NPS Photo The Tailor Shop - "When I was a tailor I always made a close fit, and was always punctual to my customers, and did good work." Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson's Tailor Shop was a thriving early business in Greeneville, TN. Johnson hired readers to educate him while he worked, and the shop became a gathering place for local men to debate. When Andrew was elected to his first political office as alderman, meetings were held in the shop. In the 1920's Andrew Johnson's Tailor Shop was enclosed within a Memorial Building. Within it you can see the authentic shop, hear recreated sounds of a bygone trade, lift a tailor's "goose," and see an example of Andrew Johnson's handiwork. Children can try on reproduction clothing from the 19th century. 
NPS Photo The Museum In the museum area, visitors can read panels which explain the Presidency of Andrew Johnson. Several artifacts are displayed, and highlights of Johnson's administration are covered. The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson is clarified in the museum, and visitors can vote as a Senator in the trial, deciding Johnson's guilt or innocence of the impeachment charges. The voting tickets are replicas of the original tickets to Johnson's impeachment trial, and visitors are encouraged to keep them after the voting tab is removed. The results are tallied and published every year on the May 26, 1868 anniversary of the final Senate vote.
NPS Photo The Early Home Andrew Johnson's Early Home is a testament to early 19th century architecture. Visitors often enjoy viewing the home's brick work and fan-shaped window as much as the exhibits inside. This home contains panels exploring Johnson's early life, including his apprenticeship and escape, his arrival in Greeneville, the beginnings of his family, and the escalation of his meteoric political career. Waysides around the house interpret the uses of the rooms and the tasks of Andrew Johnson's first slaves. 
NPS Photo The Homestead The Homestead was Andrew Johnson's residence both before and after his Presidency. The house is now restored to its 1869-1875 appearance, the time period following Johnson's return home from Washington D.C. During the Civil War the home was used by both Union and Confederate troops as headquarters. A section of the graffiti left on the walls by soldiers during that time has been left exposed for visitors to see. After the war, the Johnson family remodeled their home, bringing in new furniture, wallpaper, and gifts received in Washington. Many of these original furnishings and belongings are found within the home today. Find out how to tour the home...
NPS Photo The Cemetery Andrew Johnson was buried atop Signal Hill in 1875. It is known today as Monument Hill. The hillside which serves as the president's final resting spot is now a national cemetery open for burials to veterans and their spouses. Family tradition holds that Johnson chose this spot as his final resting place, and it has a commanding view of the distant mountains. His marker is an obelisk topped by an American Eagle. The words inscribed there are a testament to Johnson's political legacy - "His Faith in the People Never Wavered." Andrew Johnson was buried with his copy of the Constitution, and his body was wrapped in the American flag. |
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Last updated: November 9, 2022