Nicholas Gotten House

The Nicholas Gotten House is located on 2969 Court Street in Bartlett, Tennessee, United States. It houses the Bartlett Museum, a local history museum operated by the Bartlett Historical Society.[2]

Nicholas Gotten House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nicholas Gotten House (2009)
Location	2969 Court Street Bartlett, Tennessee United States
Coordinates	35°12′23″N 89°52′26″W
Built	1871
Architect	Nicholas Gotten
Architectural style	Saltbox Style
NRHP reference No.	02000236[1]
Added to NRHP	March 20, 2002

The white frame structure was built by Nicholas Gotten in 1871. It has a saltbox-style side profile, with an asymmetrical roof which slopes lower on the back.

History

Nicholas Gotten immigrated from Germany at the age of 22 in 1854. He was a blacksmith and served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.[3] In the years following the war, Gotton made a living as a miller and ginner. He and his wife Julia Coleman raised three children in the house.[4][5]

Until the late 1970s, the Gotten House was owned by the City of Bartlett and used as the Bartlett Police Station.[6] In the early 1980s, the house was leased by the City of Bartlett to the Bartlett Historic Society in a 50-year contract for $1 per year, to save the house from planned demolition and to refurbish the property.[7] The structure became the seat of the Bartlett Historic Society, and since 1990 it has housed the Bartlett Museum.[8] Exhibits on display at the museum are of relevance to local history: the collection includes photographs, written documents on the history of Bartlett, artifacts, and period furniture.[9] The museum is open to the public every first and third Sunday of the month from 2-4 pm. Admission to the museum is free.

On March 20, 2002, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1] After a $100,000 renovation in 2007, which included authentic new windows, doors and fixtures, the Gotten house was declared a Bartlett Historic Landmark by the Bartlett Historic Preservation Commission in 2008.[5]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
2. http://www.cityofbartlett.org/index.aspx?nid=55 History of Bartlett
3. Dye, Robert W. Shelby County. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-7385-4192-1.
4. Historical marker in front of the Gotten House.
5. "Gotten House now a landmark". Commercial Appeal, Memphis. 2008-10-14. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
6. "Historic Facelift - Bartlett's Gotten House undergoes upgrades". Commercial Appeal, Memphis. 2007-07-11. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
7. "Historical Society hosts Christmas Open House". Bartlett Express. Suburban Community News Archive. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
8. "Bartlett, TN - Official Website - History". City of Bartlett. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
9. "History of Bartlett, Tennessee". RootsWeb. Retrieved 2009-05-30.