The home is managed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The house has a caretaker, Gene Andrews, who is there often, and you have to give him a call to schedule a time to stop by. I called him a few days before our visit and found the whole process to be a lot easier than I expected. Gene was very friendly and said that he would be around most of the day we would be in town, so we could just come by whenever.
We arrived and Gene came over to give us a tour. He was obviously in the middle of clearing up some debris but he seemed happy to tell us all about the home and Forrest's time there.
Forrest was here as a child from 1830-1833. He would actually return here during the Civil War.
The home itself is an amazing structure that was built in the 1820s, and was occupied until the 1970s when the State took it over. The SCV took it over in the 90s, and they have done a lot of work on it. Gene told us about some great work that locals have helped complete on the home. A local boy scout group has also done a lot of great volunteer work on the home.
The inside and outside parts of the home are spectacular. Gene and the SCV have put a lot of work into the home and property. Anyone with an interest in the Civil War, Forrest, or amazingly preserved and restored old homes should stop by to see the place. To be honest, I felt like the home had more of a "Little House on the Prairie" vibe going on.Several musicians have used the home for settings in music videos. The country duo Joey + Rory used it for their "Josephine" video. Gene said that they were great people to work with.
The SCV asks for $5 a person to come by and see the home. I think the two of us were there for a couple of hours on what was basically a private tour..... so I think this is obviously more of a labor of love than a profit making venture for Gene and the SCV. It gets my highest recommendation.
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