Brabson's Ferry Plantation
Encyclopedia
Brabson's Ferry Plantation is a Pioneer Century farm
and former antebellum plantation
near the U.S. city of Sevierville, Tennessee
. Located at what was once a strategic crossing of the French Broad River
, by 1860 the plantation had become one of the largest in East Tennessee
, and one of the few in the region that rivalled the large plantations of the Deep South in size and influence. The farm remains in operation, and several of its historic structures— including two plantation houses and an 18th-century plank house— have been added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
John Brabson II (1773–1848) established Brabson's Ferry Plantation after purchasing the plantation's namesake ferry in 1798, and acquired the surrounding fertile farmland over subsequent decades. Brabson's sons continued operating the plantation after his death, and established a business that catered to the ferry's traffic. As the Brabsons supported the Confederacy
during the U.S. Civil War, their plantation was looted by Sevier County Unionists and toward the end of the war most members of the family were forced to flee. Several eventually returned, however, and by the end of the 19th century had rebuilt the plantation and ferry. The Brabson family still owns and manages the farm.
community a few miles northwest of Sevierville. State Highway 338 (Boyds Creek Highway, or Old Knoxville Highway) passes along the plantation's southern boundary, and Indian Warpath Road traverses its western section. The Brabson Cemetery is located atop a steep hill with a sweeping view of the French Broad River on the north end of the plantation.
, a trail used for centuries by Native Americans
travelling up and down the Tennessee Valley
. The ancient path crossed the French Broad River at a ford
near the mouth of Boyds Creek. In 1780, John Sevier
crossed at this ford to engage and defeat a Cherokee
force at the Battle of Boyds Creek. In the early 1790s, an early pioneer named Andrew Evans established a ferry and a 250 acres (101.2 ha) farm at the Boyds Creek ford. John Brabson, who migrated to the area from Frederick County, Virginia
, purchased the Evans farm and ferry in 1798.
Brabson continued acquiring land in the early 19th century. By the time of his death in 1848, he owned 5000 acres (2,023.4 ha), making him one of the largest landholders in East Tennessee. He was also one of the region's largest slaveholders, with 49 slaves, most of whom were split up among his children (Brabson's will emancipated only one elderly slave). One of Brabson's sons, Reese Bowen Brabson
(1817–1863), moved to Chattanooga
in 1848, and was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1858. John Brabson's daughter, Mary, and son-in-law, Robert Hodsden, established the Rose Glen
plantation in the 1840s just east of Sevierville. Brabson's two eldest surviving sons, Benjamin (1809–1866) and Thomas (1813–1894), inherited most of Brabson's Ferry Plantation. Benjamin and Thomas built more elaborate houses (in 1856 and 1854, respectively), and in 1852 established a company, Brabson and Brother, that operated a general store, tannery
, blacksmith shop, gristmill
, and stagecoach stop for local farmers and stagecoach traffic using the family's ferry.
While most of Sevier County supported the Union
during the U.S. Civil War (96% of the county voted against secession in 1861), the Brabsons supported the Confederacy. Benjamin Brabson's son, William, enlisted in the Confederate army, and in 1863 was captured by the Union Army while fighting near Muscle Shoals
. Toward the end of the war, as Union forces re-gained control of East Tennessee, vengeful Sevier Countians began harassing and threatening the Brabsons. Most of the family's livestock were stolen, the plantation houses were looted, and family members were forced to flee. In an October 1865 letter, Benjamin Brabson's wife, Elizabeth (1821–1894), wrote, "they rocked my house so, burned my carriage, and fired my outbuildings, they also shot at me several times." Thomas Brabson and his wife moved to Knoxville
, where there had been more sympathy for the Confederacy. Benjamin Brabson moved to Winchester, Tennessee
, writing in 1865 that his future looked "dark." He died a few months later, and, according to his wishes, was buried in Winchester rather than the family cemetery in Boyds Creek.
After Benjamin Brabson's death, his family returned to Sevier County and began rebuilding the family's plantation, largely through the efforts of his son William (1842–1888). Benjamin's son, John Brabson IV (1858–1943), assumed ownership of the plantation after his mother's death, and made several modifications to the Benjamin Brabson house. By 1900, Brabson's Ferry had again become a major center of local commerce. After the death of John Brabson IV, his son Benjamin Davis Brabson III (1905-1982) and his wife, Estalena Rogers Brabson (1912-1989), took over ownership and operation of the farm until Benjamin's death in 1982. Estalena maintained an enthusiastic interest in geneaology and family history, and published several books, including: John Brabson I, Patriot of the American Revolution And Some of His Descendants (1975) which chronicles the origins of Brabson's Ferry Plantation. Estalena was responsible for placing Brabson's Ferry Plantation on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The farm is currently managed by Benjamin Brabson's great-grandson, Ben D. Brabson, Jr., and his wife, Elaine, and in 2008 was designated a Tennessee Pioneer Century farm. The Brabson farm produces beef cattle, wheat, oats, corn, hay, and soybeans.
