Computer Repair in Hermitage

Andrew Jackson purchased a 425-acre property from Nathaniel Hays in 1804 and dubbed it “the Hermitage.” The farm contained several enslaved individuals. He and his spouse, Rachel, established residence in a collection of timber structures situated on the farm.

Several years after Jackson was hailed as a national hero during the War of 1812, in 1819, Rachel selected a secluded meadow as the location for the original Hermitage residence. The initial residence comprised two stories and featured two expansive, symmetrical central corridors.

Each level comprised four apartments. There was a master bedroom, two parlours, and a dining room on the first floor; four chambers were located on the second. In addition, nine fireplaces, a subterranean kitchen, metal gutters, and a portico adorned the residence.

Garden of Hermitage

The garden was Rachel Jackson’s favourite location at the hermitage. Her flower-filled garden included crepe myrtles, irises, roses, peonies, geraniums, daisies, and irises.

Fruit trees, berry shrubs, herbs, vines, and vegetables were all part of the original English-style garden that William Frost created. Jackson was moved by Rachel’s affection for the garden and wanted to intermeet her in it following her passing.

Redesign of the Hermitage

Jackson was sworn in as president of the United States in 1828. During his tumultuous presidential campaign, Rachel regrettably fell ill and passed away on December 22, 1828.

Jackson, who assumed the White House as a widower and was profoundly devastated, found solace within the confines of the White House by overseeing an extensive restoration of the Hermitage.

13 additional apartments were added to the mansion. One-story extensions were incorporated onto both sides of the residence. Jackson utilized the library and office in the east wing to accomplish the following during his retirement: correspondence writing, reading, and overseeing the daily operations of his plantation. In the west wing, an additional dining room and larder were located. In the rear yard, a smokehouse and kitchen were appended.

Restoration of the Hermitage

A chimney fire devastated the Hermitage in 1834, while Jackson was still in the White House. The eastern and central portions of the residence were completely obliterated. Jackson commissioned architects William C. Hume and Joseph Reiff to redesign the mansion in the manner of the Greek Revivalists, including modified Corinthian columns extending along the front porch for two stories. To achieve the appearance of stone, the columns were dusted with sand, and the timber on the front facade was painted tan.

The residence’s interior was also given a contemporary makeover. In place of the heavy, ornate woodwork that adorned the public rooms, marble mantels and woodwork in the style of the Greek Revival were installed in the family accommodations. In the centre hall, an elliptical staircase was installed in lieu of the two-story straight staircase. The heavily damaged and incinerated hallway wallpaper was also replaced with an imported French design that was more contemporary in style.

In order to mitigate the risk of further chimney fire damage to the residence, the architects implemented preventative measures by coating the scorched masonry roof with fire-resistant paint-coated tin. Upon the conclusion of the restorations, the Hermitage underwent a remarkable metamorphosis from a grand plantation residence to one of the South’s most contemporary and opulent mansions.

Family Life

The jubilation, opposition, and din of numerous children surrounded the walls of the hermitage. Although Andrew and Rachel did not have any biological offspring, Rachel did have a sizable family that paid frequent visits. The Jacksons named their infant nephew Andrew Jackson Jr. after adopting him in 1808.

Additionally, Jackson assumed guardianship over a number of children who had lost one or more parents, including the offspring of General Edward Butler, his brother-in-law Samuel Donelson, and a Native American boy named Lyncoya, whom he allegedly discovered on the battlefield alongside his deceased mother. Jackson settled the destitute grandson of Rachel’s sister at the Hermitage in 1817.

Jackson delighted in his familial responsibilities and cherished his position as patriarch. Frequently, he occupied the back parlour while regaling the children and other members of the family with anecdotes from his eventful life and military exploits.