Riverwood
National Register of Historic Places

Riverwood

Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
Listed
July 19, 1977
Type
Building
Period
Modern
Ref No.
77001264

About this property

Riverwood is a privately owned historic house located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. At 9,200 square-feet it sits on 8 acres of its original 2,500 acres. It has been a wedding and event facility since 1997. The mansion is located at 1833 Welcome Lane in Nashville, Tennessee. About 1795, Phillip Philips (1730–1797) and Susannah Phillips (1749–1805) purchased the land and commenced constructing their home. This home was constructed less than 2 decades after the founding of Nashville. He was a land speculator and built a fortune. Originally, they owned about 2,500 acres. After Phillp’s death, Susannah remained on the farm and managed it until her death. The rear wing was built by Alexander Porter, an Irish immigrant who came to Nashville in the mid-1790s. He originally named it Tammany Woods after his family home in Ireland. By the 1820s, he built a two-story Federal-style home a few feet away from the rear wing. In 1850, a third story was added, alongside a Greek Revival portico supported by six ”Tower of the Winds” Corinthian columns. Guests included President Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) and his wife Rachel Jackson (1767–1828), who was an aunt to Alexander's son's wife. In 1859, Judge William Frierson Cooper (1820–1909), a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court, purchased the property. He renamed it Riverwood as it was by the Cumberland River. His brothers and their wives lived in the house with him. In the 1880s and 1890s, plumbing and electricity were added. The dining room was also extended, and the two houses were united. After his death in 1909, his brother Duncan Brown Cooper inherited the property. When Cooper died in 1922, his daughter Sarah and her husband Dr. Lucius E. Burch, a Dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, inherited the house. They had a son, Lucius E. Burch, Jr. Their annual Christmas Dinner was attended by the Nashville elite. Robert Penn Warren spent a summer in one of their cottages during his stay at Vanderbilt University. Presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk (1795–1849), Franklin Pierce (1804–1869), Andrew Johnson (1808–1875), Grover Cleveland (1837–1908), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and William Howard Taft (1857–1930) and Vice President Adlai Stevenson I (1835–1914) visited the house. The Burches lived in it until 1975. The property was purchased by Joe and Jackie Glynn in 1994. Over the next three years, the Glynns restored the property and opened the property to facilitate weddings and small events in 1997. In June 2015, the Glynn's sold the property to investors Debbie Sutton, Steven R Shelton, and Matt Wilson.

Location

1833 Welcome Lane
Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
36.20006, -86.71013

Categories

POLITICS/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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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Miller, Dr. Cleo, House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Weakley-Truett-Clark House
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1 mi
Grand Ole Opry House
Civil War
1.1 mi
Two Rivers (Additional Documentation)
Early Republic
1.9 mi
Home for Aged Masons
Industrial
2 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Nashville (Confederate probe December 1864)
1864Civil War
4.7 mi
Battle of Nashville — Day Two Assault
1864Civil War
4.7 mi
Battle of Nashville – First Day Dec 15
1864Civil War
4.7 mi
Battle of Nashville — Day 1 (December 15)
1864Civil War
4.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Riverwood listed on the National Register?

Riverwood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 1977.

What type of historic resource is Riverwood?

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

What is the period of significance for Riverwood?

The period of significance for Riverwood is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 1997.

Can I research the history near Riverwood?

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