Tennessee’s Andrew Jackson estate spans 1,200 acres; its new plan puts much of a 70,000-square-foot visitor center underground so the building does not interrupt views across the historic landscape

Plans for a $132 million redevelopment of The Hermitage, the 1,200 acre historic estate of former US President Andrew Jackson, will put much of a new 70,000 square foot visitor and education center underground to protect sightlines across the historic grounds. The Andrew Jackson Foundation announced the project, calling it a “generational transformation,” to replace the current visitor facilities built in 1989. By placing large parts of the new complex underground, designers hope to keep views across the estate clear and help visitors feel like they’ve stepped back into the 19th century. Under the new site plan, called “Held by the Land,” the redevelopment will change visitor paths, add a new tree-lined entrance, build an outdoor amphitheater, and restore historic spaces across the property, according to coverage by Nashville public radio station WPLN News.

Reimagining the historic landscape

Located near Nashville, Tennessee, The Hermitage is a major presidential historic site holding roughly 800,000 artifacts and historic items. Project organizers said the current facilities no longer meet the needs of daily operations or storage for the collection. Leaders of the Andrew Jackson Foundation approved the full master plan to shift the estate’s focus toward its natural surroundings. Putting the main education complex underground keeps modern buildings from towering over the fields and historic outbuildings nearby. Jason Zajac, president and chief executive officer of the Andrew Jackson Foundation, spoke about the responsibility of managing the site in an official statement released alongside the announcement. “The Hermitage is more than a presidential home. It is a place where some of the most consequential and complicated chapters of American history unfolded,” Zajac said. “We have an immense responsibility to preserve this place while making sure the story we tell reflects the full history of the people who lived, worked and were enslaved here, as well as the nation shaped during Jackson’s lifetime and presidency.”

Funding and public support

The total cost of the project is estimated at $132 million, with most of the money expected to come from private donations. Public support has already started at the state level. Tennessee state lawmakers approved $6 million in funding to begin planning and early design work, as reported by WPLN News. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee spoke in support of the project in a statement about the historic property’s educational value. “The Hermitage is an important part of Tennessee’s history and helps tell the story of our state and our nation,” Lee said.

Expanding site interpretation and history

The physical redevelopment comes alongside ongoing efforts by the foundation to update how history is presented across the 1,200 acres. In recent months, site historians have been updating guided tours, including the “In Their Footsteps” program, which focuses on the lives of people enslaved on the plantation. As noted in earlier reporting by WPLN News, these updates aim to give a fuller picture of the enslaved men, women, and children who lived and worked at The Hermitage. The new visitor and education facility will include larger gallery spaces and research areas to better display artifacts and share these connected histories with the public. A timeline for building and finishing the new underground complex will be set as design work moves forward.