Old Town

ld Town is a 41-acre archaeological site, and our home, in Williamson County, Tennessee. The rich history of its inhabitants, the land, the water, the structure, and the spirit, dates back thousands of years. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Old Town Archaeological Site.

The welcoming 1846 home (The Thomas Brown House) is located at the confluence of Brown’s (originally Dollison) Creek and the Harpeth River. Old Town is situated on the Harpeth branch of the original Natchez Trace – a two-thousand-year-old wilderness trail running from the interior south to the lower Mississippi River valley. A thousand years ago, Old Town was a civil and ceremonial location supported by a vibrant, fortified village of a highly developed people. A protective palisade wall surrounded a 12-acre town center.

Pivotal moments in history have played out on these historic grounds. The ancient civilization of the Mississippian culture marked the start of Old Town’s storied past, perhaps as early as AD 1050. Many peoples have lived, traveled through, and passed on over the centuries at this site.