3331 Denning Lane Spring Hill, TN
Circa 1825. 2-story brick mansion with 4 column front entry
Photo from Historic Oaklawn plantation
Oaklawn was built by the Rev. Absalom Thompson (?-1881)in 1835 and remodeled 25 years later. The home is located south of Spring Hill.
It originally consisted of 3,000 acres. He established the Manual Labor Academy in 1829 which became Jackson College in 1833 (it later moved south to Columbia). Dr. Thompson married his (2nd) wife Mary Brown Sanford who died in 1851. His third wife was Michah Harris who died 1869.
Photo from Williamson Source
After Dr. Thompson passed on, Oaklawn was inherited by his son Dr. James T.S. Thompson (1836-1890) and remained in the Thompson family until 1911.
During the Civil War, Conf. Gen. John Bell Hood used the home as a headquarters in 1964. After the Battle of Spring Hill, Hood thought the Confederate line was secured overnite.; however the Union forces escaped. The Thompsons also helped support both the Female and Male Academies in Spring Hill. Dr. Thompson went to Corinth, MS for a time. He returned to his family farm about 1876 and continued farming and stock raising. He wed Mary L. Cheairs in 1870. His children left the area Starting in 1865, land was regularly sold off. Between 1911 and into the 1940s/50s, the home was vacant.
After Susan and Allan Sloan wed in 1946, they shortly thereafter purchased and began renovation of Oaklawn. They owned Oaklawn from 1950 to the late 1960s. They also owned a home in town on West Sixth St. Susan Giddons Sloan, assistant director of nursing at Maury County Hospital and her husband Allen Dorris Sloan lived there and raised cattle. Their "in-town' home was on West 6th St.
Then Oaklawn was sold to Glen Robert. In 1973 Oaklawn and 350 acres were bought by George Jones & Tammy Wynette. Then it was sold in 1974 to Tower Real Estate Development.
Next, Dr. John & Martha Smith owned it from 1975-1989. From 1989-2001, property was owned by Marvin Parker. In 1999, the property and the house were divided. Since then, Ron Shuff of Shuff’s Music has owned Oaklawn house; D. Ingram owns the farm with its 82 remaining acres. NRHP 1979
Sources:
Historic Maury County Places and People
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