Martin Cheairs House

Spring Hill, Tennessee's Martin Cheairs House was constructed in the 1850s in the Greek Revival style. The home is patterned after the nearby Rippavilla House, built by Martin Cheairs brother Nathan. The Cheairs family had come to Spring Hill in 1810 and quickly began buying up land in the area. Martin Cheairs' house was built much like Rippavilla, with full height entry porticos on two of its four elevations, sheathed in red hewn brick, fired on the property. The house features a central hall, open air floor plan with an equal number of rooms on each story. The house is perhaps most known for what happened inside of it during the Civil War. In 1863, Confederate general Earl Van Dorn was murdered in the front room of the Cheairs house. Van Dorn was using the house as his headquarters, and was confronted by Spring Hill physician Dr. George B. Peters. The two got into an argument and Peters shot and killed Van Dorn. The argument was believed to have been about a rumored romance between Peter's wife and Van Dorn. In 1891, the Cheairs house was sold to the Spring Hill Male College. The house was named "Ferguson Hall," and dormitories were built on the property to house students. In 1934, the property was sold to the Tennessee Children's Home, sponsored by the churches of Christ. Five additional dormitories were constructed along with a kitchen and dining hall.  Today, the Martin Cheairs House is still owned and is a part of the Tennessee Children's Home. In 1976, the house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historical and architectural significance.

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.