We Visited a President’s House!

We visited a President’s house during our recent visit to Tennessee – the Hermitage!

Contrary to what many people on social media seem to believe, all of the former presidents do not reside in the White House with the current President. No presidential parties, no sleepovers, no huge banquets. Former presidents go home to their own houses once their term is up.

We visited former President Andrew Jackson’s – The Hermitage. And, let’s just say, it did not disappoint.

We had an amazing tour guide, Keith. Not only did he give us the full history of this beautiful estate, he did so with a fantastic sense of humor and heaping serving of southern hospitality.

Jackson and his wife, Rachel, lived in an earlier version of the home before he became President. Several changes were made to the property before it reached its final state.

Before we get into the specifics of our visit, I want to clarify that we got to see and do a few special things because we were on the VIP tour. I’m married to a history teacher. Of course he upgraded our tour of a former President’s house.

Andrew Jackson – U.S. President, General, and Budget Decorator Extraordinaire

First, and foremost whether or not you are a fan of President Jackson, the man was way ahead of his time when it came to decorating hacks…or maybe he was just cheap. Either way you have to give him credit for building a mansion worthy of a former President on a budget.

Jackson was, let’s say, money conscious. He lived his life debt free and was determined that our country would do the same. He was actually the last President to pay our national debt in full. Crazy, huh?

So, how did this thrifty attitude impact the Hermitage? I’m glad you asked!

The beautiful front doors? Definitely not the expensive wood you think. They are actually tupelo-poplar wood covered in an expensive looking veneer.
The marble baseboards throughout the home? Not actual marble. They were made from wood covered in a thin coating of marble.
And, the concrete corinthian columns that line the veranda? Well, they are hollow wooden structures covered in a thin layer of “concrete-like” material.
Jackson was also known to tear down old structures and repurpose their materials.

Is any of this apparent to someone just walking through this presidential abode? Not at all. However, Andrew Jackson saved thousands of dollars when building the home.

A Small Splurge

President Jackson did splurge on one decorating choice. He opted for a very special French wallpaper. The story of Telemachus is depicted in various scenes throughout the home’s entry and the upstairs hall. Jackson chose this paper because he found the story inspirational.

It’s All in the Name

The name of the house, The Hermitage, simply meant a rural retreat. When the name originally began to circulate it was meant to be pronounced with a French accent. However, the southern accent that was ever present in Tennessee won the battle and we ended up with the pronunciation we have today.

Interesting Fact

A couple of years ago, when a big tornado passed through Nashville, a group of people were touring the Hermitage. In order to keep everyone safe during the dangerous weather event, the group was escorted to the home’s underground storage cellar.

A Love Story for the Ages

Before he became President of the United States, Andrew Jackson was a man on a mission. His goal – to marry Rachel Donelson.

Simple, right? Not exactly.

You see, Rachel was a divorcee. Something that was considered scandalous at the time, even though she was mistreated by her former husband. Marrying a divorced woman was simply unheard of.

Jackson didn’t care, though. He was a man in love.

Despite the controversy, Jackson and Donelson did marry.

Jackson’s political enemies tormented his wife for years. They spread rumors, spoke viciously to her face, and generally smeared her reputation.

Unfortunately, the political agenda to verbally degrade Rachel Jackson worked. She passed away after Jackson was elected as President and before his Inauguration. Andrew Jackson buried his wife on Christmas Eve. He blamed the harsh treatment by his political adversaries for her death.

President Jackson spent a large sum of money on Rachel’s burial. She is buried alongside the former President in the garden of the Hermitage. The graves lie under a beautiful copper domed structure.

A beautiful burial site was important to Jackson because his mother had been buried in an unmarked grave when he was young. He was never able to find the grave and regretted not being able to properly grieve his mother. He did not want the same to happen to the woman he loved.