"Let Us Give Them Something to Play With": The Preservation of the Hermitage by the Ladies' Hermitage Association

Abstract

Since 1889, Andrew Jackson's Hermitage has been open to the public as a museum thanks to the work of the Ladies' Hermitage Association. However, the story of the Hermitage's preservation is more complicated than just a simple deed of trust given to a group of women who historians have long left standing in Andrew Jackson's historical shadow. The state of Tennessee owned the property for over thirty years, but during that time struggled to define what it meant to preserve the property. Ultimately, it was the support of local women and men that made the difference between the success or failure of preservation work at the Hermitage. These early LHA members did more than preserve an important historical site, they also led the way for women's organizations in the city of Nashville, proving that women had the ability to do much more than just "play" house.