A historic and beloved home in Gallatin will be getting a facelift thanks to receiving a prestigious grant and two generous donations.

Historic Rose Mont mansion, built by Judge Josephus Conn Guild between 1836 and 1842 on his 500-acre plantation in Gallatin, is steeped in Civil War history. Six generations lived on the property from the 1830's until it was acquired by the City of Gallatin with the assistance of the Rose Mont Restoration Foundation, Inc. in 1993.

Now open to the public as a museum and event space, Rose Mont was recently the recipient of a $53,000 restoration grant from the Tennessee State Museum, followed by two additional donations of $10,000 each. The funds will be allocated towards structural renovations of two porches and restoration of one of the house’s original bedrooms.

Built high on a hilltop and displaying a harmonious blend of Greek Revival and Palladian architecture, Rose Mont’s design involves a rare tripartite plan, with the façade of the home divided into three sections. As this architectural style is not commonly found in Tennessee, Rose Mont has not only earned a place on the National Register of Historic Homes, but also recognition as one of Tennessee's outstanding Greek Revival houses.

The name Rose Mont stems from the exquisite rose garden maintained on the north side of the house by Josephus Conn Guild's wife, Catherine Montgomery Blackmore Guild (1803–1875). Notable guests entertained at Rose Mont include Presidents James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Andrew Jackson.

Visually, Rose Mont is stunning, with colonnaded galleries perfectly complimented by a two-story pedimented portico. The true value of this plantation-era mansion, however, lies in its storied history. 

An attorney, author, and orator who served in the General Assembly as a Senator and State Representative, Josephus Conn Guild achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the 2nd Tennessee Mounted Volunteers during the Seminole War. After opening a law practice in Gallatin in 1822, Guild became a judge in 1860.

At Rose Mont, Judge Guild raised and trained thoroughbred horses, racing them throughout the South.

“Horse racing was huge in Sumner County, and most of the large plantation houses had thoroughbreds on the property,” says Kate Ullery, site manager at Rose Mont. “Kennesaw, Fairview … all of those houses had horses. There were racetracks here as well. Hunt Club had a racetrack, as did Coles Ferry.”

Rose Mont became so well-known for its thoroughbreds that after Andrew Jackson’s death, The Hermitage continued to purchase horses from Judge Guild.

Guild was a slave owner, and one of the most compelling of Rose Mont’s stories involves Isaac Foxhall, who came to Rose Mont at the age of 16 in payment for legal work Guild provided to the Foxhall family. Isaac, or “Uncle Ike” as he came to be known, spent the entirety of his life at Rose Mont, remaining on the property and raising his children there even after he was emancipated. By all accounts, he was beloved by the Guild family.

Judge Guild recognized that, even at the tender age of 16, Isaac had a gift for working with horses and made him head groomer, sending him to accompany the horses to races all over the South.

As Guild’s sons, George and Walter, were away fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War, Isaac Foxhall was effectively the man of the house.

“The Union army was 20 miles outside of town and about to take Gallatin, so Isaac gathered up the favorite pieces of silver and hid them in the basement beneath the dirt and bricks,” Kate Ullery explains. “He then picked four horses to hide in the basement. One was named Hiawatha, another was named Jack Malone, and two were breed mares. Little did Isaac know, but the Union army had decided to use the end of Rose Mont’s driveway as their southern picket line, so there were now Union soldiers on the property, and Isaac had four horses to care for in the basement.”

Isaac was well-traveled due to accompanying Guild’s horses to races throughout the South, and people would gather at Rose Mont to be entertained by his stories. Because of this, Isaac knew that if he sat with the soldiers around the campfire at night, he could regale them with tales of the racetrack while passing them corn whiskey. He did this for two months, giving him the opportunity to bring the horses up from the basement and exercise them in the backyard until dawn while the liquored-up soldiers slept. This helped save the nucleus of the racing stables.

In addition to the $53,000 restoration grant awarded by the Tennessee State Museum, a $10,000 maintenance grant was awarded from the McKenzie Foundation of Chattanooga. Ginger Branham Lynch, a descendant of Judge Guild, also made a $10,000 donation in memory of her mother, Bettie Alexander Guild. These generous donations will be used for the restoration of two previously enclosed porches and Bettie's ground floor bedroom.

According to Ginger, “The family wanted to hold on to Rose Mont, but as you can imagine the upkeep on a home like that is quite involved, so we were just so proud and thankful that the City of Gallatin bought Rose Mont and is restoring it to its former glory.”

Ginger has fond memories of the home.

“My mother’s brother, Joe, lived at Rose Mont and had one child, Joan Guild, who was similar in age to me,” Ginger recalls. “She was an only child, and I came from a larger family, so I practically lived at Rose Mont. One thing about the last generation of Guilds who lived there was that they said the family will always be welcome there. When my husband was in Vietnam, I did go back to Rose Mont and stay for about eight or nine months, which was delightful. They were always generous, hospitable, and kind people. I stayed in my mother’s room.”

In addition to Rose Mont’s contributions to Civil War history, Ginger shares a story about Rose Mont’s help during World War II:

“Federal troops came to live on the grounds and practice maneuvers because the climate in Tennessee was very similar to the climate in Japan. My family would entertain them in the parlor, and my aunt began doing laundry for the troops, which they paid her for. General George Patton then asked my aunt to do his laundry for gratis, free. My aunt replied that she would charge him like anyone else.”

Elegantly perched high on a hilltop in Gallatin, Rose Mont is a magnificent house steeped in both the history of Tennessee and the legacy of the Guild family across six generations. In recognition of both, the Rose Mont Restoration Foundation is excited to begin projects that will ensure Rose Mont is able to be enjoyed for years to come.

Historic Rose Mont is open to the public April through October, Wednesday to Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please call 615-451-2331 or visit https://historicrosemont.org to schedule a tour or book an event.