Welcome to Old Town

Welcome to our home Old Town. A place of legend and romance, it plays a very special role in history. Your visit means much to us, for as stewards of this spiritual land and home we view your interest as a meaningful part of an evolving fabric of rich legacy and storied tradition.

Capture the sense of time and place. Lose yourself in the timeless spirit of oneness with nature, of acceptance, and of dignity and honor of every living thing. We hope your experience at Old Town touches your heart and spirit in the same way it has touched so many others who have lived and celebrated here on these very grounds over the past one thousand years.

As Virginia Goodpasture said in 1957, “We think of Old Town as a union of the traditions of yesterday and the promises of tomorrow. It is a part of the story of all of us.”

Bill and Tracy Frist

Overview

Preserving Sacred History

As stewards of the legacy of Old Town, we feel a humble sense of duty and purpose to make the converging stories of the ancient Mississippian culture temple mounds, the 1801 Old Town Bridge, the 1846 Thomas Brown House, and the historic grounds one that can be enjoyed and learned from by all.

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Timeline

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1050 AD - 1450 AD

Ancient Era

A thousand years ago, Old Town was an active 12-acre village and town center, fortified by steep earthworks and encircled by a high palisade wall. A sophisticated and highly structured society of [...]

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1801-1846

Pre-Civil War Era

Constructed by Virginian Thomas Brown in 1846, the Greek Revival-styled home stands serenely at the juncture of the Big Harpeth River and Donelson Creek (now called Brown's Creek) with the original, well-travelled [...]

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1861-1865

Civil War Era

The Civil War touched Old Town with the nearby Battle of Franklin in 1864. The eldest son of Thomas Brown, the original owner, served in the First Tennessee Regiment and later in [...]

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1868-1876

Post Civil War Era

Several archaeological excavations, the first in 1868 by physician Joseph Jones with findings published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1876, have documented the rich history of the Mississippian culture who lived at [...]

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1989

Contemporary Era

In 1989, Old Town joined the National Register of Historical Places as "Old Town Archaeological Site." It includes the Thomas Brown House, Old Town Bridge and the Temple Mounds.

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Old Town Landmarks

Explore the ancient and historic landmarks that transport you back in time on the 41-acre archaeological site (National Register of Historic Places). Become immersed in the natural landscape, preserved through dedicated environmental conservation efforts.

Antebellum Home: The Thomas Brown House

1801 Bridge

Mississippian Temple Mounds

River & Creek

Old Natchez Trace

Conservation & Preservation

Significant Mound Sites in Middle Tennessee

The Nashville area is estimated to have contained close to thirty mound sites. Some of these sites are still unchronicled, though many served as the subject of study over the course of the past centuries. The accompanying map shows the locations of certain significant mound sites, while also providing a brief description of the details pertaining to each site. Click the map to your right to explore the sites.

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09/05/2024

A century after its last residents moved away, Craig County poor farm gets state recognition

Tracy and Bill Frist have spent years working to preserve old buildings around Craig County. They’re still determining what will happen with the old poor farm structures. by Lindsey Hull September 5, 2024 […]

06/27/2024

A Passion for Preservation: The National Trust for Historic Preservation Visits Franklin

This article is featured in the July 2024 issue of nFOCUS in both the print version and online. JANET KURTZ | PHOTOGRAPHS BY COURTNEY DAVIDSON PHOTOGRAPHY Entertaining a group of dedicated preservationists […]

05/03/2024

Well Preserved

Old Town is featured in the May 2024 issue of nFOCUS, Nashville’s premier social and lifestyle magazine. The article below is written by Janet Kurtz and photographs taken by Eric England. See […]

04/25/2024

Cicadas in Prehistory and Indigenous Folklore

By Kevin E. Smith, published in the May/June 2024 issue of The Tennessee Conservationist

11/28/2022

Tracy R. Frist Establishes Fund To Support Ferrum College and Blue Ridge Institute’s Preservation of Appalachian Literature and Folktales

November 2022 This November, former Ferrum College student and longtime supporter of the College, Tracy R. Frist, made a generous gift to Ferrum College to support the College’s Appalachian Literature project (AppLit) […]

The Latest from Old Town

Read what’s happening today at Old Town, from new baby animals growing and learning, to the latest in academic-led archeological explorations, and preservation and conservation…

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Time has dealt gently with Old Town. Standing on ground that once reverberated with the drumbeats of its first inhabitants, the house watches the Harpeth slip between its banks and the leaves drift down on the old Trace beside it.

Bowman, Virginia McDaniel. “Old Town.” Historic Williamson County, Blue & Gray Press, Nashville, 1971, p. 93.

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"My stays at the beautiful historic Old Town property have been blessed. During my first stay I witnessed the blessing of Native Americans dancing with two inches of ice and cold winter winds and that night saw the Native American rhythms and songs and the beginning of renewal. Tracy and Senator Frist are dedicated to conservation and renewal. My next visit was for the total eclipse over this sacred mound village. I heard the sounds of a 1000-year-old living mound community as the stars came out in mid-day."

Ray Roberts, Blacksburg, Virginia