The Brevard-Macon house was eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C as a locally significant example of vernacular Queen Anne architecture in Woodbury, Cannon County, Tennessee.
Historically isolated from major transportation corridors in the post Civil War decades, Woodbury developed in the late nineteenth century as a small rural county seat. In 1886, for example, the town's population was placed at 600, with about a dozen businesses in operation. The county lacked a railroad and relied instead on local turnpikes that connected the town to the nearest railroad at Murfreesboro as well as the county's second largest commercial center, the town of Auburntown. In 1896, William Ferrell Brevard, born in 1857, located his stylish Victorian home at the western outskirts of Woodbury in a small 'suburb' known still today as Edgefield, at the point where the roads to Auburntown (Highway 145) and Murfreesboro (US70S) met.
Brevard was an important figure in local commercial markets. A miller for twenty-five years, he built the first flour rolling mills in Cannon County, which operated a few hundred yards south of his house on a fork of the Stones River. Brevard supplemented his income through a political patronage post as a local U.S. Commissioner of Revenur for several years.
In 1904, Brevard moved into Woodbury by swapping homes with his mother, Margaret Ferrell Brevard and his brothers Ernest and Lewis. The mother and sons stayed in the house until her death in 1918 when the sons sold the house to R.H. Bryson who sold it again (by early 1920's) to Horace Fugitte.
Locally prominent freighter and businessman E.L. 'Vanderbilt' Macon, the brother of country music legend 'Uncle Dave' Macon, acquired the house in 1926. He then built for his business several outbuildings, which remain and contribute to the property's significance.
Historically isolated from major transportation corridors in the post Civil War decades, Woodbury developed in the late nineteenth century as a small rural county seat. In 1886, for example, the town's population was placed at 600, with about a dozen businesses in operation. The county lacked a railroad and relied instead on local turnpikes that connected the town to the nearest railroad at Murfreesboro as well as the county's second largest commercial center, the town of Auburntown. In 1896, William Ferrell Brevard, born in 1857, located his stylish Victorian home at the western outskirts of Woodbury in a small 'suburb' known still today as Edgefield, at the point where the roads to Auburntown (Highway 145) and Murfreesboro (US70S) met.
Brevard was an important figure in local commercial markets. A miller for twenty-five years, he built the first flour rolling mills in Cannon County, which operated a few hundred yards south of his house on a fork of the Stones River. Brevard supplemented his income through a political patronage post as a local U.S. Commissioner of Revenur for several years.
In 1904, Brevard moved into Woodbury by swapping homes with his mother, Margaret Ferrell Brevard and his brothers Ernest and Lewis. The mother and sons stayed in the house until her death in 1918 when the sons sold the house to R.H. Bryson who sold it again (by early 1920's) to Horace Fugitte.
Locally prominent freighter and businessman E.L. 'Vanderbilt' Macon, the brother of country music legend 'Uncle Dave' Macon, acquired the house in 1926. He then built for his business several outbuildings, which remain and contribute to the property's significance.
The Brevard-Macon house is situated on top of a hill on a 1.6 acre lot located at the norwest corner of US 70S (Main Street) and Auburntown Road at 902 West Main Street in Woodbury, Cannon County, Tennessee. This two-story vernacular Queen Anne house was built in 1896 for William F. Brevard, who owned a flour mill located within a few hundred yards of the house and just across Murfreesboro Road. It sits in a well-landscaped lot whose size has not changed since the establishment of the property in 1896. Most plantings and trees date to, at least, the mid-1920's. The house is weatherboard, with a steeply-pitched, multiplaned, embossed tin roof, which dates to circa 1926. It has three interior brick corbeled chimneys. It stands on its original likestone foundation and concrete steps (circa 1926) lead to the front porch.
