Sam Davis Home Offers Glimpse Into History
The Sam Davis Home in Smyrna was built along the banks of Stewarts Creek in 1820. These days, the two-story home and museum on 160 acres is a real-life reminder of how Southern, upper middle-class families lived in those days. Samuel Davis was a young soldier who joined the army before Tennessee had officially seceded from the Union. Eventually captured and accused of being a spy and a courier of enemy papers, the 21-year-old soldier refused to divulge his sources. His last words are said to be, “I would die a thousand deaths before I would betray a friend,” and he was hanged on Nov. 27, 1863. Visitors to the Sam Davis Home can see a documentary video about Davis’ life and take a guided tour through the nine-room main house, the original kitchen, smokehouse, overseer’s office and privy. Authentic Middle Tennessee slave dwellings can also be seen on the site.
