Tulip Grove
Tulip Grove is a nineteenth-century Greek Revival plantation house and historic site near Nashville, Tennessee.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Tulip Grove is a historic house in the vicinity of Nashville, Tennessee, built in 1836 for Andrew Jackson Donelson, the nephew and close political associate of President Andrew Jackson. Although the subject is not a conventional commercial brand, the Tulip Grove name identifies a preserved architectural and cultural property associated with the antebellum history of Middle Tennessee. Donelson began planning the house in 1834, while Andrew Jackson was serving as president. The property was established on land near Jackson's Hermitage estate, and construction was undertaken by Nashville builders William C. Hume and Joseph Reiff. The two craftsmen were also involved in rebuilding the Hermitage mansion after a fire. Completed in 1836, the house was initially called Poplar Grove. According to the historical account, former President Martin Van Buren later suggested the name Tulip Grove during a visit in 1842. The building is a representative example of the Greek Revival style that was widely adopted in the American South before the Civil War. It has two principal stories, a basement, and an attic, and is notable for its formal proportions and classical architectural vocabulary. The house also reflects the social and political networks surrounding the Hermitage and the Donelson family during the early nineteenth century. Ownership changed several times after Donelson sold the property in April 1858 to wool producer Mark R. Cockrill. Later owners included Thomas O. Treanor and Mary Andrews Treanor. Their daughter, painter Mayna Treanor Avent, was born at Tulip Grove in 1868 and lived from 1868 to 1959. Charles Buntin and Jane Berry Buntin acquired Tulip Grove and its surrounding land in 1914. In 1964, Jane Buntin transferred the house and 26.33 acres to the Ladies' Hermitage Association, now known as the Andrew Jackson Foundation. The transfer included a contractual arrangement under which the association was to pay Buntin, her heirs, and assigns one-third of visitor gate receipts for 99 years beginning in 1964. The house was opened for tours for several decades. From 1965 through 2001, the Buntin family received more than $300,000 from ticket revenues. The Andrew Jackson Foundation ended regular tours in 2001, citing insufficient profitability, and began using the property as an event venue. The resulting reduction in payments led to litigation by members of the Buntin family. In 2012, the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's conclusion that the foundation had not breached the agreement by ending the tours, while also ruling that the family was entitled to a share of revenue from special events held at Tulip Grove. Tulip Grove was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Its present significance rests on its architecture, association with Andrew Jackson Donelson and the Hermitage area, connection to several Tennessee families, and continuing preservation under the Andrew Jackson Foundation. The property is best understood as a historic house and heritage site rather than a consumer-facing brand.
History
Tulip Grove was constructed in 1836 for Andrew Jackson Donelson, a nephew of Andrew Jackson who served as a prominent member of Jackson's political and family circle. Donelson selected land near the Hermitage, Jackson's home outside Nashville, and began developing the property while Jackson was president in 1834. Nashville builders William C. Hume and Joseph Reiff were hired to construct the house. They were experienced craftsmen who were also working on the rebuilding of the Hermitage mansion after a fire. The completed house was originally named Poplar Grove. Historical tradition holds that former President Martin Van Buren proposed the name Tulip Grove during a visit in 1842. The building was designed in the Greek Revival style, a major architectural mode in the United States before the Civil War. Its form includes two primary floors, a basement, and an attic, with a formal design characteristic of substantial houses built by prosperous families in the antebellum South. Donelson sold the property in April 1858 to Mark R. Cockrill, a wool producer. The house subsequently passed through the ownership of Thomas O. Treanor and Mary Andrews Treanor. Their daughter, Mayna Treanor Avent, who became a painter, was born at Tulip Grove in 1868 and died in 1959. The property therefore has associations not only with the Donelson and Jackson families but also with later Tennessee agricultural, social, and artistic history. Charles Buntin and Jane Berry Buntin purchased Tulip Grove and its surrounding property in 1914. On March 11, 1964, Jane Buntin deeded the mansion and 26.33 surrounding acres to the Ladies' Hermitage Association. That organization is now known as the Andrew Jackson Foundation. The conveyance included a financial provision requiring the association to pay Buntin, her heirs, and assigns one-third of visitor gate receipts for 99 years beginning March 1, 1964. Tulip Grove operated as a visitor attraction for many years. Between 1965 and 2001, the Buntin family received more than $300,000 from admission receipts. In 2001, the association stopped offering regular tours, stating that the tours were not profitable, and shifted toward using the house as an event space. Under that operating model, the Buntin family received an annual payment of approximately $1,200 rather than a share of ticket sales. Members of the family brought a breach-of-contract lawsuit in 2007. The dispute reached the Tennessee Court of Appeals. In 2012, the court upheld the lower court's conclusion that ending the tours did not constitute a breach of the agreement. At the same time, it determined that the Buntin family was entitled to a share of revenue generated by special events held at Tulip Grove. The ruling clarified how the deed's revenue-sharing language applied after the property's public-use model changed. Tulip Grove was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Its importance derives from its well-preserved Greek Revival architecture, its connection to Andrew Jackson Donelson and the Hermitage region, its associations with successive Tennessee owners, and its role as a preserved historic property. The site is not documented as a conventional commercial brand; the name functions primarily as the identity of a historic house and heritage asset.
