Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27
RELICS OF GEN. JACKSON.
Preserved at the Hermitage, His Old
Home

Home.
Nashville Corr New Orleans Times Democrat.
The Hermitage, the old home OF General
Andrew jackson, near here, has, through
the efforts of the Ladies' Hermitage Asso-
citation. been almost restored to the condi-
ton it was in at the time of the death of
General jackson. In 1856 the state of Ten
nessee purchased from Andrew jackson, jr.,
for $4,000 the Hermitage farm, which
then consisted Of 800 acres Of land, and it
was intended to offer 1t to the United States
government for q branch Of West Point
Academy, but the civil war prevented the
contamination of these plans. In 1889 the
state legislature Of Tennessee conveyed to
the Ladies' Hermitage Association, through
a board of trustees, the house, tomb all
outhouses and twenty-five acres of land to
preserve. beautify and adorn, throughout
all coming years, in a manner most bef1tting
the memory Of that great man and COM
mensurate with the gratitude OF his coun-
trymen."
The association has put forth untiring eff
forts to raise the funds necessary to pur-
chase the furniture and relics that were in
the house at the time Of General Jackson's
DEATH 1t has inaugurated all kinds OF en-
terprtses, lectures, balls. concerts, theatre
calls, etc, anything that would net money
to its treasury. The work of sustentation
is aided by the states appropriation Of $50
q month, which pays the curator and does
some little repair work. The association
has succeeded in putting the place in its
present good condition and in replacing
those pieces of relic furniture now to be
seen in the house, and it Is it's cherished
plan to purchase all the relics and furni-
ture and rehabilitate the house as it was
in JackSon'S life.
The original Hermitage was built in 1904
1t was made of logs. and part of it is still
standing. Aaron Burr made his famous
visit to the Hermitage In 1905, and was en-
tertained in this log house. General jack
son was living in the log house when the
battle Of New Orleans was fought, in 1915,
and returned to this humble home the con-
quering hero and idol Of the nation. The
present site was selected and built upon in
1919 and was Of brick made on the place
Lafayette was entertained there in 1925.
This house was burned In 1885 and rebuilt
in 1896 upon the same foundation as it now
stands. General Jackson died in 1845, at
the age of seventy-eight years, and was
buried by the side of his wife in the tomb
in the garden.
In 1909 Andrew Jackson and his wife
adopted the infant son of Severn Donelson,
a brother of Mrs. Jackson, and named him
Andrew Jackson, jr., and he bore the name
and became the heir to all the estates. His
son. Colonel Andrew Jackson, after serv-
ing CALAMITY as colonel of artillery in the
confederate army returned to the Hermit
tage and lived with his mother until the
time of her death, and by her will Inherited
the household furniture, memontOeS and
relics of the old hero. 1t was from Colonel
jackson that the Ladies' Hermitage Asso-
citation purchased most of the relics
The Hermitage is built IN the old colonial
style of architecture, with large verandas
in front and rear, wide hallway, with
double rooms on either ode, and wings sup
plementing these The rooms are large
and spacious, and are eleven In number, be-
sides pantry storeroom. kitchen, cellar, etc
On entering the hall. which is large and
commodious, one notes at first glance the
pictorial wallpaper, which was ordered by
General Jackson from Paris France, when
the house was rebuilt IN 1886. It came by
way of New Orleans MP the Mississippi and
Cumberland rivers. It represents the
legend of Telemachus, and Is that part Of
the story of the landing OF Ulysses on the
Island of Calypso.
Although Colonel Jackson still has many
valuable curfos that belonged to the ''old
hero" the Ladies' Hermitage Association
has succeeded In acquiring. either by pur-
chase or presentation, no less than 172
separate and distinct relics varying in size
and value from the celebrated Decatur SILL
yer service, that General jackson purchased
from the widow of Commodore Decatur.
down to a brass fender that had no value
whatever, except that it was once the prop
erty of the general