The front (or south facade) is dominated by a two-story front-facing gabled bay, which is adjacent to the main entrance door. This bay has three symmetrically placed original double-hung one over sash windows, with plain lintels, on the first floor and on the second floor. Aluminum storm windows cover these. The bay is weatherboard on the first two floors, but its pediment is covered with fish-scale shingles and decorative Eastlake-like consoles connecting the pediment to the second story of the house. The pediment has a center louvered vent. A symmetrically placed door on the second floor matches the primary entrance on the first floor. Near the east corner is a second original door which opens into a first floor bedroom. An original double-deck Victorian-styled spindlework veranda wraps around the south facade to connect to the two-story gabled bay on the east elevation. Its spindled frieze is original as are its four slender turned posts, with lace like brackets, that support a turned spindle railing on both the first and second floors. At the southeast corner of the porch is a gabled pediment, which adds significantly to the vernacular Queen Anne appearance of the front facade. Below the pediment are two symmetrically placed one-over-one, double-hung sash windows, one on the first floor and one on the second floor.
The east elevation also is dominated by a two-story projecting gabled bay which has the same features as the south facade bay. Also visible to the north is the enclosed (circa 1970) rear porch of the dwelling. The porch has paired, double-hung sash, two-over-two, horizontal, aluminum windows with sidelights.
The north elevation shows the original kitchen wing of the dwelling as well as the enclosed porch from about 1970. Before its enclosure, the porch was screened with wire mesh and had a wooden deck. The porch enclosure is beveled but laid in compatible size to the original weatherboard of the house. The porch elevation consists primarily of five connected two over two horizontal double hung sash aluminum windows. To the immediate west of the windows is a rear entrance door, with a modern screen door. West of the porch is the original kitchen wing, which has a single symmetrically placed original one over one double hung sash window. The wing has a steep gable roof outline and in circa 1970 an unadorned shed porch was added to the est end of the kitchen wing. Interestingly, no windows were placed on the second floor visible on the north elevation. Two original interior chimneys are visible as well as the chimney outlet for the stove in the kitchen wing.
The west elevation of the house shows the kitchen wing of the dwelling as well as two bays on the main section of the house. The kitchen wing is either original to the initial construction date or added shortly after construction. According to the family, the wing existed before the Macons acquired the property in 1926. The kitchen wing has an original centered entrance door, which now has, in addition, a modern screen door. The unadorned shed porch added in about 1970 is visible. On the main section of the house, the north windows on the first and second floors are paired, double-hung one over one sash windows. The upper floor windows are hooded by metal awnings added in about 1970.
The hardware and decorative detail of the interior exhibit a high degree of integrity. Original hardwood floors are intact as well as original ten inch baseboards, doors, mantels, door surrounds, window surrounds, doors with glass transoms, and wooden ceilings. There is Eastlake interior detail. The spindlework grille divides the entrance hall and parlor from the rest of the first floor. The grille is similar to one (R2211) found in "Roberts' Illustrated Millwork Catalog' a turn-of-the-century source book of architectural woodwork produced by the E.L. Roberts and Company. Another late Victorian decorative is the Bull's Eye head blocks on each original door surround. These are similar to ones (R1135 1/2) found in the Roberts Catalog. Throughout the house, the decorative woodwork has been stained a dark brown, its original color.
The first floor interior reflects a typical Queen Anne floor plan. On the first floor, the entrance hall opens to the east to a large open room, probably used as an informal waiting or greeting area.
Immediately across the hall is the more formal parlor, which could be closed off by original picket sliding five-paneled doors. The original Neoclassical styled mantle, with its two small Doric columns and blue/beige tilework surrounding the fireplace, is intact.
Immediately north of the parlor doors is an original Eastlake-styled door with transom that leads into the original dining room. The mantle in the dining room is also original, but it lacks the Neoclassical detailing of the parlor mantle.
A door in the north wall of the dining room leads to the original kitchen. With its unadorned clapboard walls, intact operating c.1926 plumbing, and attached stove, the room is a remarkable document of the typical appearance of a turn-of-the-century kitchen. Its windows and doorways are adorned with decorative Bull's Eye molding.
The first floor's central staircase, with its decorative turned posts, divides the parlor, dining room, and kitchen from the east side of the dwelling. An original door leads to a small storage area under the staircase.
On the east side of the first floor is the master bedroom. It has an original closet door which flanks the west side of the original mantle and fireplace. The original rear entrance door, with its decorative bulls-eye molding and transom, now leads to the enclose porch.
