Nashville and Middle Tennessee certainly has its share of historic homes. Many are open to the public, while others quietly go about maintaining their place in history. At 4000 Franklin Road in Nashville, huge magnolia trees surround the entrance to one of Nashville’s lesser-known treasures, the Glen Leven Estate.
On the morning of January 23rd, members of neighboring Glen Leven Presbyterian Church heard strange sounds coming from the vicinity of the old home. Those sounds were smoke detectors, set off from a fire burning inside.
Here is the initial story: http://www.newschannel5.com/story/13892819/historic-glen-leven-home-goes-up-in-flames
Although the structure did receive significant damage, all is not lost. Thank goodness those initial accounts turned out to be exaggerated. Here is the official statement from the owners, The Tennessee Land Trust:
“The fire was contained to a hallway in the caretaker’s residence at the back of the structure, and the vast majority of the 1857 National Register of Historic Places home was not damaged by fire.” Read the full story here:
Glen Leven was built in 1857 by Thomas & Mary Thompson, whom Thompson Lane is named for. The home was used as a Federal hospital during the Battle of Nashville and has remained in the family until 2006, when Susan McConnell West passed and left the estate to the Land Trust of Tennessee. Surrounding this stately home is 65 acres of undisturbed, unexcavated Civil War battlefield. You can read the full history of Glen Leven here:
http://www.landtrusttn.org/glenleven.html
The next time you are riding down Franklin Road in Oak Hill, slow down for a glimpse of this historical landmark. In the meantime, you may like to check out these other links of interest on Glen Leven:
http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=13892301
http://oakhillgazette.blogspot.com/2008/01/blog-post.html
http://www.landtrusttn.org/glenleven.html
http://www.bonps.org/glen_leven.htm
Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, www.OleSouth.com, 615.896.0019 direct 615.593.6340. Specializing in new home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee
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