When John Overton expanded Travellers Rest in 1821 to accommodate his new wife, Mary, and her five children, enslaved workers molded bricks from clay dug onsite to construct the home’s distinctive L-wing. Over a century later, it was discovered that vibrations of the railroad – welcomed by Overton’s son in 1853 – had taken quite a toll on those walls, which now required restoration. During the process, preservationists noticed something remarkable: thumbprints pressed into the bricks nearly 200 years before by unknown hands. These small imprints, left by the enslaved laborers who built this home, now serve as an enduring, silent connection to lives too often lost to history. Image 1: Brick with Thumbprint Image 2: Brickmold Image 3: Cowan Tunnel, another railroad project of John Overton, Jr. (Tennessee Virtual Archive) (fb)

Join us THIS SUNDAY, June 1st, for our venue open house! We are excited to partner with some of our favorite vendors to show you everything we offer you and your guests! Use the QR code to RSVP or visit our website for more info. (fb)