A Historic Tennessee Estate Heading to Auction Comes With a 19th-Century Log Cabin
- Bobbi Clemens and Mark Tacchi purchased an abandoned 19th-century estate in Brentwood, Nashville for $1.4 million and fully restored it, now listed for auction starting at $3 million.
Back in 2021, San Francisco transplants Bobbi Clemens and Mark Tacchi doled out $1.4 million for an abandoned 19th-century estate in the affluent Brentwood suburb of Nashville that was just days away from being bulldozed. The couple, who had previously restored an 1800s Victorian and a multi-unit Edwardian building in their former hometown, set out to fully restore their newly acquired five-acre spread, which includes a Greek Revival home, a rustic log cabin, and a massive barn that's ideal for auto aficionados.
Completed earlier this year, the reimagined and expanded property known as the Owen-Primm House first hit the market in March for $9.2 million with Susan Gregory of Onward Real Estate and Tim Mast of Tranzon Asset Advisors. The price was subsequently reduced to $8.8 million, but with no takers, the place is now slated to go under the gavel later this month. Interluxe Auctions is heading up the online sale, with bids starting at $3 million.
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The fireside living room's row of French doors spills out to a covered patio hosting an outdoor kitchen.
Tucked away behind gates off Moores Lane Road, the old log cabin on the site was originally crafted by a wealthy physician named Jabez Owen in the early 1800s. Dairy farmer Thomas Perkins Primm reportedly came along sometime around 1846 and added the Greek Revival home to the land, with the entire compound named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
A lengthy gravel driveway travels through a porte-cochère off to the side of the white wood-sided and red-roof primary dwelling before emptying at a motor court with four garage bays. Back in front, the original portion of the house with its soaring columned portico and front porch entry has been updated to seamlessly blend with a new modern addition at the rear. Six bedrooms and 10 baths are filtered across roughly 11,700 square feet, all of it adorned with antique heart pine floors, wavy glass windows, period fixtures, designer lighting, and numerous fireplaces, along with modern conveniences like smart-home technology and an elevator.
A kitchenette off the family room has a folding window that opens to a service bar alongside the pool.
A double-height foyer displaying a curving floating staircase and pastoral-themed mural flows to a formal dining room on one side and a green-hued office on the other. A wide doorway leads to the recent addition, which is spotlighted by a two-sided glass wine closet and a fireside living room sporting a wall of French doors opening out to a covered terrace with an outdoor kitchen. A casual dining area connects to the kitchen, which is outfitted with custom sage cabinetry, Carrara marble countertops, an eat-in island, and a La Cornue range. There's also a secondary prep kitchen.
Other main-level highlights include a secluded primary suite, which features a mini-bar on the way to the vaulted bedroom flaunting a fireplace, a bay-windowed sitting area, and an inviting bath holding an ebony soaking tub and a walk-in shower. A light-filled gallery hallway in the rear of the home travels to another en suite bedroom, which has a vintage-style bath with a clawfoot soaking tub.
A rustic log cabin on the property dates to the early 1800s.
Finishing the downstairs is a family room boasting a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, a dining area, and a kitchenette that has a folding window opening to a serving bar beside the backyard's saltwater pool and spa. And rounding it all off is the upper level, which has a wet bar-equipped lounge that could ideally be used as a media room, four additional bedrooms, another office, and access to a covered front balcony.
Ancillary structures include the original two-story log cabin with a beamed ceiling, a brick fireplace, and spiral stairs heading up to a loft, as well as the completely rebuilt red and white barn, which clocks in at over 6,000 square feet and is ideal for large events or for storing and displaying a collection of luxury vehicles.
The rebuilt bar has plenty of room to house a luxury car collection.
Per the seller, the preservation project was a way to give back to the community she has grown to love. "The Primm House is a Brentwood landmark and was too important of a property to be torn down," Clemens said in a statement. "I hope the person that wins the bid will appreciate the history of the property just as much as they appreciate the modern finishes created."
Previews begin Aug. 22, with the auction set for Aug. 25 at 9 a.m. (central daylight time).
Click here for more photos of the historic Brentwood residence.
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