This cache is one of 10 caches of the Cache in on Brentwood History placed by the Brentwood Historic Commission. The series features many of the Historical Interpretive Signs placed around Brentwood. Discover some of the fascinating history of Brentwood. The caches are hidden in Brentwood City Parks. If you are participating in the series, be sure to sure to download and print your passport. Don’t forget to record the secret code found in the lid of each geocache, on your passport for validation.. All caches begin with the series name CBH followed by a location specific name. The Brentwood Historic Commission hopes you enjoy the series!
Most Parks are open dawn to dusk but check specific Park hours. Follow Park hours-NO NIGHT CACHING.
Cache Type: 3 stage multi-cache. You must visit each stage to obtain information for the next stage. A pencil will prove useful as you gather information. If you trade for items from the Geocache, remember to trade items that are of equal or greater value. When approaching the geocache site start looking as there is distance variances in different GPS devices. Ample parking is available in any public parking lot.
NOTE**At times this area may be closed for private events. In the event that closed signs are posted please respect all the signs and return at a later time.
Historical Description: Thomas Wilson immigrated to America from Ireland in the mid 1700’s and followed the migration trail down through Virginia and the Carolinas and finally over into Tennessee where he settled in the late 1700’s. His grandson, James Hazard Wilson II, who built Ravenswood, was born in 1800 and grew up in Williamson County.
In March of 1821, James Hazard Wilson II married his cousin Emeline Wilson. Prominent Tennessee and Texas historical figure Sam Houston served as the best man at his wedding. James and Emeline settled in Brentwood and build their home in 1825. The home was christened Ravenswood in honor of their friend Sam Houston whose Cherokee Indian name was “the Raven”. James Hazard Wilson II and his wife purchased hundreds of acres of land around the Ravenswood home to establish their plantation. He maintained large plantations in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi raising primarily cotton. Although Ravenswood was one of many houses owned by Wilson, it was the house he built for raising his family of nine children. Things were good at the Ravenswood Plantation but the years did not pass without their scars. Five of their children died young. By the mid 1800’s he was one of the wealthiest individuals in the state.
The Civil War and Reconstruction had a devastating effect on Wilson's vast holdings. Broken in health and spirit, James Hazard Wilson died in 1869. Many of the Wilson family are buried nearby in a small cemetery near Oak Hall on Raintree Parkway.
Take a step back in time to the antebellum years. The house is an outstanding, unique example of Federal period architecture. The spring house, root cellar and two brick slave houses are also being preserved.
The spring house and root cellar were critical to the survival of the plantation. They were an ancient method of natural refrigeration for long term food storage. The root cellar was placed near the house for easy food access and partially located underground for cool even temperatures. After harvest, one might find root vegetables like potatoes, squash, turnips, beets and carrots, barrels of cured beef and pork, cider, jams, pickled food, to name but a few possibilities to last through the winter. Preparing the food for its winter stay was an art and a science. One must know how to arrange the vegetables next to each other. Apples and potatoes had to be kept at least 6 feet apart. Some Fruits and vegetables should hang while others stored on shelves or in bins; some bins filled with sand or straw. Some milk, cream, butter and cheese were also kept in the root cellar to stay cool and fresh and easy to access. The cistern next to the root cellar was a historic system of rainwater harvesting. It was a man-made system using the roof as a rain collection surface and gutters and downspouts to deliver the water to the cistern, a water storage container. The cistern was placed near the house so water was always available.
When looking for a place to build, one of the first things looked for was a good spring. The location of the house was then determined by the location of the spring on the property. The house needed to be a distance away from the spring to keep the water pure. Additionally, a small house was built over the spring to help keep the water clean, pure and protected. Rock or stone was the best choice for the springhouse as they would not deteriorate with the dampness. The ice box, then refrigerator, replaced the need for the spring houses and root cellars.
Stage 1: N35° 56.778 W086° 46.279
Proceed to the posted coordinates and answer the following questions. Use the answers to get the coordinates for stage 2.
- What is the first year date on the cellar sign? __ __ __ __Add those numbers together ____= A
- How many feet wide is the cistern? _____=B
- How high is the cellar stone walls? _____=C
- How many rows of shaker shingles are on one side of the cellar roof? (Hint: they are the same)___Divide by 3____=D
Sumcheck: A+B+C+D=27
Fill in the equation from information from the above questions to determine the next set of coordinates.
N 35o 5C.7AB W086o 4C.1B7
Stage 2: N 35ᵒ 5C.7AB W086ᵒ 4C.1B7
Continue on to the Stage 2 coordinates with information obtained from Stage 1.
Determine which of the following is a TRUE statement to determine the final set of coordinates.
- The Ravenswood Spring joins a nearby spring to form the headwaters of the Little Harpeth River. The waters from the Ravenswood Spring are carried to the Pacific Ocean. True= N 36° 57.830 W 086° 48.154
- The Ravenswood Spring joins a nearby spring to form the headwaters of the Little Harpeth River. The waters from the Ravenswood Spring are carried to the Gulf of Mexico. True=N 35° 56.814 W 086° 46.165
Stage 3 Proceed to final coordinates based on the correct True answer. Lock Code is ABCD
****Congratulations to noroominframefortwo for another FTF in the series!****