Andrew Johnson National Historic Site

We took the short drive up to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, Tennessee in early November, 2012.  As is our custom, we started at the visitor center where we watched a 13 minute film about the life and times of Andrew Johnson.  Mr. Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1808 and was apprenticed to a tailor after his father died.  After a few years, Mr. Johnson ran away and settled across the mountains in Greeneville.  Here, he opened a tailor shop that quickly became a gathering place for political debate.  Mr. Johnson was elected alderman, then mayor, state representative and state senator.  In 1843, he ran as a Democrat and won election as the U.S. representative for the 1st congressional district.  After five terms in the House, Johnson was elected Governor of Tennessee in 1853 and again in 1855.  In 1857, the state legislature selected him to serve as a U.S. Senator.  In 1861, Tennessee seceded from the union, but Johnson remained loyal to the union and retained his senate seat.  In 1862, Abraham Lincoln appointed Johnson as Military Governor of Tennessee and in 1864 he was elected Vice President of the United States.  Upon Lincoln's assassination, Andrew Johnson became the 17th President.  His plans for "restoration" of the rebellious states were at odds with the "reconstruction" demands of Congress.  Relations soured to the point that Congress passed a bill over his veto that required the Senate to affirm and Cabinet dismissals.  After he dismissed the Secretary of War without consulting the Senate, he was impeached, but acquitted by one vote in the Senate.  After leaving the presidency in 1869, Johnson was elected to the Senate in 1875 becoming the only person to serve in the Senate after serving as President.  One interesting note about the film is that former senator Fred Thompson is the voice of Johnson.  

The visitor center also houses a museum and the original tailor shop in its original location.  A protective building was erected around it in the 1920s.  Johnson's early home in Greeneville is across North College Street from the Tailor Shop.  The statue depicted at the top of this post is across East Depot Street from the Tailor Shop.  

Memorial building housing Tailor Shop

Tailor Shop

A Johnson - Tailor

Early Home on College Street

Early Home side porch

Around 1851, the Johnsons moved about two blocks southwest to what is now know as the homestead.  While tours are scheduled every day, they were cancelled on the day we visited due to staff illnesses.

In addition to the two houses and the tailor shop, the national cemetery on a hill south of town is also a part of the site administered by the park service.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/anjo/index.htm.