- 2012
Appeals court issues revenue ruling
[1]The Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld the finding that ending tours was not a breach, while recognizing the Buntin family's entitlement to a share of special-event revenue.
- 2007
Buntin family files lawsuit
[1]Members of the Buntin family sued the Ladies' Hermitage Association over the deed's revenue-sharing provisions.
- 2001
Regular tours discontinued
[1]The Ladies' Hermitage Association ended regular tours, citing limited profitability, and began using Tulip Grove as an event space.
- 1970
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
[1]Tulip Grove received recognition through listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1964
Property transferred to the Ladies' Hermitage Association
[1]Jane Buntin deeded the mansion and 26.33 acres to the Ladies' Hermitage Association, now the Andrew Jackson Foundation, subject to a long-term gate-receipt agreement.
- 1914
Buntin family acquires Tulip Grove
[1]Charles Buntin and Jane Berry Buntin purchased the house and surrounding property.
- 1868
Birth of Mayna Treanor Avent
[1]Painter Mayna Treanor Avent was born at Tulip Grove while the property was associated with the Treanor family.
- 1858
Donelson sells the property
[1]Andrew Jackson Donelson sold Tulip Grove to wool producer Mark R. Cockrill in April.
- 1842
Name changed to Tulip Grove
[1]Historical tradition attributes the name Tulip Grove to a suggestion made by former President Martin Van Buren during a visit.
- 1836
House completed as Poplar Grove
[1]Construction of the Greek Revival house was completed by Nashville builders William C. Hume and Joseph Reiff. The property was initially called Poplar Grove.
Products and positioning
A preserved antebellum Greek Revival house associated with Andrew Jackson Donelson, the Hermitage area, and the architectural history of Middle Tennessee.
Historic architecture · 1836
Tulip Grove historic house
The principal offering and identity of Tulip Grove is the antebellum house completed in 1836 for Andrew Jackson Donelson. Built in the Greek Revival style, it contains two main stories as well as a basement and attic. Its architectural significance and connection to the Hermitage area form the core of the site's heritage value.
Heritage tourism
Historic visitation
Tulip Grove was operated for decades as a visitor attraction with regular tours. The available reference material records that regular tours ended in 2001 after the operator determined that they were not sufficiently profitable. Current visitor arrangements are not specified in the supplied sources.
Events · 2001
Special-event venue
After regular tours ended, the property was used for special events. This operating role became significant in the dispute over whether the Buntin family's deed-based share of receipts applied to revenue from events as well as visitor admissions.
Brand decisions
2001
Shift from regular tours to event useStrategyBackground
The Ladies' Hermitage Association determined that regular tours of Tulip Grove were not profitable enough to continue.
Action taken
The association discontinued the tours and began using the house as an event space.
Aftermath
The change reduced the Buntin family's payments from a share of admission receipts to an annual payment and led to litigation. In 2012, an appeals court ruled that the change itself did not breach the agreement but that the family was due a share of special-event revenue.
Sources1 sources
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