The porch was enclosed in 1970. The exterior clapboarding is still evident, but vinyl tiles now cover the floor, a drop ceiling has been added in addition to fake wood paneling on the west and north walls. This is the only significantly altered space on the first floor.
Between the porch and the first floor bedroom is the dwelling's bathroom. Vinyl tiles cover the floor and the hardware in this room dates to circa 1970.
On the second floor, there are three original bedrooms centered around a large open area over the first floor. These rooms are now used for storage and all, except for the southern most room, retain their original mantles, flooring, and decorative Bull's Eye head blocks over the windows and doors, ave for the southern most room. The ceilings have been covered with accoustical tiles. In the southern most room, the original mantle has been removed at an unknown date and replaced by a crude and unpainted wooden mantle.
The house is in good structural condition. The only significant alteration to the house was the enclosure of the back porch in about 1970.
The lot is landscaped with oak and magnolia trees shading the structure. There are five wooden outbuildings with tin roofs and a wooden barn with a tin roof located on the property. E.L. Macon built these six buildings in 1926. The buildings are located to the immediate rear (north) of the house and extend west to the graveled driveway of the property. The wooden frame shed roof privy (c) is located to the rear of the kitchen wing. To the west stand the wooden frame gable roof garage (c), a wooden frame shed and roof storage shed (c), a wooden frame shed roof granary (c), and a wooden frame gable roof bar (c). These historic outbuildings, associated with the freighting business of the Macon family, retain their historical integrity and are contributing elements in this nomination.
Two outbuildings are non-contributing. To the northeast of the kitchen wing is a wooden shed room storage building for the garden utensils that has been enclosed with a metal front (nc, due to alteration). On the west side, adjacent to the kitchen, is a stone water pumphouse, built in about 1960, that is now covered in ivy (nc, due to date).
The front (or south facade) is dominated by a two-story front-facing gabled bay, which is adjacent to the main entrance door. This bay has three symmetrically placed original double-hung one over sash windows, with plain lintels, on the first floor and on the second floor. Aluminum storm windows cover these. The bay is weatherboard on the first two floors, but its pediment is covered with fish-scale shingles and decorative Eastlake-like consoles connecting the pediment to the second story of the house. The pediment has a center louvered vent. A symmetrically placed door on the second floor matches the primary entrance on the first floor. Near the east corner is a second original door which opens into a first floor bedroom. An original double-deck Victorian-styled spindlework veranda wraps around the south facade to connect to the two-story gabled bay on the east elevation. Its spindled frieze is original as are its four slender turned posts, with lace like brackets, that support a turned spindle railing on both the first and second floors. At the southeast corner of the porch is a gabled pediment, which adds significantly to the vernacular Queen Anne appearance of the front facade. Below the pediment are two symmetrically placed one-over-one, double-hung sash windows, one on the first floor and one on the second floor.
The east elevation also is dominated by a two-story projecting gabled bay which has the same features as the south facade bay. Also visible to the north is the enclosed (circa 1970) rear porch of the dwelling. The porch has paired, double-hung sash, two-over-two, horizontal, aluminum windows with sidelights.
The north elevation shows the original kitchen wing of the dwelling as well as the enclosed porch from about 1970. Before its enclosure, the porch was screened with wire mesh and had a wooden deck. The porch enclosure is beveled but laid in compatible size to the original weatherboard of the house. The porch elevation consists primarily of five connected two over two horizontal double hung sash aluminum windows. To the immediate west of the windows is a rear entrance door, with a modern screen door. West of the porch is the original kitchen wing, which has a single symmetrically placed original one over one double hung sash window. The wing has a steep gable roof outline and in circa 1970 an unadorned shed porch was added to the est end of the kitchen wing. Interestingly, no windows were placed on the second floor visible on the north elevation. Two original interior chimneys are visible as well as the chimney outlet for the stove in the kitchen wing.
