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Item Name
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Oakland Mansion
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Creator
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CJ Glass
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Lede
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A Brief History of the Murfreesboro Relic
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Story-Subject
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The town of Murfreesboro’s name is just as historic as the history of which it holds. In 1809, Murfreesboro was given its name after the death of Colonel Hardy Murfree (1752-1809). Murfree won renown during the Revolutionary War.
He later married and had children. He left his original 274 acres in town to Murfree Maney. Then, the original land was about 274 acres. Prior to the American Civil War, the Oakland mansion served as the big house to the Maney family, acquiring about 1,500 acres of land. The Maney family enslaved a large number of people and was a well-known name in the town of Murfreesboro.
In 1884 Oaklands Mansion was purchased for $8,505 by Elizabeth Swope, which is worth well over a $100,000 in today’s money. Upon her passing, she left the estate to one of her children, Tempe. Tempe lost the estate in the American Civil War. Between the years of 1954 - 1957 the estate was neglected and a large portion of the entire property sold.
In 1959 a group of local women saved the historic landmark by purchasing it from the city for $1 under the condition they open it within 3 years into a museum for tours. Presently, this space serves as historic site and hosts tours, events, educational programs, and more.
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Subtitle
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A Brief History of the Murfreesboro Relic
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Source
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File #45: Screen Shot 2021-12-09 at 5.40.15 PM.png
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Official Website of historic site/monument
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https://www.oaklandsmansion.org/the-history-of-oaklands/
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Related Resources
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“African Americans and Oaklands: Individuals Forgotten by History.” Oaklands Mansion, https://www.oaklandsmansion.org/african-americans-oaklands-individuals-forgotten-history/.
“Facts about Oaklands Mansion You May Not Know.” Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society, http://rutherfordtnhistory.org/facts-about-oaklands-mansion-you-may-not-know/.
“Inflation Rate between 1884-2021: Inflation Calculator.” Value of 1884 Dollars Today | Inflation Calculator, https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1884.
“The Murfree Family.” Omeka RSS, https://grantlandsproject.omeka.net/exhibits/show/rediscovering-grantlands/family/the-murfree-family.
“Oaklands Mansion.” Clio, https://theclio.com/entry/9365.
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Bibliographic Citation
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CJ Glass, “Oakland Mansion,” Momentous Murfreesboro , accessed September 9, 2025, https://momentous-murfreesboro.mtsu.edu/admin/items/show/23.
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Title/Location
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Oakland Mansion
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Address
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901 N Maney Ave, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
