Carnton
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Carnton is a historic home and museum in
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
,
Williamson County, Tennessee Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 247,726. The county seat is Franklin, and the county is located in Middle Tennessee. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. 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 ...
played an important role during and immediately after the Battle of Franklin 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 th ...
. It is managed by the non-profit organization The Battle of Franklin Trust.


Mansion and grounds


Architecture

Carnton is a red brick
Federal-style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...
11-room residence, that was completed in 1826 by
Randal McGavock Randal McGavock (1766–1843) was an American politician and Southern planter in Nashville, Tennessee. Identifying as a Jeffersonian Republican, he served as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1824 to 1825. His daughter Elizabeth married Will ...
using
slave labor Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. Built on a raised limestone foundation, the southern facing entrance façade is a two-story, five-bay block with a side-facing
gabled roof A gable roof is a roof consisting of two sections whose upper horizontal edges meet to form its ridge. The most common roof shape in cold or temperate climates, it is constructed of rafters, roof trusses or purlins. The pitch of a gable roof ca ...
, covered in tin, with two dormer windows, and slightly projecting end chimneys. A central two-story pedimented portico in the Greek Revival-style was added in 1847 by McGavock's son
John McGavock Col. John McGavock (1815–1893) was an American heir and Southern planter.William S. Speer, ''Sketches of Prominent Tennesseans: Containing Biographies and Records of Many of the Families Who Have Attained Prominence in Tennessee'', Genealogical P ...
. The two-story portico contains four, square
Ionic columns The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan (a plainer Doric), and the rich variant of Corinthian called the composite or ...
with beveled recessed panels, and a simple vase shape
balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...
on each level. The balustrade encloses the second-story balcony. Decorative corbels and scrollwork are found on the fascia above the first level, and the columns at the corners of the portico are matched by pilasters on the front façade. The doorway is flanked by engaged columns and sidelights, with a semi-circular
fanlight A fanlight is a form of lunette window, often semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan. It is placed over another window or a doorway, and is sometimes hinged to a transom. Th ...
above. A two-level Greek Revival gallery with seven two-story
Doric columns The Doric order was one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of col ...
, and using the same balustrade as seen on the front portico, is located on the rear of the house. The gallery runs the length of the house, extending at one end to take advantage of southerly breezes.


Interior

The interior has Greek Revival touches due to the remodeling done by John McGavock in 1847, including then-fashionable wallpapers, faux-painting and carpets in most every room. Three distinct wallpaper patterns have been discovered on the third floor. The central passage downstairs appears much as it did in 1864 during the Civil War. The wallpaper design, though a reproduction, is based on a popular design for the time. The parlor also saw a Greek Revival upgrade in the form of a fireplace mantel, new wallpaper and carpeting. The working clock on the parlor mantel and the 200-piece china set in the dining room is original to the McGavock family, as well as a rocking chair given by
President 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 ...
. Many of the floors in Carnton are stained due to the house being used as Confederate hospital after the Battle of Franklin. The heaviest stains are found in one of the southern facing bedrooms which was used as an operating room, as a result of the blood soaking through the carpets and seeping into the wood floors.


Grounds

Randal McGavock planted cedars along the driveway leading up to the house, while his son extended the planting of cedars and boxwood along the
herringbone pattern The herringbone pattern is an arrangement of rectangles used for floor tilings and road pavement, so named for a fancied resemblance to the bones of a fish such as a herring. The blocks can be rectangles or parallelograms. The block edge length ...
ed brick walkway that he had installed between the portico and the driveway. In preparation for his marriage in 1847 to Carrie Winder, John McGavock created a garden to the west of the house based on the writings of
Andrew Jackson Downing Andrew Jackson Downing (October 31, 1815 – July 28, 1852) was an American landscape designer, horticulturist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival in the United States, and editor of ''The Horticulturist'' magazine (1846–5 ...
, the "father of American landscape architecture." The working garden had vegetable squares, each surrounded by ornamental borders, but the presence of a large Osage orange tree in the center of the southeast quadrant suggests that vegetable growing was eventually discontinued in garden plots nearest the house. The garden was surrounded by a white picket fence as well as a high board fence on the north side, to protect the plants from animals and severe weather. The fence also gave a degree of privacy to the occupants of the house from the outbuildings and the many slaves moving about on the grounds. The garden was neglected throughout the 20th-century, but enough physical evidence remained through archeological research, photographs and letters to indicate its extent and layout, that the garden was recreated in 1996–97 to how it looked in 1869. The daffodil, hosta, and peony collection is composed entirely of varieties available in Middle Tennessee prior to 1869. Carnton is believed to house the largest historic daffodil collection in the South, representing 40 varieties in use before 1869.


