Dixona
National Register of Historic Places

Dixona

Dixon Springs, Smith County, Tennessee
Listed
July 4, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
73001832

About this property

Dixona is a historic house in Smith County, Tennessee, near Dixon Springs. It is one of the oldest homes in Middle Tennessee. The house was built in 1787–88 by Tilman Dixon, a Revolutionary War soldier who was Dixon Springs' first settler and namesake. His land holdings, received as a Revolutionary War land grant, totaled 3,840 acres (1,550 ha). In 1797, Louis Philippe, then Duke of Orleans and later King of France, stayed in Dixona together with his brothers, the Duke of Montpensier and Count of Beaujolais, during their travels in America. The house was Smith County's first tavern and post office, and in 1799, it was the site for the first county court meeting. The original house was an eight-room log building. A major expansion in 1858 added a pair of Italianate brick wings and Greek Revival-style porches with columns, converting it to a two-story "piano box" and increasing its size to more than 4,500 square feet (420 m2). The original log structure still forms the core of the house. Dixona was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Since 2007, Dixona Farm, the 148-acre (60 ha) tract on which Dixona is located, has been protected by a conservation easement held by the Land Trust for Tennessee.

Location

Dixon Springs, Smith County, Tennessee
36.36214, -86.05948

Categories

COMMERCEMILITARYEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
Sources

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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This page lists Dixona. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Bradley, James, House
Industrial
1.6 mi
DeBow, James R., House (Additional Documentation)
Industrial
3.8 mi
Turney-Hutchins House
Industrial
5.6 mi
Averitt-Herod House
Industrial
5.7 mi
Hartsville Historic District
Listed
6.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Hartsville
1862Civil War
6 mi
Morgan's Second Kentucky Raid (Hartsville Fight)
1862Civil War
6.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Dixona listed on the National Register?

Dixona was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 4, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Dixona?

Dixona is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Dixona?

The period of significance for Dixona is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1787.

Can I research the history near Dixona?

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