Forrest Annual Event Supports Restoration Of Forrest’s Boyhood Home

Somehow, and I say this with all due respect to Forrest, I can't bring myself to write a check for this.

I'm not going to argue with those who do want to fund it (I don't think its a big deal, but I don't think its a bad idea).

I think a good Forrest museum that really did show the truth of Forrest (with both areas to applaud and areas to hiss at) and not Forrest The Greatest Man Tennessee Has Ever Known would be a very good thing, however. So if this is part of such, that's considerably more tempting.
 
They're gonna miss your $.02

My secret is out. You revealed my Scots heritage.

Wait, what?

I still want to know why this is important enough to justify funding it, however. What will preserving his boyhood home do that furthers anything we (students of the Civil War in general) should care about?

I'm sure there's an answer, or I wouldn't ask, but I don't know what that answer is. There have to be other things seeking funding too.

So as stated, while I don't think this is a bad idea and won't argue with anyone who does want to send a check (anyone here doing so?), I don't think this is really that important, either.
 
Any two cents will be greatly appreciated and is more than welcome. We take yankee dollars, too. I've worked on this complex for the last ten years and hope to continue. It is owned entirely by the SCV and is therefore a private facility. The house and barn are perhaps 90 percent restored. Interior work is ongoing. We have improved access, parking, perimeter fencing, planting and have built "period" equipment building and a separate restroom building since this project began as well as electricity for those structures. This is an example of a frontier residence, which it was. The 150 acre farm belonged to Gen. Forrest's grandfather, Shadrack Forrest. We now own about 57 acres. This will become an event center and yes a museum. It's a slow go at $5,000 a year raised from the June event plus a few bucks from the SCV. This is a work of love for about 100 volunteers and a dozen SCV camps from Bristol to Memphis. Folks get married at this site and tour the grounds and house. It is middle Tennessee history. My own wounded great great grandfather from Virginia likely rode through that yard in a wagon on December 18, 1864 under the watchful eye of Bedford Forrest on his way to some of the bloodiest fighting of the war in subzero temperatures. I'll keep working there for a while and continue writing checks. Come on down and check us out (no pun intended). I know the men mentioned in that article. None finer exist.
 
Ellensar, even if it had absolutely no connection to Forrest (on this thread I don't have to say THAT GUY, do I?) a homestead in Tennessee of this age and provenance would be worth restoring. In too many cases we've saved the grand homes and buildings, but the typical, authentic way of life of most of our ancestors are gone forever. I'd kinda like my great-grandkids to be able, at least, to see how the ones who came earlier survived on the frontier--and Larry is right; in the early 1800's, Tennessee was the jumpin' off place for lots of our folks who eventually came farther west.....
 
Ellensar, even if it had absolutely no connection to Forrest (on this thread I don't have to say THAT GUY, do I?) a homestead in Tennessee of this age and provenance would be worth restoring. In too many cases we've saved the grand homes and buildings, but the typical, authentic way of life of most of our ancestors are gone forever. I'd kinda like my great-grandkids to be able, at least, to see how the ones who came earlier survived on the frontier--and Larry is right; in the early 1800's, Tennessee was the jumpin' off place for lots of our folks who eventually came farther west.....

No, this thread is about That Guy, so...

And that is indeed an excellent reason to preserve it. Now I'm seriously considering sending a check, because that kind of historical preservation doesn't happen often enough, regardless of anything about Forrest (and any arguments in favor or against preserving his boyhood in particular).

Time to check the ol' checking account. Thank you and Larry for answering about this.

If nothing else, these guys have my moral support for doing something that ought to be good for all of us. (using "ought to be" because of the people who just don't appreciate history, they ought to but don't.)
 
If you or anyone else get positive results when you check your checking, all surplus discretionary funds will be put to good use by the crew at The Forrest Boyhood Home who typically buy material and then introduce sweat equity. Even I have done it.

Sons of Confederate Veterans
P.O. Box 59
Columbia, TN 38402

Designate any gift to FORREST HOME; they will take it from there.
 
If you or anyone else get positive results when you check your checking, all surplus discretionary funds will be put to good use by the crew at The Forrest Boyhood Home who typically buy material and then introduce sweat equity. Even I have done it.

Sons of Confederate Veterans
P.O. Box 59
Columbia, TN 38402

Designate any gift to FORREST HOME; they will take it from there.

Will take a look and see what I can do. If nothing else, will try to mention it to anyone I know who cares about this sort of thing (preserving history) who might be able to send something.

Out of curiosity, how much longer is this (the restoration) likely to take judging by the work so far?
 
Ellensar, even if it had absolutely no connection to Forrest (on this thread I don't have to say THAT GUY, do I?) a homestead in Tennessee of this age and provenance would be worth restoring. In too many cases we've saved the grand homes and buildings, but the typical, authentic way of life of most of our ancestors are gone forever. I'd kinda like my great-grandkids to be able, at least, to see how the ones who came earlier survived on the frontier--and Larry is right; in the early 1800's, Tennessee was the jumpin' off place for lots of our folks who eventually came farther west.....

