Clifton Place, Antebellum mansion in Columbia, Tennessee.
Clifton Place is a classical mansion featuring symmetrical design with two main stories and prominent columns framing the entrance portico. The structure includes single-story wings extending to the sides and stands within grounds containing original outbuildings such as a smokehouse, carriage house, barns, and a detached kitchen.
Nathan Vaught built this mansion in 1838 for Gideon Johnson Pillow on inherited land, marking it as the first of three homes constructed for the Pillow brothers. A significant modification occurred in 1852 when the roof was raised, giving the structure much of its present appearance.
The mansion displays Greek Revival architecture that wealthy Southern landowners favored in the 1830s. The symmetrical layout and grand scale reflected ideals of elegance and prosperity common among the region's elite of that era.
The property has multiple levels and hidden spaces including a two-room attic, two-room basement, and storage cellar that reveal how inhabitants used the building. Plan time to explore the various structures on the grounds and experience both the interior layout and the surrounding outbuildings.
The mansion was specifically designed as the first of three homes built for three wealthy brothers, highlighting its special role in a family building program. This connection to a larger construction project undertaken by the Pillow family makes it part of a remarkable private legacy.
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