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Cragfont State Historic Site

Tennessee

200 Cragfont Rd
Castalian Springs, TN 37031
United States

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This heritage site is a part of the American Battlefield Trust's Road to Freedom: Tennessee Tour Guide app, which showcases sites integral to the Black experience during the Civil War era. Download the FREE app now.

Cragfont House in Castalian Springs, Tenn.
Cragfont House in Castalian Springs, Tenn. Brent Moore / Flickr

Can a house be more than a home? That’s what Historic Castalian Springs asks those who enter the Cragfont State Historic Site. 

Home to Gen. James Winchester, an officer who served in both the American Revolution and the War of 1812, and co-founder of the City of Memphis, Cragfont was once the grandest mansion on the Tennessee frontier.  

Despite his success as a civilian, Winchester suffered a rather lackluster military career. During the War of 1812, under Winchester’s command, nearly 500 Tennesseans and Kentuckians were taken prisoner after the American defeat at Frenchtown (Michigan Territory) — Winchester was among them. Meanwhile, approximately 60 severely wounded Americans were left behind at the French settlement. When native warriors returned the next morning, the remaining prisoners who could walk were evacuated and those that could not fell victim to the tomahawk. The cry "Remember the Raisin" was born after the massacre.

The general returned home to Cragfont for good in 1815, when he then became an active participant in the buying and selling of people. Much of his wealth came from land speculation — buying and selling land for profit — and was built upon enslaved labor.  

While it is unclear how many people James Winchester owned at Cragfont through the years, an inventory of his property two years after his death in 1828 listed 26 enslaved people.  

Little is known about their lives, but it is likely that much of the home’s framework and quarrying of limestone was done by enslaved workers. Its size would have required more than a few enslaved house workers to clean, take care of Winchester’s 14 children, cook and see to guests.  

Today, the home shares a collection of stories that encompass the birth of the nation, its struggles during growth, the challenges of the rugged frontier, and the brutal realities endured by those who labored under the oppression of slavery.

Know before you go

Check out the official website for Historic Castalian Springs.