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James V. Blevins Home: The Popcorn King

Jay Brothers

5350 Hillsboro Rd. Nashville, TN

Circa 1935. 2-story Neo-Classic


James Victor Blevins (1912-1999) and Patty Hester Blevins (1912-2008) built their home on Chickering Rd. The Blevins family owned the home for 30 years.


Blevins started a career as a food broker, and after realizing the surging demand of movies and popcorn, founded Blevins Popcorn Co. in 1945 and was known as the "Popcorn King" - marketed to movie and grocery store chains with the Johnny Boy brand - particularly in the 1950s. Later he moved into ready-to-pop packaging - Pops-Rite brand. The company opened markets in Japan selling to baseball fans there (sold to Frito-Lay in 1952). Patty loved gardens and was critical working with Cheekwood to create its Japanese gardens. Blevins sold the company in 1961. In 2012, their son and his wife contributed to renovations of the Japanese garden area at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and the area was renamed in their honor Blevins Japanese Gardens.


[Their son and grandson, Bill Blevins and Brad Blevins, followed a different path. Bill purchased a company that provided parts to manufactured homes and RVs. The company is now called Blevins, Inc. and focuses only on manufactured housing industry.]


Then Richard D. and Marcella B. Zimmerman. After the Zimmerman's sold the home, Marcella moved to Belle Meade BL as of 2024.


In 1974, John S. Ellers purchased the property with about 6 acres.


Sources:

Historic Homes of Forest Hills - An Architectural Survey, Thomason Assoc., 2000, p. 100

Blevins New York Times obituary


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