Cragfont State Historic Site

Built 1798 to 1802, shortly after Tennessee became a state in 1796, Cragfont was the home of General James Winchester (1752-1826), who was an American pioneer, a founder of Memphis, Tennessee, and who fought in both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

Cragfont is the oldest limestone house in Tennessee, and due to walls that are 22 inches thick,  the kitchen and smokehouse–which normally would have been separate buildings at the time to avoid risk of fire–are in the house. The walls also keep the interior of the house cooler. On the outside of the house are large metal stars that appear decorative, but are actually functional. They cap earthquake bars that run through the house to keep it stable, with a turnbuckle at the center that can be turned to tighten the walls.

The house also features the first ballroom in Tennessee on the second floor, with doors that open onto a balcony that runs the length of the back of the house, overlooking the garden and pond. Guests would dance in a circle from east to west through the house. A staircase was later added to the ballroom, leading to a nursery on the third floor–the safest place from attacks.

The Winchesters lived in the house until 1864, and it eventually fell into disrepair. Abandoned, a local farmer let pigs and chickens roam about inside. But it has since been restored, and family members have returned some of the original furniture.