Random Things About Andrew Jackson's Plantation, Hermitage (13 items)

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  (#5) The Hermitage Was Full Of The Adopted Children Of The Jacksons

  The Jacksons didn't have any biological children, but they still raised a house full of kids. They officially adopted Andrew Jackson Jr. from Rachel's brother; his twin, Thomas Jefferson Donelson, stayed with his parents. The couple also adopted Andrew Jackson Hutchings, whose parents passed when he was very young. 

  The practice of guardianship was very common at that time. A guardian was named by a child's parents so that, in the event of the father's passing, someone could care for the children (even if the mother was still alive). Andrew Jackson was the guardian or adopted father of around eleven children who lived at the Hermitage at least part-time. 
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  (#4) Some Of The Enslaved People Stayed To Work After Slavery Was Abolished

  Some of the enslaved people at the Hermitage saw the chaos of the Civil War as their chance at freedom, escaping to downtown Nashville a few miles away. Others stayed until the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, choosing new last names for themselves before picking up and leaving to start a new life.

  But some chose to stay and were offered positions as tenant farmers; Alfred was one of those. Several other families chose to stay, although records from the time do not include a full list of the inhabitants of the Hermitage. 
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  (#11) Former Staff Believed The Hermitage Was Haunted

  There are many ghost stories about the plantation. In the late 1890s, the Ladies Hermitage Association reportedly grew convinced the place was haunted. They took to staying up at night to witness supernatural phenomena and reportedly saw and heard various apparitions. 

  Along with the ghosts of former servants and enslaved people, the women claimed the spirit of Andrew Jackson himself still rode across the grounds.
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  (#12) The Hermitage Still Raises Cattle And Grows Several Types Of Crops

  In its heyday, the Hermitage produced crops like cotton, hemp, and maybe even tobacco to sell in nearby Nashville. Its location on the Cumberland River provided an easy method of shipping the goods to other nearby cities. 

  Most of the land that the Ladies Hermitage Association owns (about 1,100 acres) is still used for farm production, with cattle raised alongside cotton, corn, and other goods.
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  (#1) In Spite Of Jackson's Policies, A Young Native American Boy Was Once A Resident Of His Home

  Many people think of the Trail of Tears when they remember what they learned about Andrew Jackson in history class. In addition to the forced removal of Native Americans, he also led troops in conflicts that ravaged and devastated entire villages. 

  It was during one such raid in Alabama that Lyncoya was discovered. The infant Creek boy was found in the arms of his fallen mother and brought to Jackson. Jackson took pity on the child; some speculate it was because he himself was orphaned as a young man. Whatever the reason, Jackson brought the little boy back to the Hermitage with him. 

  Lyncoya lived there with the Jackson family until passing from tuberculosis around the age of 17. He was apprenticing as a saddle maker at the time since West Point had denied him entry on account of his race.
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  (#6) The Hermitage Was Untouched During The Civil War

  While other plantation homes in the Nashville area were left scarred by the Civil War, the Hermitage managed to survive intact. The Belle Meade Plantation on the south side of the downtown area was not raided since its owners raised racehorses and not much-needed crops. Other farms in the area were not so lucky.

  It's possible the Hermitage was not touched because it was so far out of the way; it sits miles outside of the Nashville city center, and the Union Army didn't spread too far into the countryside. 

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