Yes the house was built and the farm settled prior to 1820. This was literally the frontier of western settlement. We know a bit about the players and what they did, so this site offers a glimpse of many folks and not only how, but where they lived. Thousands of descendants of the families who settled this area between Franklin and Shelbyville are still roaming the earth. You can bet my grandkids will visit the place before they get much older. (4 and 1-1/2)
 
Will take a look and see what I can do. If nothing else, will try to mention it to anyone I know who cares about this sort of thing (preserving history) who might be able to send something.

Out of curiosity, how much longer is this (the restoration) likely to take judging by the work so far?

The rest of Gene Andrew's life and that of many of us volunteers. A visitor center is still to appear and interior work on the house and barn. Right now it is certainly worth visiting. Caretaker lives on the property and will gladly offer tours.
 
Here's an article I wrote a while back that may shed some more light on the Forrest Home:

The Forrest Boyhood Home should be renamed… Perhaps the Forrest Girlhood Home or simply the Forrest Home? Many of us jump to the conclusion that this place in Marshall County, Tennessee was just the home of Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest. That it was, but only for about three years, until he was a lad of about 13. This small farm was also the home of probably seven Forrest siblings, all the children of William Forrest and Miriam Beck Forrest.

William was a blacksmith, one of the first to enter middle Tennessee. Born in Orange County, North Carolina 6 Jul 1801, he moved with his parents to the Cumberland River valley near Gallatin, Tennessee in 1809 where they remained for about two years before moving to the Duck River area of what was then Bedford County. William married Miriam Beck about 1820, the daughter of Scottish parents who had moved to Caney Springs in 1796 from South Carolina. The young couple made their home briefly in the little community of Chapel Hill near Holts Crossing on the north side of present-day Chapel Hill. It was in this little town that their first children, twins Nathan Bedford and Frances were born 13 July 1821.

The young Forrest family began to grow as William labored in his trade as a smithy. He prospered to the point of being able to purchase the farm on Pyles Road on 1 November 1830 for a payment of $588 to William and Sally Mayfield. [Deed information supplied by Mr. Boots Nix, current caretaker of the home.] There has been speculation that the small cabin in which the twins were born may have also made the trek west and become the one-story room that is the eastern portion of the present building. Further analysis of the logs in the old barn on the property may prove that this barn was built or at least used by William Forrest to operate his blacksmith business or at least shelter some horses. It’s obvious from the very firm soil around the Forrest Home that farming would have been a secondary occupation at best. Caney Creek, a large stream a couple of miles south was completely dry during the weekend of the June 2007 fundraiser. Crops or large herds of animals would have suffered in this climate.

Daughter Frances Forrest, twin of the Lt. General, died in 1841 in Mississippi. She claimed her girlhood home for about 3 years, same as the General’s claim for boyhood residence!

Son John Forrest arrived in 1822. He was to later serve his nation in the Mexican war where he was wounded and paralyzed in his legs. He became a gambler in Memphis and worked as a jailer and clerked for his brother Bedford. His claim to the Pyles Road residence as his boyhood home was also three years. John Forrest died in 1876.

Son William Hezekiah Forrest arrived in this world in 1825, hence his claim to three years at the boyhood home as well. William as an adult ran slave businesses in St. Louis and Vicksburg, buying slaves from brother Aaron before resale. Their company was called Forrest and Maples. William had a home in Memphis and joined the Confederate Army 13 Jul 1861, rising to the rank of Captain. He was wounded 30 Apr 1863 in a charge against Col. Abel D. Streight at the battle of Sand Mountain in Days Gap, Alabama. William died in 1871.
 
I agree that this restoration is important for those very reasons - the Forrests were part of that migration from North Carolina and Virginia that filled up states like Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, and were among the first families into Tennessee after the Indian cessions. (No hard feelings!) It's amazing the old house is even there. I saw a picture of it in Mathes bio of Forrest - it looked like one more winter would make it firewood and that was 1888! And, of all the Forrest homes, it's the only one left. The house on Adams Street was torn down, the one in Salem was burned by Sherman, the one in Hernando was burned by some Unionist guerrillas, the one at the undeveloped plantation of Roderick was worse than the slave cabins and fell down of its own, the one from Green Grove was bought by Forrest from the people who then owned his plantation and brought to President's Island - it was just a couple nice log cabins held together by a breezeway - and it burned down. So, all in all, it's more than surprising this home is even around! I'll be opening my pocketbook for this particular enterprise sometime soon, and not just because I'm Forrest's number one fan - OW! Ok, Nathanb1, number two...

Larry, has anyone done an archaeological survey of the property and house? I know they've worked on Jeb Stuart's old family home, which burned up, but they did find a few things that could be directly connected to Stuart because of their mention in letters and diaries. (One was an interesting little child's soap bubble pipe - somehow that fits perfectly!) There's also a dig at Grant's father-in-law's old farm, which is yielding some pretty interesting stuff. I just wondered if this had been done with the old Forrest home - I know many different families lived there but it would be very neat if something turned up that could be connected directly with Forrest or his people. It would be fascinating just to see how they lived there in that day and time. Archaeology teams don't come cheap - I've worked with several on tribal sites - but maybe some extra money could go toward it if none is set aside as yet?