Brabson's Ferry Plantation contains several notable antebellum structures, including both the Benjamin Brabson and Thomas Brabson houses, a late-18th century plank house, a frame tannery building, a 19th-century barn, and a late-18th century log cabin. The center of the farm, which contains the Benjamin Brabson house, plank house, and barn, is situated along a gravel driveway just off Indian Warpath Road. The Benjamin Brabson house once overlooked Brabson's Ferry along the French Broad River. The Thomas Brabson house overlooks the junction of Indian Warpath Road and Highway 338, where the Brabsons' tannery, blacksmith shop, and storehouse once stood. Slave houses (no longer standing) were once located on the east side of Indian Warpath Road between Highway 338 and the gravel driveway, and at least one once stood between the Benjamin Brabson house and the river.
The Brabson plank house was built by either Andrew Evans or John Brabson sometime between 1790 and 1810. The plank house was constructed using an odd technique known as piece-sur-piece construction, which involves stacking horizontal planks and tying them in with vertical posts. In the 19th century, the plank house was moved from its original location and renovated for use as a carriage house. A large double-door was added to the front, and the chimney was removed. A hewn log cabin, possibly built by John Brabson in the late 18th century, originally stood near the river but was moved to its present site near the cemetery in the 19th century.
The Thomas Brabson house, built in 1854, is a two-story Federal-style
house with a Greek Revival
portico. A 1.5-story kitchen wing is attached to the rear of the house to create an "L" shape. Square doric columns grace the house's portico. The Benjamin Brabson house, built in 1856, was originally a Federal-style house similar to the Thomas Brabson house, although a Victorian
porch and Queen Anne-style gable were added to the front of the house in the 1890s. Both houses contain most of their original design elements, including large post-and-lintel mantels and open "dog-leg" staircases.
Century Farm
A Century Farm or Centennial Farm is a farm or ranch in the United States or Canada that has been officially recognized by a regional program documenting the farm has been continuously owned by a single family for 100 years or more...
and former antebellum plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
near the U.S. city of Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville, Tennessee
Sevierville is a city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 11,757 at the 2000 United States Census; in 2004 the estimated population was 14,101. Sevierville is the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee....
. Located at what was once a strategic crossing of the French Broad River
French Broad River
The French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
, by 1860 the plantation had become one of the largest in East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
, and one of the few in the region that rivalled the large plantations of the Deep South in size and influence. The farm remains in operation, and several of its historic structures— including two plantation houses and an 18th-century plank house— have been added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
John Brabson II (1773–1848) established Brabson's Ferry Plantation after purchasing the plantation's namesake ferry in 1798, and acquired the surrounding fertile farmland over subsequent decades. Brabson's sons continued operating the plantation after his death, and established a business that catered to the ferry's traffic. As the Brabsons supported the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
during the U.S. Civil War, their plantation was looted by Sevier County Unionists and toward the end of the war most members of the family were forced to flee. Several eventually returned, however, and by the end of the 19th century had rebuilt the plantation and ferry. The Brabson family still owns and manages the farm.
Location
Brabson's Ferry Plantation is located at the confluence of Boyds Creek and the French Broad River in the Boyds CreekBoyds Creek, Tennessee
Boyds Creek is an unincorporated community in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is named for a small southward-flowing tributary of the French Broad River of the same name, which itself derives its name from a Virginian trader killed by a band of Cherokee Indians whose body was thrown...
community a few miles northwest of Sevierville. State Highway 338 (Boyds Creek Highway, or Old Knoxville Highway) passes along the plantation's southern boundary, and Indian Warpath Road traverses its western section. The Brabson Cemetery is located atop a steep hill with a sweeping view of the French Broad River on the north end of the plantation.
History
Highway 338 follows what was once a stretch of the Great Indian WarpathGreat Indian Warpath
The Great Indian Warpath — also known as the Great Indian War and Trading Path, or the Seneca Trail — was that part of the network of trails in eastern North America developed and used by Native Americans which ran through the Great Appalachian Valley...
, a trail used for centuries by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
travelling up and down the Tennessee Valley
Tennessee Valley
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to northwest Georgia and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina...
. The ancient path crossed the French Broad River at a ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
near the mouth of Boyds Creek. In 1780, John Sevier
John Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
crossed at this ford to engage and defeat a Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
force at the Battle of Boyds Creek. In the early 1790s, an early pioneer named Andrew Evans established a ferry and a 250 acres (101.2 ha) farm at the Boyds Creek ford. John Brabson, who migrated to the area from Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
, purchased the Evans farm and ferry in 1798.
