Sunnyside in Sevier Park

The story behind Sevier Park doesn’t start with the Civil War—no it dates back to the Revolutionary War! On July 10, 1788, before Tennessee was a state, North Carolina granted Thomas Hardiman 640 acres for his service in the Revolutionary War. He settled the land and built several structures including a log cabin.

The Sunnyside Mansion you see today, stands as an example of Nashville’s antebellum past, but it also played a role in the Civil War. The home of Mary Childress Benton, this Greek Revival structure was completed in 1852. Mary was the first cousin of Sarah Childress Polk, the wife of President James K. Polk. During the Civil War, the Benton family fled Sunnyside. Shortly after, James Schute purchased the property for his daughter, one of Mary’s relatives, Mrs. Stephen W. Childress. The new occupants were Confederate sympathizers and renamed Sunnyside “Lee Monte” to honor Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Sunnyside stood between the Union and Confederate lines during the Battle of Nashville. The mansion sustained significant damage as artillery rained down from both sides. Following the battle, the mansion was used to treat Confederate soldiers. Sunnyside was later restored, and the wings of the house added in the 1920s by Granville Sevier, for whom Sevier Park is named. After his death in 1945, Granville’s heirs sold the property to the city of Nashville.

This historic mansion now houses the metro agency tasked with protecting and preserving Nashville’s history—the Nashville Historical Foundation and Metro Historic Zoning Commission. While you’re here enjoy Sevier Park with a walk or picnic. Restrooms are available at the community center. 

Fun fact: During Sunnyside’s construction, Mary Childress Benton lived in a c. 1820 cabin on the property. She loved the cabin so much that it was incorporated into the house, which still stands today as the bottom floor of the rear portion! Sunnyside is undergoing a major restoration that will connect the main house with the rear ell, which includes the 1820 log cabin. The projected completion date is 2024.

There’s a lot of Civil War history connected to this area, and we hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this history first-hand. But our tour only captures part of the Civil War story in Middle Tennessee. We encourage you to head south, to Murfreesboro in Rutherford County to learn more about the Battle of Stones River, Fortress Rosecrans, Oaklands Mansion, and the Sam Davis Home, or to Franklin in Williamson County, where you will find the Carter House and Carter Gin Site, Carnton Plantation, Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, Winstead Hill, Fort Granger, and the Lotz House Museum. You can also explore more sites across Davidson County, at Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery, the Nashville National Cemetery, Confederate powder-grinding wheels and the Union fortifications at Centennial Park. Visit www.battlefields.org and search “Nashville” to see all Civil War sites in Middle Tennessee.

Congratulations! You’ve completed your tour on Nashville Sites. If you’d like to head back downtown, turn RIGHT onto 12th Avenue South from Sevier Park. Be sure to check out our other tours, tag us @NashvilleSites on social media, and look for the yellow “Donate” button at the top of your screen. Thank you for using Nashville Sites, this is Myers Brown signing off!