talk about how beautiful and historical it is and then deny anyone the chance to see it. The hypocrisy that this is the home of the Tennessee Historical Commission should not be lost. I called and left a message and never heard back but was headed that direction so decided to stop and found the place locked tighter than Fort Knox. There was a sign about the house itself and several signs about the out buildings and how important they were to the plantation--but the outbuildings were also locked. The house is gorgeous and I just wish that a historical commission would deem their historical base historical enough to actually allow folks to visit.

I stopped at the location mainly just to see the architecture of the mansion and read about the history of the property. There is parking on site but it is not for public tours inside. You can walk on the grounds. There are a few signs but mostly just a picture stop.

I found this place on this site looking for places to see while we are in town. Great place to stop. Just sad that I couldn’t go into the building because it is a state building. But the grounds are nice to walk around and they have sign explaining each building. Nice place to stop

But, you can drive around this beautiful mansion and read a little of the history for free and it is in Lebanon Pike just a few miles closer to Nashville from the Hermitage. Certainly worth the little effort it takes to see the house.

Clover Bottom Mansion provides a wonderful glimpse into the lives of the people of Nashville, Tennessee, during the Civil War. Located at 2941 Lebanon Pike, the elegant Italianate-style home was built in 1858 on the Stones River and was the centerpiece of the 1,500-acre Clover Bottom Plantation. It was constructed near Nashville's first horse racing track and was worked by 60 slaves. The interior had French scenic Zuber wallpaper and the parlor had a frescoed ceiling. Clover Bottom was the childhood home of John McCline, whose autobiography Slavery in the Clover Bottoms provides a rare and detailed account of the life of a Davidson County slave prior to and during the early days of the Civil War. The property contains several historic outbuildings, including two former 1858 slave cabins that are among a handful of former slave dwellings remaining in Davidson County, an 1850s carriage house and the 1890s thoroughbred horse barn. Interpretative signs have been installed on the property, over 150 trees of native species have been planted and a talking trail has been added. Today, the mansion is the home of the Tennessee Historical Commission and the State Historic Preservation Office. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours but tours of the office are by appointment only.