The first, or original, Hermitage was the seat of a 1,000-acre cotton plantation where Andrew Jackson lived when he became an American military hero during the War of 1812. During the war, Jackson called to arms the “Tennessee Volunteers,” which became the state’s famous nickname. Jackson’s celebrity status propelled him to the White House as the 7th U.S. president, serving two terms in 1829-1837. Presidential scholars often rank Jackson alongside George Washington and Thomas Jefferson as one of the nation’s most important presidents.
Jackson hired master builders to construct the Hermitage Mansion and Garden in three phases between 1819-1837. The stately Greek Revival-style architecture and landscaped grounds made this a national icon of Jacksonian America, the historical era couched between the Revolutionary War and the American Civil War.
In 1855-56, the state of Tennessee purchased The Hermitage from Andrew Jackson, Jr. in order to ensure its future preservation. This was the first government-funded historic preservation project in the U.S. Opened to the public in 1889 and containing 1,120 acres, it is one of the oldest and largest historic presidential museums in the nation. 
