HISTORY
Major Nathaniel Cheairs built the Greek Revival brick structure on
property originally purchased by his father in 1811. The current rear wing was the original
two-story house and detached smokehouse which was constructed before the main house and was occupied by the Cheairs family until
the main house was completed in 1855. Afterwards, it was used as a kitchen and
living quarters for slaves and servants. The Cheairs family enjoyed a few peaceful years before the Civil War
began.
The Battle of Spring Hill brought the Civil War to
Rippavilla. On the morning of November 30, 1864, General John Bell Hood ordered
his subordinate commanders to meet him at Rippavilla for a meeting before
proceeding to Franklin.
The meeting, also referred to as Hood’s War council breakfast, occurred in the
dining room after being served coffee, ham and biscuits by Mrs. Cheairs. Rippavilla was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July
19, 1996 for historic significance,
CURRENTLY
In addition to being a non-traditional educational setting
for local schools, Rippavilla is a tourist destination for vacationers and tour
bus groups. For the past ten years, tourism has been and continues to be one of
the top five economic drivers in Middle Tennessee and Rippavilla’s role in
local tourism enables Maury County to compete with surrounding counties and
attract this stream of tax revenue.
Rippavilla sponsors a Boy Scout Troop and a Girl Scout Troop
as part of its community outreach. Both troops are allowed to meet and camp on
the site’s 89 acres.
Throughout the last 18 years, Rippavilla, Inc and the board of directors
have worked diligently to become good financial stewards of this
stately antebellum mansion. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit we do not receive
any financial help from local, state or federal governments. There have
been varied fundraisers throughout the years, corn maze, bridal fairs, vintage
marketplace, paranormal investigations, Civil War reenactments, etc to
raise the much needed funds. Due to the age of the house, 159 years
old, and the cost to maintain the house and property the fundraisers
have not been able to provide enough monetary gain for the necessary
repairs.
NEEDS
On the rear wing, the existing metal
standing seam roof and metal gutters were installed the early 1900s (some
research indicates both roof and gutters were installed in 1914) have rusted
throughout the years allowing rain to leak into the interior. As a result,
interior plaster damage ($2,025) is apparent in the original kitchen. Repairs to the roof ($9,050) and gutters ($2,750) are of
vital importance as to prevent moisture from creating exterior structural
damage to the bricks and mortar and the interior plaster.
On the main house, a new copper roof and flashing were
installed in 1996, when Rippavilla, Inc was incorporated, but through the years the flashing joints have eroded
allowing moisture to enter the interior walls and ceiling of the original
dining room gradually break downing the plaster resulting in bits of plaster
falling on the furnishings and floor.
Repairing the flashing on the connecting hallway roof ($350) and
plaster in the dining room of the mansion ($3,500) is of vital importance as to prevent
further damage to the plaster and the original wood lath supporting the
plaster. If the flashing is not repaired, moisture could begin to damage the
exterior brick wall and mortar potentially resulting in structural damage.
Also, the walls and ceiling are a very visible part of our tours as well as
part of the area used for fundraising dinners.
The home has 60 shuttered windows that were originally hung in the 1950's. The shutters were repaired in 2004 by local Amish carpenters but have begun to deteriorate again due to weather. Some shutters on the south and west side of the home have fallen off completely and shutters on other sides have started to lose slats. The cost for new historically accurate shutters is $30,000 for all 60 windows.
Thank you for taking time to read about our wonderful mansion. We understand that you may not be able to help financially at this time, but we would like you to help us get the word out through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or email.
Question and Answers:
Can I donate any amount of money to your cause? Yes, any amount is appreciated.
Can my donation be tax-deductible? Yes. We are a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt corporation.