Have they gotten to the outbuildings? The last pictures I saw it seemed there had been a good deal more work done very recently but I didn't see anything about those.
 
Larry: Very nice article. I would second "Forrest Home", myself, if my opinion is ever asked.

Sadly, I am a bit cash strapped, but if not now, sending a check latter will do.
 
I agree that this restoration is important for those very reasons - the Forrests were part of that migration from North Carolina and Virginia that filled up states like Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, and were among the first families into Tennessee after the Indian cessions. (No hard feelings!) It's amazing the old house is even there. I saw a picture of it in Mathes bio of Forrest - it looked like one more winter would make it firewood and that was 1888! And, of all the Forrest homes, it's the only one left. The house on Adams Street was torn down, the one in Salem was burned by Sherman, the one in Hernando was burned by some Unionist guerrillas, the one at the undeveloped plantation of Roderick was worse than the slave cabins and fell down of its own, the one from Green Grove was bought by Forrest from the people who then owned his plantation and brought to President's Island - it was just a couple nice log cabins held together by a breezeway - and it burned down. So, all in all, it's more than surprising this home is even around! I'll be opening my pocketbook for this particular enterprise sometime soon, and not just because I'm Forrest's number one fan - OW! Ok, Nathanb1, number two...

Larry, has anyone done an archaeological survey of the property and house? I know they've worked on Jeb Stuart's old family home, which burned up, but they did find a few things that could be directly connected to Stuart because of their mention in letters and diaries. (One was an interesting little child's soap bubble pipe - somehow that fits perfectly!) There's also a dig at Grant's father-in-law's old farm, which is yielding some pretty interesting stuff. I just wondered if this had been done with the old Forrest home - I know many different families lived there but it would be very neat if something turned up that could be connected directly with Forrest or his people. It would be fascinating just to see how they lived there in that day and time. Archaeology teams don't come cheap - I've worked with several on tribal sites - but maybe some extra money could go toward it if none is set aside as yet?

Have they gotten to the outbuildings? The last pictures I saw it seemed there had been a good deal more work done very recently but I didn't see anything about those.

As you noted, this article was focused more on the people than on the place. When you visit, and I hope you will soon, you'll discover that one of the wonders of this part of Marshall County is that God put the grass mightly close to solid limestone. There is between 0" and 3" of soil left on the parts of the property that arent' still heavily wooded. Not a great place to bury much of anything. The site as you might imagine has been scoured by watchful eyes for the last 15 years and less intently for decades prior to that. There are some metal remnants of pieces of various artifacts that may have belonged to William Forrest, but that would be a stretch perhaps because of his short stay here. As you saw, the kids were small and these were poor folks economically speaking. A college advisor once told me I was poor. I had never even considered that before, having lived on a farm with my parents and grandparents. We had little cash, but otherwise, wealth in abundance. Folks living with William Forrest would have felt much the same way. Because of the link to the SCV several folks have offered contributions to the museum. A lady brought one of his plates, for instance, to a Sam Davis Camp meeting last winter. The only outbuilding that remained on the property is the barn which has recently been raised so that we could install footings under the logs which are in very good condition after nearly 200 years. We stripped the badly deteriorated side sheds and built a new one at the same general location on one end. The photos are in my brothers Forrest thread in the other forum. The log portion of the house on the north end is believed to have been built on the site with the south end being relocated from Chapel Hill by William Forrest to help with his large family. There was a dogtrot between the two which will become the initial museum space. It is now enclosed and secured. This is not a strict architectural restoration, though on this budget, it is proceeding remarkably well. The folks who visit here never complain about details. They're looking for the man who rode from here into legend. We're trying to help in that search.
 
Larry: Very nice article. I would second "Forrest Home", myself, if my opinion is ever asked.

Sadly, I am a bit cash strapped, but if not now, sending a check latter will do.

I'll put you on the consultant list. Please stay by the phone until you receive the call. (Yes you can leave occasionally if it's important.) Cash strapped I understand. That's why I go down and pull barbed wire out of trees and even drive nails on occasions. I also give advice, having learned the skill from my wife. Sometimes they take it; sometimes they don't. That's life. There is a donation box near the front entry which gets a little cash from time to time. Checks or wadded up dollar bills will always be accepted with considerable gratitude at anytime. Lots of folks smile when they'e doing it.
 
Okay, I'm getting weepy again and have to go to play practice (how many teenagers will show up on the last Sunday of Spring Break? We should start a pool on THAT!), so I'll just bump this and suggest long-time and new members read it and then migrate to the Larry Cockerham memorial page for instructions on how to contribute in his memory. Re-reading this should get us all into the spirit, for sure. If I can figure out how to take two trips to Tennessee this summer, I'll be there. :smile:
 
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