Brabson continued acquiring land in the early 19th century. By the time of his death in 1848, he owned 5000 acres (2,023.4 ha), making him one of the largest landholders in East Tennessee. He was also one of the region's largest slaveholders, with 49 slaves, most of whom were split up among his children (Brabson's will emancipated only one elderly slave). One of Brabson's sons, Reese Bowen Brabson
Reese Bowen Brabson
Reese Bowen Brabson was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 3rd congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:...
(1817–1863), moved to Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
in 1848, and was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1858. John Brabson's daughter, Mary, and son-in-law, Robert Hodsden, established the Rose Glen
Rose Glen (Sevierville, Tennessee)
Rose Glen was an antebellum plantation in Sevier County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. At its height, Rose Glen was one of the largest and most lucrative farms in Sevier County, and one of the most productive in East Tennessee...
plantation in the 1840s just east of Sevierville. Brabson's two eldest surviving sons, Benjamin (1809–1866) and Thomas (1813–1894), inherited most of Brabson's Ferry Plantation. Benjamin and Thomas built more elaborate houses (in 1856 and 1854, respectively), and in 1852 established a company, Brabson and Brother, that operated a general store, tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
, blacksmith shop, gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, and stagecoach stop for local farmers and stagecoach traffic using the family's ferry.
While most of Sevier County supported the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
during the U.S. Civil War (96% of the county voted against secession in 1861), the Brabsons supported the Confederacy. Benjamin Brabson's son, William, enlisted in the Confederate army, and in 1863 was captured by the Union Army while fighting near Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
. Toward the end of the war, as Union forces re-gained control of East Tennessee, vengeful Sevier Countians began harassing and threatening the Brabsons. Most of the family's livestock were stolen, the plantation houses were looted, and family members were forced to flee. In an October 1865 letter, Benjamin Brabson's wife, Elizabeth (1821–1894), wrote, "they rocked my house so, burned my carriage, and fired my outbuildings, they also shot at me several times." Thomas Brabson and his wife moved to Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, where there had been more sympathy for the Confederacy. Benjamin Brabson moved to Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, writing in 1865 that his future looked "dark." He died a few months later, and, according to his wishes, was buried in Winchester rather than the family cemetery in Boyds Creek.
After Benjamin Brabson's death, his family returned to Sevier County and began rebuilding the family's plantation, largely through the efforts of his son William (1842–1888). Benjamin's son, John Brabson IV (1858–1943), assumed ownership of the plantation after his mother's death, and made several modifications to the Benjamin Brabson house. By 1900, Brabson's Ferry had again become a major center of local commerce. After the death of John Brabson IV, his son Benjamin Davis Brabson III (1905-1982) and his wife, Estalena Rogers Brabson (1912-1989), took over ownership and operation of the farm until Benjamin's death in 1982. Estalena maintained an enthusiastic interest in geneaology and family history, and published several books, including: John Brabson I, Patriot of the American Revolution And Some of His Descendants (1975) which chronicles the origins of Brabson's Ferry Plantation. Estalena was responsible for placing Brabson's Ferry Plantation on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The farm is currently managed by Benjamin Brabson's great-grandson, Ben D. Brabson, Jr., and his wife, Elaine, and in 2008 was designated a Tennessee Pioneer Century farm. The Brabson farm produces beef cattle, wheat, oats, corn, hay, and soybeans.
Historical structures
The Brabson plank house was built by either Andrew Evans or John Brabson sometime between 1790 and 1810. The plank house was constructed using an odd technique known as piece-sur-piece construction, which involves stacking horizontal planks and tying them in with vertical posts. In the 19th century, the plank house was moved from its original location and renovated for use as a carriage house. A large double-door was added to the front, and the chimney was removed. A hewn log cabin, possibly built by John Brabson in the late 18th century, originally stood near the river but was moved to its present site near the cemetery in the 19th century.
The Thomas Brabson house, built in 1854, is a two-story Federal-style
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
house with a Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
portico. A 1.5-story kitchen wing is attached to the rear of the house to create an "L" shape. Square doric columns grace the house's portico. The Benjamin Brabson house, built in 1856, was originally a Federal-style house similar to the Thomas Brabson house, although a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
porch and Queen Anne-style gable were added to the front of the house in the 1890s. Both houses contain most of their original design elements, including large post-and-lintel mantels and open "dog-leg" staircases.
External links
- John Brabson — entry at Smokykin.com (also contains copy of Brabson's will)
- Postcard image of Brabson's Ferry