Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art

Maxwell House Dynasty's Nashville Mansion Offers Art in Many Forms

May 29, 2009

Perched atop a gentle slope of the 55-acre estate is Cheekwood Mansion, former home to one of Nashville's most celebrated families and a haven for the arts.

At the turn of the 20th century, Leslie and Mabel Wood Cheek were the beau monde of Nashville society. Mabel hailed from a prominent Clarksville family and Leslie was a partner in his father's grocery business. The couple also invested in brother Joel Cheek's coffee business, then a fledgling company that produced a superior coffee dubbed “Maxwell House.” Legend has it President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the blend “good to the last drop,” prompting the trademarked tagline that identifies the brand to this day. It was funds from the $40 million sale of Maxwell House parent company, Cheek-Neal Coffee to what is now General Foods that paid for the construction of Cheekwood. Leslie lived there just two years before his death. In 1943, Mabel deeded the home to the couple’s daughter Huldah Creek Sharp (the Cheeks also had a son, Leslie, Jr.). During the 1950s, Sharp offered the mansion as a botanical garden and art museum, opened to the public in 1960.

Today, Cheekwood reflects the grandeur of its namesakes as one of Nashville’s most beloved cultural institutions. The stately mansion is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and its antiques, art galleries and botanical gardens offer a quiet respite and an enriching learning experience.

Inside the Cheekwood Mansion

A step over the threshold of the 30,000-square-foot Cheekwood mansion is a step back into time. Many of the rooms retain their 1930s look with the same antique furnishings and fixtures hand-picked by Mabel and often inspired by the couple’s international travels. The Cheeks chose nationally renowned architect Bryant Fleming and made several trips to England to choose the type of home, garden and furnishings. According to newspaper accounts of the day, it took eight railroad freight cars to deliver doors, door frames, handrails, ironwork, mantels, wall panels, molding, chandeliers, tapestries and furniture that would adorn the home. Family records indicate several purchases through prominent London dealer Edward Duveen.

Perhaps most visually striking is the ornamental ironwork that graces the spiral staircase and Wisteria Arbor that leads from the mansion into the south gardens. Cheekwood was Phillip Kerrigan, Jr.’s first major commission and he subsequently became a sought-after craftsman. Many of the rooms make up the art gallery, showcasing a permanent collection of 19th and 20th century American Art, primarily works by major Tennessee –area artists. Varied special exhibits have included works by sculptor William Edmondson, the first African American artist to land a solo exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art; a collection of the famed Fabergé eggs; and artist Easton Selby’s “Rootwork” series, a reflection of the religious beliefs, mysticism and magic associated with Southern soil.

Take a stroll through the Cheekwood Gardens

Outside the mansion is a seasonal display of nature’s art. Various gardens feature colorful annual, perennials and tropicals; varieties of dogwoods; culinary and household herbs; water plants and wildflowers. A favorite is the “Shomu-en” Japanese garden, which begins with an open gate as a sign of welcome. Its four sections include a dark bamboo forest, gingkos, maples and waterfalls.

The Carrell Woodland Sculpture Trail offers a mile-long walk lined with red cedar, osage orange, oak and hickory trees, Japanese busy honeysuckle, wildflowers, persimmon and sassafras trees. It’s a popular spot among avid walkers, joggers and runners.

Cheekwood is available for special events including weddings and corporate parties. Visitors enjoy lunch at the Pineapple Room Restaurant overlooking Cheekwood’s west lawn or boxed lunches at picnic tables near the Water Garden. Family-friendly programs are designed to make learning about art and nature fun. And the annual Swan Ball is one of Southern high society’s grandest events.

The copyright of the article Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art in Tennessee Travel is owned by Devan Stuart. Permission to republish Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.