Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site

This is the site where we attended the Civil War re-enactment a few weeks ago. It’s a pretty spot with several historic buildings

The Tipton-Haynes site represents various periods of Tennessee history, from pre-colonial times to Reconstruction. An ancient buffalo trail ran near the site of the “bold spring,” and the grounds were frequented successively by the Woodland Indians, the Cherokees, European explorers and traders.

The site was later inhabited by Colonel John Tipton, a former member of the Territorial Assembly, U.S. Territory South of the River Ohio, who built a substantial log house in 1784. His career embraced the controversial State of Franklin and early Tennessee statehood. Tipton was also a member of the Tennessee legislature and a signer and a framer of the first Tennessee Constitution. In an area including this site, the Battle of Franklin was fought in 1788, the only armed skirmish between supporters of the proposed state and their opponents, who were loyal to North Carolina. John Tipton, Jr. inherited the home in 1813. He served in the Tennessee General Assembly from 1803 to 1819, and was lieutenant governor and president of the senate for the last of these sessions.

In 1839, the estate was given as a wedding present to Landon Carter Haynes, who had the home enlarged and renovated. He also built a free-standing office building, where he practiced law. He served in the state legislature (1845-51), and was Speaker of the House in 1849. From 1846 to 1849, Haynes was editor of his brother-in-law’s paper, The Tennessee Sentinel, which opposed the views of The Whig, edited by William G. Brownlow, a personal and political antagonist. Haynes is chiefly remembered for his sponsorship of railroad-building and for his brilliant oratorical skills. A states’ rights advocate, Haynes served as a Confederate Senator. Arrested after the Civil War and pardoned by President Andrew Johnson, Haynes moved to Memphis, where he died in 1875. Today the site is managed and operated by the Tipton-Haynes Historical Association.

The French botanist André Michaux was a guest in this house during one of his many expeditions in eastern North America. You can read about the people involved in the history of this site HERE.

There is a lovely wooden frame home, the small office built by Landon Carter Haynes right next to the house, a log cabin, barns, well house, and another small cabin near the well house. Inside the visitors center is a small museum area. In total there are 45 acres on the site with a small cave and walking trails. A nice afternoon outing!

 

This is the spring and spring house…

Cave entrance

 

    

These two pictures above are of the inside of the log home. I posted a pic of the outside with a solider sitting on the porch in the re-enactment post.