Historic house in Tennessee, United States
United States historic place
The Nicholas Gotten House is located on 2969 Court Street in Bartlett, Tennessee, United States. It houses the Bartlett Museum, a local history museum operated by the Bartlett Historical Society.[2]
The white frame structure was built by Nicholas Gotten in 1871. It has a saltbox-style side profile, with an asymmetrical roof which slopes lower on the back.
History
Nicholas Gotten immigrated from Germany at the age of 22 in 1854. He was a blacksmith and served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.[3] In the years following the war, Gotton made a living as a miller and ginner. He and his wife Julia Coleman raised three children in the house.[4][5]
Until the late 1970s, the Gotten House was owned by the City of Bartlett and used as the Bartlett Police Station.[6] In the early 1980s, the house was leased by the City of Bartlett to the Bartlett Historic Society in a 50-year contract for $1 per year, to save the house from planned demolition and to refurbish the property.[7] The structure became the seat of the Bartlett Historic Society, and since 1990 it has housed the Bartlett Museum.[8] Exhibits on display at the museum are of relevance to local history: the collection includes photographs, written documents on the history of Bartlett, artifacts, and period furniture.[9] The museum is open to the public every first and third Sunday of the month from 2-4 pm. Admission to the museum is free.
On March 20, 2002, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1] After a $100,000 renovation in 2007, which included authentic new windows, doors and fixtures, the Gotten house was declared a Bartlett Historic Landmark by the Bartlett Historic Preservation Commission in 2008.[5]
