|
Dixona Farm Historic Smith County Farm Conserved 
Dixona Farm, one of Middle Tennessee's most historic sites near Dixon Springs, Smith County, has been conserved forever with a conservation easement donated by Faith Andrews Young. The farm, with 148 acres of pasture and forest on Dixon Creek, contains the National Register "Dixona", one of the oldest homes in Middle Tennessee. Dixona, constructed in 1787-88 by Tilman Dixon, the revolutionary war-era explorer who settled the town of what is now Dixon Springs, is the full-time residence to Faith Young, who has worked hard to preserve the house over time. The residence held the first tribunal of the county in 1799 and was also used as the first tavern and post office for the county. Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans and later King of France stayed in this house during his sight-seeing tour of America in 1797. The land is just as unique-the spring that gave the town the name of Dixon Springs is located on the farm with Dixon Creek creating the southern and southeastern boundary of the property. Dixon Creek is a tributary to the Cumberland River only a short distance south of Faith Young's land and Tilman Dixon himself is buried on the property. 
Faith saw the permanent protection of the land as the best way to make sure that her family can enjoy the property over time and the context of the historic home will remain intact: "I love this place and so do my children and grandchildren. I just wanted to make sure that they, and all the people driving down Highway 25, could continue to enjoy the house and farm in the future." This truly was a family affair- Faith's son Stephen, an attorney living in Nashville, represented his mother during the transaction and worked with Land Trust staff every step of the way to make sure that all of their family goals were addressed. This is the second family that The Land Trust has worked with in Smith County. Tom Beasley, whose family has farmed the land in Dixon Springs since 1803, has protected almost 500 acres of the original Beasley farm, portions of which are directly adjacent to newly conserved Dixona Farm. |
