Rattle & Snap Plantation, Tennessee, United States

5Taylor B 5:00 PM Nov 7, 2016

How do you get a name like that?
Rattle and Snap is the largest, most extravagant antebellum mansion in Maury County, Tennessee, an area that is described as "the antebellum homes capital of Tennessee," most of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. So how did Rattle and Snap acquire a name like that? According to legend, the land on which the mansion was built was won from the governor of North Carolina in a game of chance called "Rattle and Snap." Located on Andrew Jackson Highway, or Tennessee State Route 243, near Columbia, Rattle and Snap was built in 1845 by George Washington Polk, a relative of President James K. Polk. The Greek Revival mansion was the centerpiece of a plantation that originally covered 5,648 acres. Built by slave labor, it is made of limestone and brick, surrounded by 10 26-foot Corinthian columns on the north veranda and standing 2 1/2 stories tall. Rattle and Snap survived the Civil War but the Polk family went bankrupt and sold the property to Joseph John Granbery in 1867. The Granberys lived in the mansion for over 50 years. It was designated a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The house is L-shaped with four porches, an intricate iron portico on the east side and an entry with four "Temple of the Winds" columns on the west side. Amon C. Evans purchased the property in 1979 and spent several years restoring it, as near as possible, to its original splendor. It is furnished with period pieces, some of which were originally owned by the Polk family. For details, access rattleandsnapplantation.com. Visitors must call in advance for reservations at 931-379-1700.