We're playing your song… - Nashville Photographic Society of America international conference

PSA Journal, April, 1990 by Mary Ann Rhoda

We're Playing Your Song . . .

"We're playing your song" is the theme of the 1990 Nashville PSA International Conference. Nashville's heart beats to music. From the clogging rhythms to soulful ballads of loves won and lost, music permeates the fabric of the city.

Seven million people visit Nashville, Tennessee each year because of the music related activities, but it will be the warmth and friendliness of the people you will remember.

Nashville is also rich in history. Our Conference Tours will explore some of this history and other attractions. There will be a lot of opportunities, and time, to explore your picture possibilities.

Monday, August 27: The Hermitage/Tulip Grove Mansion/Old Church. The Tulip Grove Mansion, an elegant Greek Revival house built in 1836, was the home of Andrew Jackson Donelson, Rachel Jackson's nephew and private secretary to President Jackson.

When you walk into the mansion you will experience the grandeur of a bygone era. The beautifully painted plastered walls are designed to resemble Italian Marble in the entrance hall. The house is furnished with original and period pieces. Fine portraits of the Donelson family grace the walls, as well.

The Andrew Donelson family, which consisted of 12 children by two wives, are buried in the Old Hermitage Church cemetery. On land adjoining the Old Church cemetery there are 483 Confederate soldiers buried. During the Civil War, the church and grounds were used for camping by both the Confederate and Federal forces at various times.

The Church where the Andrew Jackson family were members, was rebuilt in 1823, on three acres of land which Jackson gave to the community. The family's pew is marked, the fourth pew from the front on the left. The church was also used as a school and a meeting house.

We will board the buses for the two mile drive to the Hermitage. Set on 625 acres of gently rolling farmland, the Hermitage offers insight into a 19th century plantation, as well as a glimpse of its owner Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States. In the auditorium we will view a short biographical film on Andrew Jackson before our tour of the grounds.

The Greek Revival mansion, with its six Corinthian Columns, sits among the towering cedars, maples and poplars. The building of this stately home began in 1819, enlarged in 1831, and rebuilt after an 1834 fire, is furnished with original family pieces, which reflects Jackson's military career and years in the White House.

President Jackson was a convivial host to the hundreds of guests seated at the mahogany table set with French china, rich cut glass and damask table cloths and napkins. Ten U.S. presidents have sat at this table.

Rachel's garden is located to the east of the mansion. In 1819 Jackson commissioned an English gardener, William Frost, to design a garden for his wife. The garden, more than an acre in size, is maintained as it was in Jackson's day. The formal garden includes 35 varieties of trees, shrubs, ground covers and 46 varieties of herbs and flowers.

Located in the corner of the garden is the family's cemetery where President Jackson and Rachel are buried. Near the tomb are shagbark hickory trees and magnolia trees planted during Jackson's lifetime.

Experience the peace and tranquility as you wander the grounds. With gently curving brick paths, picturesque shots are everywhere. Other picture possibilities are the Old Barn & Carriage House, Smokehouse, Uncle Alfred's Cabin, Stone Springhouse, Museum, The Original Hermitage and the Cabin by the Spring.

Our lunch will be served buffet style at the cabin by the spring. We will have our choice of salads, condiments, meats, vegetables, deserts and coffee or tea.

Tuesday, August 28: City Tour/Parthenon/Cheekwood Fine Arts Center & Botanical Gardens. See the sights of Nashville on the City Tour. Some of the places we will see are the Ryman Auditorium, Union Station, Historic Second Avenue, U.S. Customs House and more.

One of our stops for pictures will be at the Capitol. The Capitol overlooks Memorial Plaza and was designed by William Strickland. The building was started in 1845 and completed in 1859. On the grounds is the tomb of President James Polk and statues of Andrew Jackson, Sgt. Alvin York and Sam Davis, the boy hero of the Confederacy.

Another one of our stops for pictures is the Parthenon. The Parthenon is the world's only exact replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Originally built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition it not only serves as a monument to what is considered classical architecture, but also as the City of Nashville's foremost art museum. It stands as a magnificent centerpiece in Centennial Park.

There will be ample time for pictures of the Parthenon and the park.

The next stop on our tour is Cheekwood. Cheekwood, once the elegant private estate of the Leslie Cheek family, is now the home of the Tennessee Botanical Gardens and Fine Arts Center. The Cheek family founded the Maxwell House coffee company.