Maple Hill Manor is what we named our home, which is the oldest standing house we are aware of in all of Weakley, Obion, and Lake counties. The actual name on the National Register of Historic Places is the William Parker Caldwell House. It was built in 1860 by the son in law of Col. John A. Gardner, the founder of Gardner. He wanted a home here on what used to be thousands of acres of Col. Gardner's plantation because as a lawyer he wanted to have a location for his office half way between Union City and Dresden (Martin was not founded yet). A railroad station was built directly in front of the house where the current HWY 22 now runs. Later Mr. Caldwell became a U.S. Representive for the state of TN. He also served in the state senate and practiced law until his death in the early 1900's. His tombstone is across the street in the cemetary. We have extensive stories, documents, articles and letters describing this family. Several descendants have introduced themselves to us after we moved into this home in January 2017. The driveway used to be the original HWY 22, and was the main street through town. We have found remains of old brick which likely lined the road. During the Civil War both Union and Confederate troops stayed in this home. The house has been largely unaltered, having had only a handful of owners, and has many features we still can enjoy from pre-Civil War architecture.
You are looking for a creative, small container, log only. You are welcome to pull into our driveway and back out again, or if you prefer, pull over off the road as it is fairly flat. Please don't drive all the way into the back yard to turn around as we have a large dog who will get excited about your arrival! The traffic on our road is very light. Happy Hunting!