The Cedars

Jackson, Tennessee's The Cedars was constructed in 1930 by automobile executive William H. Collier. Collier was responsible for the design of the Marathon Automobile that was assembled at a plant in Nashville. Collier also served as the vice president of the Southern Engine and Boiler Works Company in Jackson. Collier purchased the Adam Huntsman Home and Farm making Jackson his permanent home. On Christmas Day, 1929, the Huntsman House burned. In its place Collier built a Colonial Revival style house. The unique thing about this new house was that Collier labeled it "fireproof." Upon examining its construction elements, one can see why he labeled it as such. The house features concrete walls fourteen to eighteen inches thick, load bearing, reinforced with steel, railroad rails in the footings, concrete floors, and a slate roof. The house features an open air central hall floor plan, a full height entry portico, and a dogleg staircase. The house was dubbed "The Cedars" because of the cedar trees lining the driveway up to the house. Legend says that David (Davy) Crockett planted these cedar trees to pay off a gambling debt owed to Adam Huntsman. Collier never completed The Cedars due to an increasing amount of debt. Finally in 1942, the property was foreclosed on. For the next few years the house was owned by a variety of people. In 1999 The Cedars was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for its significance in architecture. Today the house remains privately owned and based on pictures and Google Street View, appears vacant.

At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.