The town of Old Jefferson has long been a bit of a mystery in the Nashville area. There are rumors of a city burned to the ground – unnecessarily. But what’s true, and what’s wildly, wildly false? It’s a terrifying story because this is the tale of a ream of human mistakes. Someone made a bad call, and it tore a town from Tennessee history.
During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date.
Old Jefferson was once the county seat in Rutherford County, and was actually the first from its inception in 1803. It was in 1811 that the county seat moved to Murfreesboro.
The town was located at a bend in Stones River, and the Main Street ran from the wharves at the waters edge all the way to the courthouse.
Interesting fact: Old Jefferson is actually situated on the Trail of Tears, the infamous route west.
The house on Liberty Hill in Smyrna, Tennessee is built not far from the Old Jefferson location. It’s a testament to the passage of time, don’t you think?
Visit The Yard Sale new Smyrna location at the former Crosslin Supply Company
It was in the mid-1900’s that the Stewart’s Family Reservoir – now Percy Priest Lake – was approved. In 1963, construction began.
It took 4.5 years to build the dam, and the residents of Old Jefferson were told that their town would be underwater when it was finished. The land was bought up, and the houses burned to the ground. An entire town – gone.
Located just south on Creech’s Fork Road, the foundation of the Creech house is actually still visible.
It was as the lake filled that they discovered the water was draining into undiscovered caves – now Long Hunter State Park – and the lake did not extend as far south as they thought. The newly burned town was spared by water, only to fall prey to the fire of its own residents.
The site of Old Jefferson is near Smyrna, and you can go pay homage to the town that was burned by the very ones that loved it. Eerie times. Even the best can turn on you, you know? If you’re looking for some more unbelievable things in Tennessee, these Nashville marvels must be seen to be believed – we promise.
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
