Belair
About this property
Belair is a historic mansion in Nashville, Tennessee. Built as a wedding present for Elizabeth Clay, a Southern belle and heiress to the Belle Meade Plantation in the 1830s, it was once the home of William Nichol, a mayor of Nashville. The mansion is located at 2250 Lebanon Pike in Nashville, the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. The mansion was built in 1832 as a wedding present from John Harding, the owner of the Belle Meade Plantation, to his daughter, Elizabeth and her husband, Joseph Clay. It was designed in the Federal architectural style, with pine and ash-tree wood floors. In 1838, the mansion was purchased by William Nichol, who had served as the mayor of Nashville from 1835 to 1837. He remodeled the house, adding a wing on each side and a winding staircase in the manner of The Hermitage. He also added rosewood doors and silver hardware. Meanwhile, the ceilings are painted with frescoes. When Nichol died in 1878, his widow sold the house. Other past owners include the R. D. Stanford family of Nashville, and the Chitwood-Smith family. The Chitwood family bought the home in 1948. Attorney Harry H. Chitwood had the home added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and also petitioned the city to save the home from destruction when Briley Parkway was built. The home was sold to H. H. Chitwoods grandson (Smith) in 1994. The home was damaged from nearby blasting when Briley Parkway was widened in 1999. As of August 2017, the owners planned to turn the house into a bed & breakfast. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 6, 1971.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Belair listed on the National Register?
Belair was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1971.
What type of historic resource is Belair?
Belair is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Belair?
The period of significance for Belair is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Belair?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Belair will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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An Aubrey US report for an address near Belair will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.