The Absalom Lowe Landis House, also known as Beech Hall, is a historic house in
Normandy, Tennessee
Normandy is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 141 at the 2010 census. Normandy Dam is located just northeast of the town. The town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Normandy Historic ...
.
History
The house was built in 1866 for
Absalom Lowe Landis
Absalom ( he, ''ʾAḇšālōm'', "father of peace") was the third son of David, King of Israel with Maacah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur.
2 Samuel 14:25 describes him as the handsomest man in the kingdom. Absalom eventually rebelled ag ...
, a veteran of the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
who served as a member of the
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.
The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue rega ...
.
It was later acquired by his daughter Melissa and her husband J. M. Shoffer, followed by their granddaughter Argie and her husband
William Prentice Cooper
William Prentice Cooper (September 27, 1870 – July 3, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Early life
William Prentice Cooper was born on September 27, 1870. He gradu ...
, who served as the mayor of
Shelbyville, Tennessee
Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The town was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819. Shelbyville had a population of 20,335 residents at the 2010 census. The town is a hub of the Tenness ...
.
The Coopers also owned the
Gov. Prentice Cooper House in Shelbyville, and they summered at Beech Hall.
Their son,
Prentice Cooper
William Prentice Cooper Jr. (September 28, 1895May 18, 1969) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 39th governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945. He led the state's mobilization efforts for World War II, when over 300,000 Ten ...
, served as the 39th Governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945, and redesigned the cellar in the 1950s.
Their grandson,
Jim Cooper
James Hayes Shofner Cooper (born June 19, 1954) is an American lawyer, businessman, professor, and politician who served as the U.S. representative for (based in Nashville and containing parts of Davidson, Cheatham, and Dickson Counties) fro ...
, serves as a member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
.
Architectural significance
The house was designed in the
Greek Revival architectural style.
It has been listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
since June 25, 1987.
References
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee
National Register of Historic Places in Bedford County, Tennessee
Greek Revival houses in Tennessee
Houses completed in 1866
Cooper family
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