Mabry Hood House

Mabry Hood House, also called Mabry Hood Mansion and the Upland South Plantation, was a historic antebellum residence and agricultural estate formerly located on the south side of Kingston Pike at the junction with Mabry Hood Road in western Knox County, Tennessee. It was not a commercial consumer brand but a named historic property associated with the George Mabry family and the development of the Kingston Pike corridor. The estate was occupied by members of the Mabry family from approximately 1830 into the early twentieth century. George Washington Mabry built the principal house around 1851, approximately five years after his marriage to Jeanette Hume. The two-story residence followed the Greek Revival style and featured a prominent, two-story portico supported by columns. Although the structure was chiefly brick, its front facade behind the portico incorporated wood siding. The surrounding property covered approximately 3,000 acres and was identified historically as a plantation, although later archaeological work found evidence that cotton production on the estate was limited. The house and estate were shaped by the institution of slavery. Census records listed George Mabry as owning 18 enslaved people in 1850 and eight in 1860. The house itself was constructed by enslaved laborers. Archaeological investigations later identified two slave quarters and recovered artifacts that helped researchers study the lives of the enslaved people who lived and worked on the property, as well as their relationships with the Mabry household. This evidence became an important part of the site's historical significance beyond the architecture of the mansion. The Mabry family's history also intersected with the political divisions of the American Civil War. George Mabry was described as neutral and declined to take the Confederate loyalty oath, complicating his travel between his Knoxville residence and the west Knox County farm while Confederate authorities controlled the area. He reportedly acknowledged that one reason he did not actively support the Confederacy was his expectation that it would lose the war. Jeanette Mabry, who was Scottish-born, opposed secession openly and reportedly threatened to return to Scotland if the South prevailed. Her family prominence and connections helped shield her during the conflict. The property was among several antebellum plantation residences formerly situated along Kingston Pike. The house was last occupied in the late 1960s. After a sale, it changed hands again in 1974, when an engineering firm acquired it. During the period in which it stood vacant, the building deteriorated and was repeatedly burglarized and vandalized. Because the structure lay in the planned route of Pellissippi Parkway, and because of its deteriorated condition, it was demolished in early March 1983. Archaeological investigations conducted in the early 1990s in preparation for a Pellissippi Parkway extension documented the former estate and its outbuildings. The site was classified as an example of an Upland South plantation and was considered valuable for understanding both the architecture of the region and the experiences of enslaved residents. The surviving archaeological record, rather than the mansion itself, is now the principal historical legacy of Mabry Hood House.

The Mabry Hood House was a former plantation residence in western Knox County, Tennessee, near the intersection of Kingston Pike and Mabry Hood Road. The land was associated with the George Mabry family from about 1830 through the early twentieth century. George Washington Mabry, who was born in 1823, married Jeanette Hume in 1846 and built the mansion around 1851. The house was a substantial two-story example of Greek Revival architecture. Its defining feature was a two-story entrance portico with columns. The primary construction material was brick, while wood siding appeared on the front elevation behind the portico. The residence stood at the edge of a productive estate of approximately 3,000 acres. Although the property has often been described as a cotton plantation, archaeological evidence later suggested that only a limited amount of cotton was grown there. Enslaved labor was central to the estate's history. Census records indicate that George Mabry held 18 enslaved people in 1850 and eight in 1860, and enslaved workers built the mansion. The Mabry family also maintained a residence in what is now downtown Knoxville. George's brother Joseph Alexander Mabry II and nephew Joseph Alexander Mabry III were connected to the broader family history; Joseph Mabry II built the Mabry-Hazen House in Knoxville, which survives as a museum and is a separate property. During the Civil War, George Mabry's position was described as neutral. He declined to take the Confederate loyalty oath, creating difficulties when Confederate authorities controlled East Tennessee and restricting movement to his west Knox County farm. He later acknowledged that his expectation of Confederate defeat was one reason he did not support the Confederacy actively. Jeanette Mabry opposed secession and reportedly stated that she would not remain in a successful Confederacy. The family's wealth, prominence, gender, and political connections helped protect her during the conflict. The house remained in use until the late 1960s. It was subsequently sold and then acquired by an engineering firm in 1974. During its vacancy, the building deteriorated and was repeatedly burglarized and vandalized. The planned construction of Pellissippi Parkway placed the structure in the path of major road development. The house was demolished in early March 1983. Archaeological work in the early 1990s, conducted in connection with the extension of Pellissippi Parkway, investigated the former estate. Researchers identified two slave quarters and recovered artifacts. The findings helped classify the property as an Upland South plantation and gave the site significance as a source of evidence about enslaved people's living conditions and their relationships with the plantation owners. The Mabry Hood House was one of several antebellum properties once located along Kingston Pike; unlike some nearby houses, it no longer survives above ground.

• 1990

  Archaeological investigations begin

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Archaeological investigations associated with the Pellissippi Parkway extension documented the plantation site, including two slave quarters.

• 1983

  House demolished

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The abandoned and deteriorated mansion was demolished in early March because of its condition and the planned Pellissippi Parkway route.

• 1974

  Engineering firm acquires the property

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  After the house's last residential occupation in the late 1960s, an engineering firm purchased the property in 1974.

• 1860

  Census records eight enslaved people

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The 1860 census recorded eight enslaved people held by George Mabry.

• 1851

  Mansion constructed

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  George Mabry built the two-story Greek Revival mansion on the family estate using enslaved labor.

• 1850

  Census records 18 enslaved people

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The 1850 census recorded George Mabry as holding 18 enslaved people.

• 1846

  George Mabry marries Jeanette Hume

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  George Washington Mabry married Jeanette Hume, who later became prominent in accounts of the family's Civil War-era history.

• 1830

  Mabry family occupation begins

  [1]Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The George Mabry family is associated with the estate from approximately this period.

A historically significant antebellum residence and plantation site, rather than a commercial brand or active business.

1. 1Mabry Hood Houseen.wikipedia.org