One of the surviving Tennessee homes built by early Tennessee settlers, Travellers Rest evolved in stages. It reflects the development of Tennessee and the changes in the life of John Overton, the man who built it. Construction of Travellers Rest began in 1799, just three years after Tennessee had become a state. The young bachelor lawyer purchased 320 acres six miles south of
Nashville. He had lived as a boarder in a log house with dirt floors and kept his law "office" in his saddle bags in his early days in Nashville. The snug, comfortable home he had built was based on memories of his childhood home in Louisa County, Virginia. Originally built with 4 rooms, the house was later expanded to 13 rooms. Travellers Rest is gradually being restored as nearly as possible to what it was in the 1830s. The house contains pre-1840 Tennessee-made furniture.
