Oaklands Mansion
Oaklands Mansion is a historic house museum in Murfreesboro, TN, in the United States. It is open to the public. Oaklands is a local landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized for its distinctive Italianate style.
The plantation was caught in the middle of the Civil War, and officers from both the Confederate and Union troops resided in the home throughout their respective campaigns. Most notably, Confederate President Jefferson Davis stayed at Oaklands from December 12-15, 1862, escorted by George Washington Custis Lee, son of Confederate General Robert Edward Lee, who served as Davis' personal assistant. Another distinguished visitor was Sarah Childress Polk, former First Lady of the United States, former United States Senator from Tennessee, former nominee for President of the United States by the Constitutional Union Party in 1860, former Confederate General Braxton Bragg, Confederate Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk, Confederate Naval Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury, and Confederate Brigadier-General George Maney.
As part of a raid on Union-occupied Murfreesboro, Confederate cavalrymen under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest were ambushed and beaten by Federal soldiers positioned on the front lawn of the Mansion, near the plantation's spring, and at the Rutherford County Courthouse. Children of Lewis and Adaline Maney were alleged to have stood in the second-floor hallway and observed the battle take place below them. Following the signing of the surrender papers, both troops gathered for a feast of black eyed peas and sweet potatoes to celebrate.
Colonel William Ward Duffield of the 9th Michigan Infantry was seriously wounded and taken by the Confederates within the first few hours of the conflict, and he died as a result. The Maney family took him into their home and nursed him till he recovered. He was taken prisoner by Forrest at noon on the same day, but because of his helplessness at the time, he was freed upon his parole with the stipulation that he not bear arms against the Confederate States until the war was properly exchanged. Mrs. Duffield was a guest in the Maney home for several months while her husband was recovering from his illness. During the Colonel's recuperation, the Duffields and the Maneys grew close and became friends. Upon the conclusion of the war, the Duffields presented the Maneys with a silver tea service as a token of their appreciation for their hospitality and care of the Colonel.
After Rebecca Jetton, the final home owner of Oaklands, was no longer able to keep up with the house, she sold it in the 1950s for a little sum of money. The abandoned estate had been vandalized and was in a state of disarray. It was purchased by the city of Murfreesboro in 1958 with the purpose of demolishing the structure. The Oaklands Association, a group of women who came together to restore the estate to its former splendor, was instrumental in bringing it back to life. After being opened to the public as a museum in the early 1960s, the house has since attracted tens of thousands of visitors each year and is currently utilized for a variety of public and private events.
Stones River National Battlefield
Supreme Heat & Air Conditioning
The plantation was caught in the middle of the Civil War, and officers from both the Confederate and Union troops resided in the home throughout their respective campaigns. Most notably, Confederate President Jefferson Davis stayed at Oaklands from December 12-15, 1862, escorted by George Washington Custis Lee, son of Confederate General Robert Edward Lee, who served as Davis' personal assistant. Another distinguished visitor was Sarah Childress Polk, former First Lady of the United States, former United States Senator from Tennessee, former nominee for President of the United States by the Constitutional Union Party in 1860, former Confederate General Braxton Bragg, Confederate Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk, Confederate Naval Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury, and Confederate Brigadier-General George Maney.
As part of a raid on Union-occupied Murfreesboro, Confederate cavalrymen under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest were ambushed and beaten by Federal soldiers positioned on the front lawn of the Mansion, near the plantation's spring, and at the Rutherford County Courthouse. Children of Lewis and Adaline Maney were alleged to have stood in the second-floor hallway and observed the battle take place below them. Following the signing of the surrender papers, both troops gathered for a feast of black eyed peas and sweet potatoes to celebrate.
Colonel William Ward Duffield of the 9th Michigan Infantry was seriously wounded and taken by the Confederates within the first few hours of the conflict, and he died as a result. The Maney family took him into their home and nursed him till he recovered. He was taken prisoner by Forrest at noon on the same day, but because of his helplessness at the time, he was freed upon his parole with the stipulation that he not bear arms against the Confederate States until the war was properly exchanged. Mrs. Duffield was a guest in the Maney home for several months while her husband was recovering from his illness. During the Colonel's recuperation, the Duffields and the Maneys grew close and became friends. Upon the conclusion of the war, the Duffields presented the Maneys with a silver tea service as a token of their appreciation for their hospitality and care of the Colonel.
After Rebecca Jetton, the final home owner of Oaklands, was no longer able to keep up with the house, she sold it in the 1950s for a little sum of money. The abandoned estate had been vandalized and was in a state of disarray. It was purchased by the city of Murfreesboro in 1958 with the purpose of demolishing the structure. The Oaklands Association, a group of women who came together to restore the estate to its former splendor, was instrumental in bringing it back to life. After being opened to the public as a museum in the early 1960s, the house has since attracted tens of thousands of visitors each year and is currently utilized for a variety of public and private events.
Stones River National Battlefield
Supreme Heat & Air Conditioning
