NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Andrew Jackson Foundation, which owns and operates The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s historic home and Presidential site, today announced the discovery of a cemetery that leading independent archaeological and historical experts agree is likely the burial site of an estimated 28 enslaved people who lived at The Hermitage.
“It is historically significant, after decades of searching, that we are highly confident we have found the cemetery for people who were enslaved at The Hermitage,” said Jason R. Zajac, president and CEO of the Andrew Jackson Foundation. “Other potential sites were evaluated and eliminated, and state-of-the-art research and testing have affirmed our beliefs about this site.”
Since the 1980s, historical research combined with archaeological excavations and artifact analysis have given voice to the enslaved people of Jackson’s 1000-acre farm. Today, visitors to The Hermitage learn about Andrew Jackson and about those whom he enslaved. Discovery of the cemetery adds to our understanding of The Hermitage’s past and of those who lived and toiled here.
Andrew Jackson and the Jackson family owned 325 enslaved men, women, and children from 1788 to 1865. When inaugurated as the nation’s seventh president in 1829, Jackson owned 95 enslaved people. At the time of his death, in 1845, he owned 150.
After the cemetery site was located in January 2024, the Foundation followed established archaeological procedures to confirm its extent, without disturbing any graves. This included involving the State of Tennessee Division of Archaeology, historians, archaeologists, and geophysical research teams to conduct extensive research and testing, and physically protecting the site. These efforts culminated with a peer-reviewed report of findings from the lead archaeologist that affirms the site is a cemetery with 28 probable graves that likely holds the remains of enslaved people who lived on the property.
“For decades, research into the enslaved community has been a priority at The Hermitage, including locating the cemetery for enslaved people on the property. We were able to partner with leading archeologists and spatial researchers using the latest technologies to gather evidence, with no disruption to gravesites, to definitively prove the site has been discovered,” said Tony Guzzi, Chief of Preservation and Site Operations at The Hermitage, who served as project manager throughout this work. “This cemetery and the people buried in it are central to The Hermitage story, and our work has only begun to appropriately recognize its importance and future within the property.”
While previous attempts to locate a cemetery for enslaved people on the property were unsuccessful, in the past two years the Jackson Foundation elevated the search with new funding from a benefactor. Using maps, surveys, aerial images and a key report from 1935 that alluded to graves in a specific part of a field, the research team identified a five-acre search area.
After thick overgrowth of invasive plants was cleared away from the search area, depressions oriented in rows were discovered, as well as unnaturally placed pieces of limestone, all suggesting possible gravesites. Ensuring that no grave would be disturbed, advanced archaeological testing with ground-penetrating radar imaging was conducted by TRC Environmental Corporation (TRC) and Vanderbilt Institute of Spatial Research (VISR) starting in January 2024, and the results of those tests further indicated potential gravesites.
“VISR is honored to have contributed a supporting collaborative role in this important project with The Hermitage,” said Steve Wernke, director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Spatial Research at Vanderbilt University. “Throughout our work together, we have been impressed with The Hermitage’s commitment to preserving this culturally and spiritually significant place. By prioritizing non-invasive archaeological techniques, they have continued to protect this funerary space. Ground-penetrating radar survey is a crucial first step for characterizing unmarked burial sites such as this one, as it identifies probable locations of the final resting places of the individuals buried at The Hermitage.”
“TRC conducted a second geophysical investigation of the cemetery to determine the number and location of anomalies consistent with the expectations for historic graves,” said James N. Greene, project manager and archeologist at TRC. “Once completed, archaeological ground truthing was completed to confirm the presence of two grave shafts. No burials were disturbed during ground-truthing activities.”
Enslaved Cemetery Location
The site is approximately 1,000 feet northwest of the main house. There is an agricultural field directly to the north that is bounded by a historic fence and tree line that formed the northern border of the Hermitage Lands purchased by the State of Tennessee in 1856. The cemetery is located on a slight rise at the edge of the wooded bottomland of a creek commonly referred to today as “Sinking Creek.”
“Notably, nothing has ever been built on the site and crops have never been grown there, nor has it been accessed by guests or utilized for other purposes,” said Guzzi. “The site has never been controlled by any groups outside of Andrew Jackson, the Andrew Jackson Foundation, and the State of Tennessee, keeping it as undisturbed as possible over the last 180 years.”
While 28 likely graves have been identified at the site, Zajac cautioned against assigning definitive numbers. “We have identified 28 prospective gravesites, but not all of them may turn out to actually be graves. It is also possible that graves exist at the site that we have not yet identified, due to environmental or other factors. Our work here is just beginning.”
Peer-Reviewed Findings
The archaeological work and research culminated in a peer-reviewed report of findings authored by leading national archeological group TRC. That report can be viewed HERE. TRC’s conclusions were reviewed and validated by national and renowned leaders in the space of archaeology, including Dr. Larry McKee, Retired, former Director of Archaeology for the Andrew Jackson Foundation 1988-1999; Dan Brock, Tennessee Division of Archaeology, Cultural Resources Consultant 2, State Programs Coordinator; and Mary Furlong Minkoff, Executive Director, Florida Public Archaeology Network.
The report, as validated by these independent experts, notes that “evidence is presented to indicate that this is a final resting place for enslaved people of The Hermitage. Historical research, location, and comparative analysis is used to help prove the identification of the people buried at this cemetery.”
Future Plans
Today, the location has been securely fenced off, and a walking path from the main property has been established. Long-term plans will more deeply engage the larger community and interested stakeholders, including modern-day descendants of the people who were enslaved on the property.
Said Pam Koban, board chair at the Andrew Jackson Foundation, “The cemetery for enslaved persons will become an educational staple that is central to the story of The Hermitage. It will be made accessible, as respectfully as possible, as a place for reflection. With confidence that we have identified the cemetery site, we have begun assembling an advisory committee that includes expert historians and descendants of people who were enslaved on the property to help us make longer-term decisions about how best to preserve and appropriately present the site.”
Enslaved History at The Hermitage
The story of enslaved persons has long been a central part of The Hermitage’s narrative. Buildings that housed the enslaved population have been restored and stand on the grounds today. Slavery-focused tours are regularly offered, and the main tour of the property integrates the story of the enslaved population.
In 2006, a cemetery for enslaved people was discovered at the site of a former plantation near The Hermitage. The remains of those people were reinterred on The Hermitage’s grounds, due to historic family connections between the two properties, and a memorial was installed.
“The discovery of the enslaved persons cemetery at The Hermitage is an important step toward forming a more complete understanding of the enslaved community at the property,” said Greene of TRC in the report. “Over the past four decades, historians and archaeologists at The Hermitage have worked to uncover and make public the slave community’s central role in the site’s history.”
He added, “We are working on a final report, anticipated in early 2025, that will include a comprehensive chapter on the history of the cemetery that places it within the overall historic context of The Hermitage and its enslaved community.”
To learn more about the enslaved community at The Hermitage and the Andrew Jackson Foundation’s ongoing research, visit: https://thehermitage.com/enslaved-community.
