Historic Travellers Rest

Historic Travellers Rest The 1799 home of John Overton, Nashville's oldest house museum open to the public.
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We are dedicated to preserving the the 1799 home of Judge John Overton and serving as a gateway for learners of all ages to explore Nashville's historic past.

Golden Hour is our favorite hour of the day. 🌇
06/17/2026

Golden Hour is our favorite hour of the day. 🌇

As you are planning your summer outings, remember Travellers Rest is a Blue Star Museum. Active Military families can re...
06/15/2026

As you are planning your summer outings, remember Travellers Rest is a Blue Star Museum. Active Military families can receive free admission to Blue Star Museums through Labor Day.

Happy Flag Day! On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the first American Flag. Their resolution stat...
06/14/2026

Happy Flag Day! On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the first American Flag. Their resolution stated the flag would have 13 red and white alternating stripes and that a blue area would contain 13 white stars, but was not very specific. There were several versions of the flag with this design until a standard was established. The 13 stripes represented the 13 colonies and the 13 stars represented a “new constellation” or nation.

Today, our flag still has thirteen stripes, alternating between red and white, to remember the first thirteen colonies. Though the number of stars has gradually increased to fifty as new states were admitted to the Union, the heart of the design remains true to what was decided upon in 1777. Flag Day was first proposed in 1861, with the Civil War on the horizon to boost morale and support for the Union, but it was not declared as a national holiday until 1949.

Andrew Jackson was not the only President John Overton knew! On this day, June 13, in 1795, the Senate approved Presiden...
06/13/2026

Andrew Jackson was not the only President John Overton knew! On this day, June 13, in 1795, the Senate approved President George Washington’s nomination of Overton for Inspector of the Revenue for the state of Tennessee. In this role, his primary duty was to oversee the collection and accountability of state taxes. This included supervising local tax collectors, ensuring tax money actually reached the state treasury, and giving state leadership reports on the finances across the state. For this position, Overton only made around $200 per year. He remained in this role until 1808, when he became a judge on the Tennessee Courts of Errors and Appeals, which is known as the Tennessee Supreme Court today.

Whether large or small, Travellers Rest has a space to create your ideal wedding day, rain 🌧️or shine ☀️
06/10/2026

Whether large or small, Travellers Rest has a space to create your ideal wedding day, rain 🌧️or shine ☀️

Happy National Call your Doctor Day! Mary Overton’s first husband, Dr. Francis May, was Andrew Jackson’s personal physic...
06/09/2026

Happy National Call your Doctor Day! Mary Overton’s first husband, Dr. Francis May, was Andrew Jackson’s personal physician and surgeon for the first several years of his career. Dr. May attended Jackson at the infamous Battle of New Orleans in 1815, which established the future president as a military hero. He was also the attending surgeon for Jackson at the duel in which he killed Charles Dickinson.

Mary had five children with Dr. May before his death in 1817. Three years later in 1821, she married Judge Overton, and the family moved into his home at Travellers Rest. Overton had known Dr. May, as they were both closely associated with Andrew Jackson. It is speculated that Dr. May may have taught Mary some of her medical knowledge. She maintained a medicinal herb garden for years after his death. All of her children survived to adulthood under her care, which was very rare for the time period.

Pictured are Mary’s Apothecary Kit, demonstrating how she put her medical knowledge from her first husband into practice, and a copy of Dr. May’s obituary from the Republican Banner, Nashville’s newspaper at the time of his death.

Tomorrow, June 8, is National Best Friends Day. Judge Overton’s best friend happened to be Andrew Jackson, our nation’s ...
06/07/2026

Tomorrow, June 8, is National Best Friends Day. Judge Overton’s best friend happened to be Andrew Jackson, our nation’s seventh president. Overton first met Jackson in 1789, years before his political success, staying at the boarding house of Mrs. Donelson. They kept closely in touch and visited each other numerous times when they had established homes of their own at the Hermitage and Travellers Rest. The two also founded the city of Memphis, along with their associate James Wi******er, as a trade endeavor.

Overton and Jackson had very different personalities. Overton was reserved and introverted, while Jackson preferred a life full of action and adventure. Overton was perhaps one of Andrew Jackson’s greatest supporters in his ambitious goal of going to the White House. He hosted several political events in the large room of Travellers Rest throughout Jackson’s campaign and presidency.

In 1833, when John Overton passed away, his future step-son in law wrote "I heard him request Dr. Hogg to say to General Jackson, that he saw him die, and that he died a man and a soldier. So you see he clung to the general till his last moments.”

🖼️ Portraits of Judge John Overton and President Andrew Jackson. Both were painted by Ralph E.W. Earl. Copies of these portraits, and more, can be viewed at Historic Travellers Rest.

Are you planning a wedding this fall and still looking for a venue? Are you looking for one of the most popular dates of...
06/06/2026

Are you planning a wedding this fall and still looking for a venue? Are you looking for one of the most popular dates of the year? You are in luck! October 10, 2026 (10.10.26) just became available at Travellers Rest. The grounds 🌳are beautiful in October, so call and schedule your tour with Ashley today.

☎️ 615-832-8197 extension 10
📨 [email protected]

On Friday, June 5, the last house tour will be at 2pm to allow our Junior Docent campers to give a special tour to their...
06/04/2026

On Friday, June 5, the last house tour will be at 2pm to allow our Junior Docent campers to give a special tour to their guests during the 3pm hour. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Judge John Overton certainly had a hand in many different business endeavors throughout his life. Shortly after moving t...
06/04/2026

Judge John Overton certainly had a hand in many different business endeavors throughout his life. Shortly after moving to Tennessee to practice law, Overton became associated in a mercantile business with Edward Douglas. In the 1790s, Tennessee was still considered the “wild west,” so this mercantile likely sold everyday necessities that men and women on the frontier could use. It was originally agreed that profits would be shared equally between owners, but it was determined later that Douglas would receive extra since he operated the store. On June 4, 1797, this partnership was dissolved when the business did not prove to be successful.

Here is a historic photograph of Davoll’s General Store in Massachusetts, which first opened in 1793. It is the oldest mercantile in the United States that is still open to the public! While you can no longer visit the mercantile Overton and Douglas owned, you can still visit Overton’s home at Travellers Rest! Stop by any Tuesday-Saturday between the hours of 10 and 3 for a tour!

Address

636 Farrell Pkwy
Nashville, TN
37220

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(615) 832-8197

Website

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