|
History of
Oakslea Place
When Oakslea Place
was built (ca. 1860), it was in a rural area of Madison
County. Jackson, the closest town, was a mile away to the
south, on the banks of the South Fork of the Forked Deer
River. Census records show that in 1860, Madison County’s
population was only 11,440. Oakslea Place was built on
the main northern road out of Jackson and on about ten
acres of land, which was covered in old oak trees. Today,
the city of Jackson has grown several miles beyond Oakslea
Place, leaving the home in the city’s
mid-section. Jackson’s population has grown to more
than 69,000 residents; the county now has 92,000 residents.
Once by itself in the middle of the country, Oakslea Place
today occupies a 1.3 acre plot and is surrounded by neighborhoods
of tree-lined streets with older homes, which were mainly
built in the mid-20th Century. Oakslea Place still sits
on a major artery – U.S. 45/Highland Avenue – that
goes through Jackson.
Throughout its history,
Oakslea Place has been a residence, home to some of Jackson’s
leading citizens. The home first was built in the Greek
Revival style as a one-story, L-shaped residence of frame
construction. Additions to the home (ca.1900), which included
a second story, were in the Colonial Revival style. In
1950, a sunroom and plant room were added. Today, Oakslea
Place is a two-story, U-shaped, Colonial/Greek Revival
style dwelling, still of frame construction. The house
has a brick foundation, side gable roof with asphalt shingles,
two interior brick chimneys, dentil molding on the cornice,
and an exterior of painted white weatherboard. The original
wood shingles of the roof were replaced in 1960 with asphalt
shingles. Windows are multi-pane, double-hung sash. Today,
the original L-shaped, one-story home survives in its entirety,
embedded with the current structure.
The Residents - Then & Now
The land comprising this property was originally part of
a 640-acre land grant bought in 1840 by Mathew Barrow, a
land speculator. Barrow frequently bought land grants from
young soldiers who were given the land as they were released
from military services in North Carolina. In 1849, William
East bought a significant portion of the land that would
become the site for Oakslea Place.
Judge John Read purchased eighty-five acres of the property
on Trenton Road from East in 1853. At that time, this land
was covered with fine old oak trees, so Judge Read named
the place Oakslea. Read was a prominent citizen of Madison
County, serving as presiding judge for two of its courts.
He planned a house fitting his position and, in ca. 1860
he and his wife, Mary, had a Greek Revival house built. The
original one-story, L-shaped home survives in its entirety
embedded within the current structure.
The house remained in the Read family until
Judge Read died in 1865, when the property was inherited
by Mary Read, Judge Read’s wife. She subsequently divided it between
her niece and nephew. R.V. Hicks, a prosperous land developer,
purchased the property in 1899. He owned much land north
of Oakslea, which was part of the original land grant bought
years ago by Barrow. The land evolved into the neighborhood
called then and now – Hicksville. The area immediately
south of the house became an elite district called Northwood.
Today, the entire street of Northwood is listed as the Northwood
Avenue Historic District (NR 11/7/90). In order to modernize
and create a more majestic home, Hicks extensively enlarged
the house in ca. 1900 in the Colonial Revival fashion of
the period. Besides adding new rooms in the rear of the house,
he added a second floor over the original structure. The
Hicks family also did some interior remodeling, including
the addition of the large stairway in the central reception
room. Hicks transformed the original L-shaped home (three
rooms across the front and one room attached at the south
end) into a U-shaped home with central hallways on both floors
surrounded by rooms. Above the central room he added a glass
skylight, a rare feature for its day, which remains intact
and has never leaked. Hicks also added a sunroom on the south
side of the house (1905).
Mr. Hicks sold the property to J.D. Hoppers
in 1911. Thomas Polk, a leading citizen for the Madison County
area, purchased Oakslea from the Hoppers in 1914 Polk’s ill health
necessitated the sale of the large “plantation” style
home in 1917 to Dr. and Mrs. Jere Crook.
Among the Crook’s first improvements
or modern conveniences for their growing family was a central
heat. Large, iron radiators they had ordered for a central
heating system were waiting on the front porch to be installed
as they moved in. A coal-fired furnace was installed in the
basement (1917). That was changed to gas in 1950. It continues
to heat the radiators.
In 1945 the Crooks reconfigured some parts of the interior.
They put an outside door in the sunroom leading to a small
patio in the southeast corner where breakfast and teas were
often served (to Dr. Crook who was confined for ill health).
This was still “farm land” during
most of the years the Crook family lived in Oakslea. They
kept chickens and two cows in a back fenced-in corner of
the land. The fine cooks who had been a part of the Crook
family used Oakslea eggs, cream and butter for their culinary
creations. Not until 1950 did Mrs. Crook have to sell the
animals because new city regulations no longer allowed farm
animals within the city limits.
In 1953, after Dr. Crook’s death, the
big old house and garden became a vibrant learning center.
Mrs. Crook loved sharing stories and plants with twenty or
more young people who lived in the neighborhood and visited
each morning. Finally, she decided it was time to move to
a smaller home. Among the fine pieces of furniture Mrs. Crook
left when she moved to a smaller home in 1958 was a 100-year-old
marble (slab) used for making beaten biscuits.
In 1958, the house was sold to Dr. Walton Harrison
and his wife. Because of its stately appearance and beautiful
gardens. The Harrison family resided in the home for many
years. After Dr. Harrison’s retirement, Dr. Harrison
and his wife decided to sell Oakslea and most of the antique
pieced left by the Crook family. The Harrison’s left
behind a large six foot by four foot mirror that hangs over
the fire place in the dinning room.
Some say the Polks and Boucher still reside
at Oakslea Place. Ghost Whisper link
here.
In 2004 the house was purchased by Mr. Richard
M Testani, for its wonderful history, massive size and wonderful
charm. Mr. Testani has restored the home to preserve its
heritage and history, making Oakslea Place one of Jackson’s
greatest landmarks for everyone to enjoy, for years to come.
The Architecture
The first story
is the original Greek Revival facade.
The second floor addition, the portico on the facade,
the solarium wing to the south, and the port-cochere to the
north, are in the Colonial Revival style added in ca. 1900
with great sensitivity to the original style of the ca. 1860
portion of the house. A wide decorative compound of cyma
recta molding horizontally divides the ca. 1860 facade
from the ca. 1900 second-floor additions.
The west facade has a one-story central portico.
Four evenly spaced Doric columns support the portico and
two pilasters project from the facade There is a
flat, balustraded roof with high entablature, and broad cornice
with dentil molding. It is not known exactly when the porch
was added, but most likely it was part of the 1900 remodeling.
The front door in the center if this porch is a solid walnut
paneled door. The door is flanked by sidelight transom and
two side lanterns. Brick steps, which lead to the door and
two benches, were built between the pilaster and the corner
column (c.1900) . On the first story there are two sets of
six-over-six double-hung windows flanking the front door
Windows on the second story are four-over-four double-hung.
Above the porch are two smaller four-over-four double-hung
windows All windows on the facade have modern shutters
(1955) which replaced older, large wooden shutters. An open
porch to the right of the entrance was built ca. 1900; a
metal awning was added in 1950. The south elevation is dominated
be a first-floor solarium had French style windows and doors.
Next to the solarium is the sun room (1950), which has a
picture window, nine-over-nine double-hung windows with multi-pane
fixed transoms, and a wood and multi-paned glass door with
transom to the outside patio(1966) .
View the Tennessee
Commission's seal of Historical Landmark
© 2005-2007 Oakslea
Place All Rights Reserved |
