Pastoral Preservation
Nashville's historic Cheekwood, built with native limestone, is a city-side oasis.
by Jennifer Kornegay

In Nashville, amid the ever-expanding city’s hustle and bustle, sits an oasis called Cheekwood, a stunning, early 1930s mansion resting on 55 acres of lovely gardens and grounds. Influenced by great British manor houses, the architecture of Cheek Mansion isn’t confined to any one recognized style. Instead, it’s a visually pleasing blend of inspirations and ideas fashioned from rough-hewn Tennessee limestone and including many old-world antique materials and fixtures (doors, chandeliers and more) that were reclaimed and reused in the “new” build. Perhaps its most interesting design element is its relationship to its landscape; architect Bryan Fleming positioned windows throughout to provide stunning vistas of the bucolic scenes outside.
Cheekwood Estate’s aesthetic appeal is a draw, but so is its paradoxical nature. Located only eight miles from downtown Nashville, it feels a world away. The property is packed to bursting with historical significance — it’s considered one of the finest remaining examples of American country-place-era estates in the U.S. — and yet it doesn’t feel stuffy or serious. It’s a repository of the past, but also an expansive celebration of art, including contemporary sculpture. And once a refined home and playground for one family and their friends, today it’s a place for everyone, especially kids and kids at heart, as evidenced by many of its child-centric seasonal exhibitions and programs.
“Cheekwood ties art, gardens, architecture, and history all together, creating this multi-layered, multi-faced experience,” says Jane MacLeod, Cheekwood’s president and CEO.
Today, the estate often graces lists of the “must-sees” in the music city, but its story begins almost a century ago.
“It was built during a time period when entrepreneurs around the country were amassing great wealth,” Jane says. “They would travel to Europe and then come home and build grand estates similar to what they had seen abroad.”
America’s country-era estates were known for the size and opulence of the houses, the details of their formal gardens and the large tracts of pastoral land surrounding them, ensuring unimpeded views of nature.
“There are other country-ere estates in existence, but very few still have the land around them, which was an integral part of their original design,” Jane says.
IN THE BEGINNING
After Leslie Cheek built his fortune with a grocery store empire (and some well-timed investments in his cousin’s coffee business, Maxwell House), he and his wife Mabel Wood embarked on the construction of Cheek Mansion and Cheekwood in 1929; the estate’s name was derived by marrying their last names. It was completed in 1932, and the Cheek family lived happily at Cheekwood for decades. It was eventually passed down to Mabel and Leslie’s daughter, Huldah. She and her husband offered to allow the house and property to be turned into a museum, and the estate opened to public in 1960.
Now, Cheekwood is multiple things. As a botanical garden, it boasts 13 distinct growing areas, including a Japanese garden, a world-class children’s garden and a certified arboretum (the grounds support 30 species of trees and shrubs). The downstairs of the mansion is a house museum, furnished as the family would have lived in it during the 1930s. Upstairs, Cheekwood’s permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art, including the works of major regional and Tennessee artists, is on display.
A 1.5-mile looped trail winds its way through the shade of a wooded glen where contemporary art provides a juxtaposition with the traditional architecture of the house. Cheekwood also maintains a calendar packed with special events and festivals.
Its greenspaces alone are worth a visit, according to Jane.
“We have five floral seasons, and there’s almost always something different to see outdoors,” she says.
Autumn brings Cheekwood Harvest, complete with a pumpkin village festooned with mums and a pumpkin patch for picking a gourd to take home. The holidays are all a-twinkle with more than one million lights illuming a 1-mile garden path. Exotic orchids unfold in February. In spring, more than 250,000 bulbs show off, as do favorite Southern species like dogwoods and azaleas. And every summer brings a rainbow of colorful blooms, including roses and wildflowers, as well as a new art exhibit.
TROLLING FOR SUMMER FUN
This year, Cheekwood presents “TROLLS: Save the Humans,” which opened May 2 and runs through September 1.
The exhibit features a tribe of six friendly trolls placed throughout the grounds. Dreamed up and built by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, the gentle giants (they range from 16 to 50 feet tall) are made from recycled materials like scrap wood, pieces of used pallets and bits and branches from downed trees.
“I think ‘TROLLS’ will appeal to people ages 2 to 102; everyone is going to enjoy them,” Jane says. “And it’s perfect for Cheekwood, as it aligns with our mission to showcase nature and art.”
The outdoor installation mixes the whimsical and fantastical with an important message.
“The trolls see that humans have become disconnected from nature and are harming the planet, and they want to inspire people to change,” Jane says.
MacLeod loves the larger-than-life aspect of the exhibit, noting how the sheer novelty should turn on imaginations.

“I believe the trolls will delight the child in all of us and really resonate,” she says.
While she’s excited to see Cheekwood visitors enjoy “TROLLS,” she stresses that there’s magic at the estate all year long. “We’re always inviting people to come anytime and to come often,” she says.
She shared her favorite place: “The one sight everyone needs to see is the wisteria arbor. It’s at the crest of a hill and provides a stunning view of the reflecting pool and surrounding rolling landscapes,” she says. “But there are so many spots full of beauty and fun. Cheekwood is a wonderful place to make memories.”
To learn more and plan your trip, visit the Cheekwood Historic Estate and Gardens website.