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Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings

	THE HERMITAGE Tennessee
Davidson County, on U.S. 70N, about 12 miles east of Nashville. The Hermitage

Ownership and Administration. Ladies' Hermitage Association.

Significance. For more than 40 years, during which Andrew Jackson rose from a frontier militia commander to the Presidency, he made this estate his home. Leading militia forces against the Creek Indians, he defeated them at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend; commanded the army that overwhelmed the British forces at the Battle of New Orleans, the final action in the War of 1812; and, campaigning as a military hero, won the Presidency of the United States.

In 1804 Jackson purchased 1,200 acres of land in central Tennessee, and planted groves of peach and apple trees. He and his wife, Rachel, moved into a two-story log cabin already on the property, which he called The Hermitage. Jackson added a lean-to back of the cabin and to the rear erected a group of log structures, including slave cabins, store rooms, and a smokehouse. The following year he entertained Aaron Burr and undertook and carried out a contract to build flatboats for him. Jackson then settled down to the life of a plantation farmer.

During the Creek uprising of 1813 Jackson commanded the Tennessee Militia and attained the rank of major general. His success at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814) earned him a major general's commission in the U.S. Army, and his victory over the British in 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans, the final action in the War of 1812, made him a national hero. He returned to The Hermitage, where he remained until 1817, when he again left to conduct a 2-year campaign against the Seminole Indians and Spanish forces in Florida. This resulted in the Spanish cession of Florida to the United States and in 1821 to Jackson's appointment as provisional Governor of Florida Territory. After a short tour of duty, however, Jackson resigned and returned to The Hermitage.

In 1818-19, prior to his appointment as provisional Governor of Florida Territory, Jackson had erected at The Hermitage a brick house to replace the log structure he had lived in for 15 years. The new structure had four rooms on the ground floor, each having a fireplace and chimney, and large central hallways opened in warm weather from front to back to form a breezeway. In this house Jackson entertained President Monroe, Lafayette, and other prominent guests.

Elected President in 1828, Jackson left behind at The Hermitage the grave of his beloved wife, who had died a few days earlier. Jackson's two terms were marked by his aggressiveness and strong force of character. During his first term he enlarged his home at The Hermitage and added wings on both sides. In 1834 fire destroyed much of the interior of the house, but Jackson rebuilt and refurnished it, and it was ready for re-occupancy in May 1835. At the end of his second term, in 1837, Jackson retired to The Hermitage, where he lived out his days as an elder states man, entertaining the great and near-great. In 1845 he died and was laid to rest beside his wife.

In 1818-19 Gen. Andrew Jackson, later seventh President, built this brick mansion on his estate, The Hermitage. The mansion and grounds, including the gravesite of Jackson and his wife, are now a historical shrine.

Present Appearance. The Hermitage is open to the public. The house and grounds are in excellent condition, and the mansion is furnished with a wealth of Jackson's possessions. Most of the original outbuildings remain, and on the grounds are a small museum and log lodge, used by the Ladies' Hermitage Association, as well as the tomb of President and Mrs. Jackson.

NHL Designation: 12/19/60