McGavock Confederate Cemetery

To the northwest of the house on a section of the property is the McGavock Confederate Cemetery, the largest privately owned military cemetery in the United States. Donated by the McGavock family as a permanent burial ground for the soldiers killed in the Battle of Franklin, the cemetery is organized by state resulting in thirteen sections separated by a pathway. The cemetery is maintained by The Franklin Chapter of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, ...
.


History


19th century

Randal McGavock (1768-1843), migrated from
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and settled in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
becoming a prominent local politician. He served as
Mayor of Nashville The Mayor of Nashville is the chief executive of Nashville Tennessee's government. The current mayor is John Cooper, a member of the Democratic party. Each mayor serves a term of four years, with a limit of two terms, unless this is interrupte ...
for a one-year term in 1824 and was acquainted with
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...
and good friends with President Andrew Jackson, who resided at The Hermitage near Nashville. Jackson was a guest of the McGavocks on more than one occasion. McGavock named his property near Franklin after his father's birthplace in County Antrim, Ireland. The name "Carnton" was derived from the
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
word ''
cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
'' which means "a pile of stones." A cairn sometimes marks a burial site. The first construction at Carnton was a smokehouse constructed in 1815 that was adjoined to the main house built in 1826 by a two-story kitchen wing. The mansion sat on 1,400 acres (6 km2) of which 500 acres (2 km2) was used for farming. Among the crops the McGavocks grew in the mid-19th century in
middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the s ...
were wheat, corn, oats, hay, and potatoes. The McGavocks were also involved in raising and breeding livestock and
thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
horses. Randal McGavock's daughter, Elizabeth, married
William Giles Harding William Giles Harding (1808 – December 15, 1886) was a Southern planter, attorney, and horse breeder who was made a Brigadier General in the Tennessee militia before the American Civil War. He took over operations of Belle Meade Plantation near ...
of
Belle Meade Plantation Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is a historic mansion that is now operated as an attraction, museum, winery, and onsite restaurant together with outbuildings on its 30 acres of property. In the late 19th ...
that became an internationally renowned thoroughbred farm. Randal McGavock died in 1843, leaving Carnton to his son John (1815–1893). In December 1848, John married his cousin Carrie Winder (1829–1905) of Ducros Plantation in
Thibodaux, Louisiana Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...
, who is famously known as the "Widow of the South". The couple had five children but only two would survive to adulthood. Upon marriage the McGavocks started renovating the house, preferring the then fashionable Greek Revival-style. Just prior to the Civil War, John McGavock's
net worth Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, net ...
was about $339,000 in 1860, which is about $6 million in 2007 dollars.


