West Nashville  Founders’ Museum

"We are the advance guard

     of  civilization. . .

 

Our way is across the continent."

--James Robertson  

 

  &

 James Robertson House

This replica of Nashville founder James Robertson’s c.1779-1786 double-log dogtrot house was constructed by the West Nashville Founders’ Museum, Inc., in 1996 during Tennessee’s bicentennial year and dedicated in 1997. It was relocated from the north side to the south side of Metro Nashville’s H. G. Hill Park in 2006 and refurbished in the spring of 2007, with reopening on May 12, 2007.  (Click on link to see a listing of the generous Log Donors ~ Honorees ).  It is located in H. G. Hill Park, 6730 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, Tennessee 37209.  The WNFM hosts tours and community events inside the home by appointment.  Contact WNFM by e-mail at West Nashville Founders' Museum

NEWS: June—August 2007.  “Nashville History Talks” is a new oral history class conducted by WNFM President Yvonne Eaves and Judy Redmond for West Nashville’s Cohn Community Education Program.  The class meets the second and fourth Tuesdays until the end of August (but may continue through autumn) in the Cohn Adult Learning Center, 4805 Park Avenue, behind Richland Park.  Contact Cohn Community Education at (615) 298-8050 or e-mail Yvonne Eaves at Vonn10ec@aol.com

 

 

James Robertson House

May 12, 2007, Reopening

Tennessee District 21 Senator Douglas Henry, Jr., shown with WNFM Treasurer Linda Reed, was the keynote speaker, then cut the ribbon (below) officially reopening the Robertson House.

 

The entire exterior of the Robertson House was cleaned and repaired, with new steps and handicap-railing added to access the dogtrot.  Restoration was accomplished over six weeks, sans water and electrical sources on site, by Nashville’s Commercial Cleaning Systems (CCS).


Jack Walker and J. T. Marlin of CCS were pivotal team members, along with Billy Marlin, who worked six weeks for WNFM to refurbish the Robertson House for the May 12 reopening.

CHICKASAW TREATY OAK

On the Robertson House dogtrot is encased a slice of the historic Chickasaw Treaty Oak, which stood about 300 years on Robertson’s Richland Creek land.  Brass plates recount the story of the Treaty Oak and James “Little Father” Robertson’s long friendship with Chickasaw Mountain Leader Piomingo.  

 

      


WNFM President Yvonne Eaves presided over the May 12 program rededicating the James Robertson House.  Seated left are Life Members Charlotte Anderson and Lillie Rhame.

Co-founders Sarah Kelley and Ralph Cohen were memorialized on May 12

with a pink dogwood and brass marker for Sarah, shown above with Charlotte Anderson, and a white dogwood with brass marker for Ralph, shown below with Cohen family.

 

The interior of the James Robertson House was cleaned and refurbished to reflect the simplicity of the frontier era when Robertson built his first one-room log cabin on Richland Creek. 

 

 

The family room above, east room downstairs, and the overhead bedroom that includes the Robertson bed, display family documents, artifacts, and other period memorabilia.

 

The kitchen, located in the west room downstairs, displays typical household items of the late 1700s and early 1800s.

 

 

 

This slice of the ancient oak was donated to WNFM by Herbert L. Harper in 2005 for display and was  dedicated on May 12, 2007.** In the lower right-hand corner of the case sits a miniature butter-churn created from a slice of the oak c.1960 by the late  H. C. “Buddy” Brehm.

(**Postscript: Early Saturday morning, May 12, Herbert L. Harper suffered a massive stroke at his Franklin home.  He died Monday night, May 14, 2007.)

 

 

 

 

Comments?   Contact WNFM  at  tnflagwaving.gif (8220 bytes)  mailto:wnfoundersmuseum@bellsouth.net

The West Nashville Founders’ Museum, Inc., is a non-profit corporation.  WNFM headquarters are in the Robertson House at 6730 Charlotte Pike (with mailing address of Post Office Box 90207), Nashville, TN 37209.  Membership is welcome, and annual dues are $5.00 per individual, $8.00 per couple, and $10.00 per business.  Officers from 2005 to 2008 are Yvonne Eaves, President; Lucy Daugherty, Vice President; Ilene J. Cornwell, Secretary; and Linda Reed, Treasurer.  Life Members of the Board of Directors are Lillie Hollabaugh Rhame and Charlotte Anderson.  WNFM co-founders Sarah Foster Kelley (1939-2002) and Ralph M. Cohen (1928-2005) remain as Memorial Members.

Website graphics and content copyright © 2002-2007 by West Nashville Founders' Museum, Inc., H. G. Hill Park, 6730 Charlotte Pike (mailing address P. O. Box 90207), Nashville, Tennessee 37209.  Website and links created and maintained by

Ilene J. Cornwell, webmaster    and HTML Writers Guild member.

World Rights Reserved.  Updated: July 1, 2007.