once sponsors of the Maury Christmas Home Tour. you have your ticket, you can go to whichever participat- Tour Headquarters– The Athenaeum The historic Athenae- The family retained um Rectory in Colum- the rectory as their pri- bia, Tennessee is an ar- vate residence. The chitectural oddity in home was passed from Maury County. The the eldest Smith son, style of construction is Robert, to his son, very unique and is Franklin Gillette called “Moorish- “Lette” Smith, II. When Gothic.” The home was Lette died without any built to resemble the heirs in 1919, the home castle-like Columbia was sold at public auc- Female Institute that tion. Lette’s aunt, Clara, was located next door. came to the auction in This was very fitting, hopes of buying the actually, since the home family home. Once would go on to house Clara raised her hand to the first headmaster of bid, no one else bid the Institute, the Rever- against her and she was end Mr. Franklin G. able to buy the Athe- Smith and his family, in 1837. naeum. Clara’s daughter, Carrie Smith, lived in the home The home was commissioned in 1835 by Samuel Polk until her death in the 1970s. Walker, a nephew of President James K. Polk. The design The remaining Smith descendants, now living in Tex- Tour Headquarters— The Athenaeum of the home is believed to have come from the architec- as, decided to donate the property to the Maury County tural firm of Drummond & Lutterloh. The firm designed Chapter, Association for the Preservation of Tennessee the Institute. Maury County’s “Master Builder,” Nathan Antiquities (APTA). The Maury County APTA has oper- Vaught is given credit for the actual construction of the ated the site as a historic home and museum since 1974. home. The APTA has several fund-raisers throughout the In 1852, Rev. Smith left his post at the Institute and year to help preserve the Athenaeum for future genera- founded his own school, the Columbia Athenaeum, from tions. The Maury Christmas Tour is one of those fund- which the home derives its name. Smith would operate raisers. his school until his death in 1866, at which time, his wife While in Columbia during the tour, be sure to stop by became principal. When Mrs. Smith died, their eldest son the Athenaeum Rectory. In addition to the tour, there will Robert became principal and operated the school until be a bake sale with a variety of items made by APTA 1904 when he sold the property to the City of Columbia members and their friends. for use as a public school. Maury Christmas— 2019 2 Elm Springs Elm Springs is a Greek Revival mansion built in 1837 by bia. Responding to pleas of assistance from local citizens, Con- master builder Nathan Vaught. It is situated on the old stage federate Brigadier General Frank C. Armstrong dispatched a road that led from Pulaski to Franklin. James and Nathaniel squad of mounted infantry to insure the safety of Lt. Col. Loon- Dick, wealthy cotton merchants of the N & J Dick Company ey's home and property. A Union soldier placed a burning from New Orleans had the house built for their sister Sarah Todd broom under a stairwell, but a female servant removed it before and her husband Christopher, formerly of Virginia. During the it could do any major damage. Fires were started that might War Between the States, the Todd’s youngest daughter Susan have burned the house except for the opportune arrival of Con- and her husband, attorney and Tennessee State Senator Abraham federate troops who extinguished the flames. Looney occupied the home. He commanded the famous Com- A family cemetery is located south of the house, where the pany H of the Maury County Grays. last burial was in 1994. Confederate Naval Lieutenant Simeon Looney was an outspoken Southerner, and this almost result- Cummings was laid to rest in Southern soil after being buried in ed in the loss of Elm Springs. In November of 1864, Confeder- South Africa for over 130 years. ate Units of the famed Army of Tennessee began the march The Akin family acquired the property about 1910, and in north for Nashville in what would be known as the Franklin- 1985 the Gillham family purchased it and restored it to near- Nashville Campaign. The Federal Army, which had occupied original state. The house and property were purchased in 1992 Maury County for several months, was preparing defensive posi- by the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Military Order of the tions ahead of the oncoming Confederate troops under Gen. Stars and Bars. The house now serves as headquarters for the John B. Hood. Their line of defense extended from the Moores- SCV. In 2001, the house was redecorated by the United Daugh- ville Pike to the Mt. Pleasant Pike. As Union forces under the ters of the Confederacy and the Ladies of Columbia. The home command of Major-General John M. Schofield began their hasty is fully furnished with period antiques, some of which are origi- withdrawal from Columbia, many of Maury County's majestic nal to Elm Springs. Hostesses will greet guests in period dress antebellum homes fell victim to the torch. Many houses were during the tour. burned during those days and Elm Springs was slated to be de- stroyed also. In an act of retribution, the historic home of Con- federate Lieutenant Colonel Abraham M. Looney was selected * * * to be destroyed by fire as the last Union troops left Colum- Elm Springs 3 www.maurychristmas.org President James K. Polk Home James Knox Polk was born in North Carolina in 1795, while some were used in his law office. A rare item is the and when he was ten years old, his family moved to Mau- Inaugural Bible, Mrs. Polk’s inaugural gown, and the fan ry County. A historical marker on Highway 31 indicates her husband had made for her. Several portraits are on the site a few miles north of Columbia. While young display throughout the house, in addition to china, silver, James was attending the University of North Carolina in crystal, and candelabra used for state dinners. Other build- 1816, his father built the only residence in existence today ings include the kitchen and Polk’s Sisters House serves as in which the eleventh president lived other than the White the site's visitor center with a museum and a shop. House. Old accounts indicate that the structure was the The gardens feature English boxwoods and the fountain first brick residence built in Columbia. from Polk Place, the Polks’ Nashville home. There are Sarah Childress of Murfreesboro married James K. also statues representing the “Four Seasons.” These are Polk in 1824, and the following year, he was elected to the original to the Columbia Institute—a girls’ school that first of seven terms in the U.S.
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