HISTORIC HERMITAGE LANDSCAPING DEDICATED
DURING NATIONAL PRESERVATION WEEK

Nashville Tennessee - The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, dedicated the Lebanon Pike Landscaping Project during an 11:00am public ceremony today as part of the nationwide celebration of 2004 National Historic Preservation Week, themed this year with "New Frontiers in Preservation." Leading representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Metro Historical Commission lauded this unique landscaping project, which contributes to the preservation of this Tennessee landmark during its yearlong Bicentennial Celebration.

"The Lebanon Pike Landscaping Project is the result of our ongoing recovery from the tornado on April 16, 1998, which devastated the Hermitage landscape," said Patricia Leach, Executive Director of The Hermitage. "After over five years of planning and hard work, we are thrilled to dedicate this project during our 200th anniversary as the culmination of this successful recovery effort and the long term preservation of Andrew Jackson's farm." While damage to the site's historic buildings and cultural resources was miraculously minimal, the F-3 level tornado destroyed more than 1,200 trees and damaged another 1,300, many original to the Jackson era.

The nearly $750,000 project along Lebanon Pike (US 70) is the result of a creative collaboration between federal, state and local governments through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century (TEA-21) transportation enhancement program. Transportation enhancements are transportation-related activities designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation's transportation system. The transportation enhancements program provides for the implementation of a variety of non-traditional projects.

"Assisting in the improvement of the landscaping and physical setting of this beautiful Tennessee landmark was important to our department," said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. "It's an example of how enhancement projects can include more than just roads and buildings." The Lebanon Pike Landscaping Project was funded primarily by federal grants totaling $490,000, which includes a second $250,000 grant awarded by TDOT in September 2002.

In this project, a 100-foot wide buffer zone along both sides of Lebanon Pike was landscaped with about 2,000 native trees and hundreds of shrubs, deliberately designed to recreate the natural buffer for this busy four-lane highway. A new cedar post-and-rail fence was installed along both sides of the 166-year old road, which was originally constructed across Andrew Jackson's Hermitage in 1835-38 as a private toll pike connecting Lebanon and Nashville.

"Out of this tragic event have come many positive outcomes and new partnerships, and we are very pleased with the results of this most recent addition to the community’s streetscape," stated Bobbie Blackmon, Tennessee Division Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration. “The Lebanon Pike Landscaping Project not only enhances the views from the roadway, but will also restore the views from the historic property to a condition more closely resembling those of 200 years ago.”

"The saving of The Hermitage in the 19th century was one of the nation's earliest organized preservation efforts," explained Ann Roberts, Executive Director of the Metro Historical Commission. "With this replanting, The Hermitage is again a leader in this partnership with government to protect the historic setting and character of this Nashville landmark." Roberts also shared congratulatory remarks on behalf of Metropolitan Davidson County Mayor Bill Purcell.

The award-winning landscape architecture and planning firm Hawkins Partners, Inc. (HPI) designed the project, which was installed by Greathouse Landscaping Company of Nashville. Based in Nashville, HPI has worked on high profile landscaping and planning projects throughout the South and Midwest. "The Lebanon Pike Landscaping Plan is one of the largest native landscape installations of its type ever undertaken in Tennessee," stated Gary Hawkins, principal of HPI.

The ceremony took place beneath an ancient Tulip Poplar which survived the 1998 tornado along Lebanon Pike by the Church on the grounds of The Hermitage. "The total community can take pride in accomplishing this project," concluded Blackmon.

ABOUT THE HERMITAGE
The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, is one of the oldest and largest historic site museums in America, with nearly 200,000 annual visitors from around world traveling to Nashville to learn more about Andrew Jackson and Jacksonian America through educational programs, public archaeology, preservation projects, special events and changing exhibitions. Owned since 1856 by the State of Tennessee and governed since 1889 by the Ladies' Hermitage Association, an award-winning nonprofit membership organization, today the 200-year old National Historic Landmark and Smithsonian Institution Affiliate contains 1,120 acres used for education, agriculture, tours and recreation. The Hermitage is located just 15 minutes from downtown Nashville. To get to the Hermitage, take I-40 to exit 221. For more information, visit www.thehermitage.com.