Beaver Dam Plantation
William Cannon Houston House | |
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Location | 107 Houston Ln. Woodbury, Tennessee |
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Coordinates | 35°49′30″N 86°3′30″W / 35.82500°N 86.05833°W |
Area | 28 acres (11 ha) |
Built | 1810s; c. 1870; c. 1880; c. 1930 |
Architectural style | Greek Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 89000503[1] |
Added to NRHP | June 16, 1989 |
The Beaver Dam Plantation, also known as the William Cannon Houston House, is a historic
History
A log building was first built c. 1810.[2] The plantation was acquired and expanded by politician William C. Houston in 1873.[2] Houston built the mansion in the early 1870s.[3] His son, Frank K. Houston, later Chairman of Chemical Bank (now known as CITIBANK), was born on the plantation.[4] A formal dining-room was added circa 1880, and a rear porch circa 1930.[2] The home is well known in rock hunting circles for its spectacular geode pillars. They were constructed with the help of farmhands, by the six brothers of the family. They were built as an anniversary present for Judge Houston and his wife Lizzie Minor McLemore Houston.
Beaver Dam began as a trading post. The name is born of the frustration of a fur trader named McFerrin, who disputed the claims of an unknown trapper, that one of his pelts was indeed, that of a beaver. Beaver Dam was also a stopping point along the infamous "Trail of Tears" along which the Cherokee Nation was forced to move to Oklahoma by then-President Andrew Jackson.[citation needed]
Beaver Dam was the Civil War encampment site of General
Beaver Dam was always a center of life in Cannon County, this included serving as the site where prospective soldiers signed their enlistment papers to join the U.S. and Confederate Armies. It served in this capacity from the War of 1812 until World War I.[citation needed]
Beaver Dam sits along the route of the first state highway in Tennessee, known as "State Route One", "The Memphis to Bristol Highway." The historic home has played host to many politicians, including
Houston was also an agricultural innovator and among other achievements, he built the first grain silo in the County. The Plantation's crops included tobacco and wheat.
Architectural significance
The mansion was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style.[5] It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since June 16, 1989.[5]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Houston, William Cannon, House or Beaver Dam". National Park Service. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
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- ^ "Frank K. Houston". Monticello. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ^ a b "Houston, William Cannon, House". National Park Service. Retrieved January 6, 2016.