Rock Castle (Hendersonville, Tennessee) - Mansion and Grounds

Mansion and Grounds

In 1788, Daniel Smith (surveyor) acquired 4,722 acres (1,911 ha) of land in Sumner County, Tennessee along the Cumberland River and Drake’s Creek. This was added to his land grant from North Carolina for his services to the Revolutionary War. This made a total of 3,140 acres (1,270 ha) for Senator Dan Smith. Polly, Daniel and Sarah’s daughter, received 151 acres (61 ha) at the death of her father. Sarah received the land below this, in the amount of 1,510 acres (610 ha). The rest of the land, including the mansion went to the son, George Smith. Over time, land was sold off for newer housing. Now, 18 acres (7.3 ha) adjoin the mansion.

The mansion was originally located near a stream that is no longer there. There were many slave cabins, a springhouse, and a smoke house. When Old Hickory Lake was created in 1954, submerged most of the area behind the house. The Smoke house was raised to accommodate the dirt being brought in to keep the waters at bay. The new blocks are easily visible against the old blocks. Other buildings included the carriage house and barns.

The mansion was built in three sections over ten to twelve years. The mansion was completed in 1784 by quarrying the rocks on site. The initial home was three stories, of which the kitchen maintained the bottom floor, the second floor was the bedroom, and the top floor was an attic. All family members stayed in this one bedroom. The stone created a fireproof “castle” that protected the family from cooking and Indian raid fires. The second edition was also three stories. The bottom is a basement, the second story is the dining room, and the third is a room that originally held four dormers, but currently has none. There is no evidence of what the room was originally used as. The wood over and around the fireplace is black-maple that was taken from the grounds. The third edition was the front of the house, and the most formal. This is where the master bedroom is, downstairs, of which may have been a retiring room initially. It also contains Daniel’s office, of which are the original walls, where they used faux painting. The upstairs contains George’s bedroom and another room, of which the original use is unknown. The mansion house was finally created in what would be called the earliest known version of Federal Style housing in Tennessee. However, the son, George, or George’s son Harry, added the front porch, which changed the style to Greek revival, perhaps because of the style of his time.There are a total of eight rooms that were lived in within the mansion.

Items that could not be made on the grounds were sent for from the East. These included glass for the windows, hinges, and nails. The cement used between the blocks was of lime mortar and sand. The stones were placed in a “length-wise and width-wise alternately… Flemish bond pattern.” The roof was originally smooth-pine shingles, and a white fence surrounded the house, with a concrete horse-mounting block at the entrance.The fence is original to the house, with the exception of timely maintenance.

Smith Hansborough, who appears to have been Daniel’s nephew, did the work on the building. He may also have been the overseer, because in one of his letters to Daniel, not only did he inform the owner of how progress on the house was going, but he also asked where the wheat for the year was to be sewn. This perhaps could indicate that Daniel was the one in charge of the building of house even though he was away.

There was also an herb garden and peach orchard on the grounds. The Smith’s were locally famous for their peach brandy, which was sold at five shillings per gallon. Other herbs in the garden were grown for enjoyment and medicinal purposes. Since Daniel Smith had training in the medical field, his gardens would surely have been productive. Herbs that were grown may have included rosemary and mint, which helps in digestion and depression. Another may have been the damask rose, which was considered the queen of flowers. It was used for perfumes, used to burn, and for flavoring. The main farm grew wheat and cotton.