Battle of Franklin

John McGavock was 46 when the Civil War began and was too old to enlist, but he helped outfit and organize groups of Southern soldiers. Carrie contributed to the war effort by sewing uniforms for relatives and friends. As the war got closer to home, John McGavock sent most of his slaves to Louisiana so they wouldn't be taken by Federal authorities. When Federal troops took control of Middle Tennessee, and learned of the McGavocks' efforts to aid the South, they took thousands of dollars worth of grain, horses, cattle and timber from the plantation. On November 30, 1864, Carnton became the largest temporary
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
for tending the wounded and dying after the Battle of Franklin. The home was situated less than one mile (1.6 km) from the location of the activity that took place on the far Union Eastern flank. More than 1,750 Confederates lost their lives at Franklin, and on Carnton's back porch four
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
generals' bodies—
Patrick Cleburne Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne ( ; March 16, 1828November 30, 1864) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Born in Ireland, Cleburne served in the 4 ...
,
John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...
,
Otho F. Strahl Otho French Strahl (June 3, 1831 – November 30, 1864) was an Americans, American attorney and a History of Confederate States Army Generals#Brigadier general, brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. H ...
and Hiram B. Granbury—were laid out for a few hours after the battle. The McGavocks tended for as many as 300 soldiers inside Carnton alone, though at least 150 died the first night. Hundreds more were spread throughout the rest of the property, including in the slave cabins. Carrie McGavock donated food, clothing and supplies to care for the wounded and dying, and witnesses say her dress was blood soaked at the bottom. Carrie's two children, Hattie (then nine) and son Winder (then seven) witnessed the carnage as well, providing some basic assistance to the surgeons. After the battle, on December 1,
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
forces under
Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
John M. Schofield evacuated toward Nashville, leaving all the dead, including several hundred Union soldiers, and the wounded who were unable to walk as well. The residents of Franklin were then faced with the task of burying over 2,500 soldiers, most of those being Confederates. According to George Cowan's "History of McGavock Confederate Cemetery," "All of the Confederate dead were buried as nearly as possible by states, close to where they fell, and wooden headboards were placed at each grave with the name, company and regiment painted or written on them." Many of the Union soldiers were re-interred in 1865 at the
Stones River National Cemetery In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...
. Over the next eighteen months many of the markers were either rotting or used for firewood, and the writing on the boards was disappearing. To preserve the graves, John and Carrie McGavock donated of their property to be designated as an area for the Confederate dead to be re-interred. The citizens of Franklin raised the funding and the soldiers were exhumed and reburied in the
McGavock Confederate Cemetery The McGavock Confederate Cemetery is located in Franklin, Tennessee. It was established in June 1866 as a private cemetery on land donated by the McGavock planter family. The nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers buried there were casualties of the ...
for the sum of $5.00 per soldier. A team of individuals led by George Cuppett took responsibility for the reburial operation of 1,481 soldiers, and one civilian, Marcellus Cuppett, George's brother who had died during the process of the reburials, in the spring of 1866. The original names and identities of the soldiers were recorded in a cemetery record book by Cuppett, and the book fell into the watchful hands of Carrie McGavock after the reinterments. After the war, McGavock continued to farm Carnton under sharecropping arrangements with former slaves until his death in 1893.


20th century

Carrie McGavock managed the maintenance of the cemetery with African-American workers for 41 years until her death in 1905. A prayer in the ''
Confederate Veteran The ''Confederate Veteran'' was a magazine about veterans of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War of 1861–1865, propagating the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. It was instrumental in popularizing the legend of Sam ...
'' magazine mentioned Carrie McGavock in 1905: The McGavock's son, Winder, inherited the home on the death of his mother, however he died only two years later in 1907. His widow and children then left Carnton and moved into Franklin. In 1909, the eastern kitchen wing of the house was destroyed by a tornado, and the roofline can still be clearly seen where it abutted the mansion. Winder's widow sold the house in 1911 ending a century of family ownership. Carnton then passed through the hands of several owners, and by the late 1960s and 1970s, the property was in disrepair. In 1977, the Carnton Association was formed to raise money to buy, restore and maintain the mansion. The following year, the house and ten acres were given to the association by Dr. and Mrs. W.D. Sugg who had owned the property since the 1950s. Subsequently, the Association acquired an additional , and began a restoration of the house and grounds that were completed by the late 1990s.


21st century

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 ...
in 1973, Carnton has never received any funding or support from local, state or the Federal government. The site is maintained and managed by The Battle of Franklin Trust, a non-profit organization which also manages another historic Battle of Franklin historic home, the Carter House. Today, Carnton receives visitors from all over the world as many people visit to learn the true story of the Widow of the South, Carrie McGavock.


In popular culture

* ''The Widow of the South'' (2005) Carnton is the setting for the novel by author Robert Hicks.Hicks, Robert; ''The Widow of the South'', Copyright 2005, Time Warner Book Group, New York, NY


See also

* Winstead Hill, also NRHP-listed within the Franklin Battlefield area * Fountain Carter House, also NRHP-listed in the battlefield * Fort Granger, also NRHP-listed in the battlefield * Claiborne Kinnard House NRHP listed in the battlefield


References


Further reading


The McGavock Confederate Cemetery
A Revised and Updated Compilation. Eric A. Jacobson.
The Battle of Franklin Trust


External links


Battle of Franklin Trust websiteMcGavock Confederate Cemetery
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The Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864The Widow of the South
novel by Robert Hicks
The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, Tennessee
Antebellum architecture Tennessee in the American Civil War American Civil War hospitals Historic house museums in Tennessee Museums in Williamson County, Tennessee Plantation houses in Tennessee Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Houses in Franklin, Tennessee McGavock family residences Federal architecture in Tennessee Greek Revival houses in Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Williamson County, Tennessee Slave cabins and quarters in the United States