Andrew Jackson's Hermitage plans $132M upgrade, new visitor center
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A rendering of the new visitor center planned for The Hermitage. Image: Courtesy of Andrew Jackson Foundation
The Hermitage, the historic home of Andrew Jackson, is planning a $132 million overhaul that will include a massive new visitor center and other restorations and upgrades.
Why it matters: The 1,120-acre presidential site is a piece of American history in our backyard. It draws more than 170,000 visitors per year and is a perennial field trip destination for local schools.
- Leaders said the transformative project will make it possible to offer those visitors a more complete accounting of Jackson, the people who lived and worked on the property, and those who were enslaved there.
State of play: The Andrew Jackson Foundation unanimously approved the planned upgrades Monday.
The big picture: The centerpiece is a new Visitor and Education Center that will replace the existing building that opened alongside the historic mansion in 1989.
- Much of the new 70,000-square-foot building will be constructed below ground so that the sight lines more closely resemble its appearance during Jackson's life.
Zoom in: Renderings released Monday show a new tree-lined entrance road leading to a modern, glass-walled visitor center. Inside, the renderings show spacious halls lined with artifacts.
By the numbers: The Hermitage now houses about 800,000 artifacts, but only a fraction of them can be displayed in the existing space. The new construction will make more room for ambitious exhibits and programming.
What they're saying: The Hermitage "is a place where some of the most consequential and complicated chapters of American history unfolded," Jason Zajac, the foundation's president and CEO, said in a statement.
- "We have an immense responsibility to preserve this place while making sure the story we tell reflects the full history of the people who lived, worked and were enslaved here, as well as the nation shaped during Jackson's lifetime and presidency."
Between the lines: The Hermitage has recently worked to provide a more unvarnished view of Jackson's life, including exploring the lives of people who were enslaved on the property.
Follow the money: Private donations will be the primary funding source for the project, according to the foundation. Those donations will be supplemented by public funding and grants.
- State funds are already supporting a $6 million project adding an outdoor amphitheater and new indoor rest space for visitors, including snack areas, new restrooms and office space.
What we're watching: The foundation has not announced a timeline for the more ambitious construction projects.