The west elevation of the house shows the kitchen wing of the dwelling as well as two bays on the main section of the house. The kitchen wing is either original to the initial construction date or added shortly after construction. According to the family, the wing existed before the Macons acquired the property in 1926. The kitchen wing has an original centered entrance door, which now has, in addition, a modern screen door. The unadorned shed porch added in about 1970 is visible. On the main section of the house, the north windows on the first and second floors are paired, double-hung one over one sash windows. The upper floor windows are hooded by metal awnings added in about 1970.
The hardware and decorative detail of the interior exhibit a high degree of integrity. Original hardwood floors are intact as well as original ten inch baseboards, doors, mantels, door surrounds, window surrounds, doors with glass transoms, and wooden ceilings. There is Eastlake interior detail. The spindlework grille divides the entrance hall and parlor from the rest of the first floor. The grille is similar to one (R2211) found in "Roberts' Illustrated Millwork Catalog' a turn-of-the-century source book of architectural woodwork produced by the E.L. Roberts and Company. Another late Victorian decorative is the Bull's Eye head blocks on each original door surround. These are similar to ones (R1135 1/2) found in the Roberts Catalog. Throughout the house, the decorative woodwork has been stained a dark brown, its original color.
The first floor interior reflects a typical Queen Anne floor plan. On the first floor, the entrance hall opens to the east to a large open room, probably used as an informal waiting or greeting area.
Immediately across the hall is the more formal parlor, which could be closed off by original picket sliding five-paneled doors. The original Neoclassical styled mantle, with its two small Doric columns and blue/beige tilework surrounding the fireplace, is intact.
Immediately north of the parlor doors is an original Eastlake-styled door with transom that leads into the original dining room. The mantle in the dining room is also original, but it lacks the Neoclassical detailing of the parlor mantle.
A door in the north wall of the dining room leads to the original kitchen. With its unadorned clapboard walls, intact operating c.1926 plumbing, and attached stove, the room is a remarkable document of the typical appearance of a turn-of-the-century kitchen. Its windows and doorways are adorned with decorative Bull's Eye molding.
The first floor's central staircase, with its decorative turned posts, divides the parlor, dining room, and kitchen from the east side of the dwelling. An original door leads to a small storage area under the staircase.
On the east side of the first floor is the master bedroom. It has an original closet door which flanks the west side of the original mantle and fireplace. The original rear entrance door, with its decorative bulls-eye molding and transom, now leads to the enclose porch.
The porch was enclosed in 1970. The exterior clapboarding is still evident, but vinyl tiles now cover the floor, a drop ceiling has been added in addition to fake wood paneling on the west and north walls. This is the only significantly altered space on the first floor.
Between the porch and the first floor bedroom is the dwelling's bathroom. Vinyl tiles cover the floor and the hardware in this room dates to circa 1970.
On the second floor, there are three original bedrooms centered around a large open area over the first floor. These rooms are now used for storage and all, except for the southern most room, retain their original mantles, flooring, and decorative Bull's Eye head blocks over the windows and doors, ave for the southern most room. The ceilings have been covered with accoustical tiles. In the southern most room, the original mantle has been removed at an unknown date and replaced by a crude and unpainted wooden mantle.
The house is in good structural condition. The only significant alteration to the house was the enclosure of the back porch in about 1970.
The lot is landscaped with oak and magnolia trees shading the structure. There are five wooden outbuildings with tin roofs and a wooden barn with a tin roof located on the property. E.L. Macon built these six buildings in 1926. The buildings are located to the immediate rear (north) of the house and extend west to the graveled driveway of the property. The wooden frame shed roof privy (c) is located to the rear of the kitchen wing. To the west stand the wooden frame gable roof garage (c), a wooden frame shed and roof storage shed (c), a wooden frame shed roof granary (c), and a wooden frame gable roof bar (c). These historic outbuildings, associated with the freighting business of the Macon family, retain their historical integrity and are contributing elements in this nomination.
Two outbuildings are non-contributing. To the northeast of the kitchen wing is a wooden shed room storage building for the garden utensils that has been enclosed with a metal front (nc, due to alteration). On the west side, adjacent to the kitchen, is a stone water pumphouse, built in about 1960, that is now covered in ivy (nc, due to date).