Travellers Rest, also known as Golgotha'','' is a former plantation and historic

plantation house A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...

, located in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. The first owner of the site was

John Overton John Overton may refer to: People *John Overton (printseller) (1640–1713), seller of prints and maps who succeeded Peter Stent *John Overton (priest) (1763–1838), English clergyman *John Overton (judge) (1766–1833), judge at the Superior Cour ...

in 1796, who built the first family home in 1799. (with 8 from 1969) For many years this plantation was worked and maintained by enslaved Black people. 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 v ...

since December 30, 1969, for its 18th century agricultural, political, and military history significance.

History

In 1799 the two-story structure with four rooms was built by politician and judge John Overton (1766–1833). Overton was an advisor and close friend of

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, a judge at the

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

of Tennessee, and cofounder of the city of

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. Overton originally named the property ''Golgotha'' after the large number of prehistoric skulls that were unearthed while digging the cellar of the house. Archaeologists now know that these remains were part of a large Mississippian village site. Overton changed the name of the

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

to ''Travellers Rest'' in the early 19th century to reflect the recreational effect his home had on him after the long rides on horseback that he had to undertake as a circuit judge. Overton died at Travellers Rest on April 12, 1833. An addition was made to the house in 1812, to accommodate members of Overton's family. A long ell was added soon after 1820 when Overton married a widow with five children. Overton's widow occupied the home until her death in 1862. After her death, her son John and his wife Harriet and their children continued to occupy the home. The plantation's farm, which covered 1,050 acres and was worked by 80 slaves, was valued at several million dollars during this time. A final addition to the house was made in 1887 by John Overton II, when two rooms where added to the ell, one above and one below. The plantation building was saved from demolition and restored in 1954 to become a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

. Additional archaeological finds were reported from the property as recently as 1995, when construction at the visitors center resulted in disturbance of additional human burials. As of 2008, the ''Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum'' houses exhibits that document the life and work of John Overton, the history of the Overton Plantation and Nashville in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. It is located at 636 Farrell Parkway in Nashville.

References

External links

*
Website of the Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum
{{National Register of Historic Places Houses in Nashville, Tennessee Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Historic house museums in Tennessee Museums in Nashville, Tennessee Plantation houses in Tennessee Houses completed in 1799 National Society of the Colonial Dames of America National Register of Historic Places in Nashville, Tennessee

History

See also

References

External links