Rattle and Snap Papers
Dates
1845 - 1979
Creator
Unknown
Summary/Abstract
The papers consist entirely of photocopied materials pertaining to the history of the Rattle and Snap plantation and home, built by George Polk in 1845. A large segment of the information pertains to the Polk family and their history while residing at Rattle and Snap. This collection provides an excellent resource on the history of the Rattle and Snap home and grounds.
Quantity/Physical Description
.5 linear foot
Language(s)
English
Repository
Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, (615) 898-2632
Restrictions on Access
None
Copyright
It is presumed that corporate and individual copyrights in manuscripts, photographs, and other materials have been retained by the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions apply. Users of materials should seek necessary permissions from the copyright hold
Preferred Citation
(Box Number, Folder Number), Collection Name, Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Acquisition
Unknown, accessioned in 1999
Processed By
Original processor undetermined
Arrangement
There are thirteen folders arranged in this collection by no clear pattern.
Biographical Note
Rattle and Snap was a home built for George Polk, a cousin of President James K. Polk, in 1845. He and his three brothers inherited land in Maury County that their father had supposedly won from the Governor of North Carolina. According to family tradition, Colonel William Polk won the land from the governor in a game of beans called Rattle and Snap. While all of the brothers built homes on the land that they divided amongst themselves, George’s home was the largest, most ornate, and carried a name to pay tribute to its acquisition.
Art historian John Kiser commented on Rattle and Snap saying, “most people of the time had four columns, Andrew Jackson managed to have six, but George Polk had ten.” George’s home was built on a scale and in a style unseen in the area at that time. Most of the labor was completed by skilled slaves owned by the Polk family, but George commissioned the columns from a factory in Cincinnati. These were floated down the Ohio River and then up the Cumberland River where they were unloaded in Nashville. There they were loaded onto oxcarts which carried the load to Maury County.
George and his family lived an extravagant planter lifestyle and flirted with financial disaster for many years. When the Civil War arrived, the Polk family sided with the Confederacy and suffered significant financial losses by the end of the war. In 1867 George Polk was bankrupt and sold his home to the Granberry family who renamed the home Oakwood Hall.
The Granberrys lived at Oakwood Hall for nearly fifty years, but, after this, the home had many owners. At one point it was inhabited by tenant farmers who also used the home as a barn to store hay. For many years, the home was empty and open to the elements. In the 1950s the Babcock family bought the house and began much needed restoration work. On November 11, 1972, the property was designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 1979, the Evans family bought the house and continued the tradition of renovations.
Scope and Content
The papers consist entirely of photocopied materials pertaining to the history of the Rattle and Snap plantation and home. A large segment of the information pertains to the Polk family and their history while residing at Rattle and Snap. Also included are records of the gardens, landscaping, architecture, renovations, and the National Register Nomination.
Associated Materials
None
Related Collections
None
Subject Terms
Persons/Families
Polk, George
Organizations/Corporate Names
Places
Maury County, Tennessee
Subjects (General)
Civil War, Historic homes
Occupations
Material Types
Photocopies
Albert Gore Research Center
P. O. Box 193, 1301 E. Main St.
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132
Main: 615-898-2632
University Archives: 615-898-5202
Director: 615-898-2633
Location
Todd Hall Suite 128
Hours
Monday - Friday
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Summer Hours
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Friday
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