A new historical marker at Historic Knollwood honors a Revolutionary War patriot whose family’s story connects Bearden to the founding of Tennessee.
The Samuel Frazier Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated the marker Oct. 23 at the 175-year-old property. The ceremony recognized Samuel Frazier’s support for American independence and his service as one of 55 delegates who framed and signed Tennessee’s Constitution of 1796.
For the chapter, the dedication also brought its own history home.
Frazier and his wife were originally buried in the Reynolds Family Cemetery at Knollwood. His great-granddaughter, Ida Reynolds Lones, was born there in 1881. She later became the organizing regent of the Samuel Frazier Chapter, established Dec. 19, 1951.
The new marker honors Frazier and three generations of descendants who lived on property that once encompassed hundreds of acres in the community of Erin, now known as Bearden.
Leann Smith-Johnson, Chapter Historian, and Anne Brooks Haston, Chapter Vice Regent, are pictured with a historical banner depicting Patriot Samuel Frazier and his wife, Rebecca Julien/Julian, during the marker dedication at Historic Knollwood on October 23.
That history received renewed attention during an extensive restoration led by owner Jordan Mollenhour and Knollwood Historic Preservation LLC. As work progressed, chapter members renewed their connection to the property and the family whose name their chapter carries.
The marker, dedication ceremony and reception were made possible through a Tennessee America 250 Commission grant and cooperation with Knollwood Historic Preservation LLC.
Approximately 75 guests from across Tennessee attended the dedication. Participants included U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, historian Warren Dockter and Mollenhour, along with Tennessee DAR State Regent Carol Teeters, Vice President General Emily Robinson and State Chaplain Sandra Long.
Descendants of Patriot Samuel Frazier, Mary Jane Broussard and Sally Maddox, traveled from West Tennessee to attend the marker dedication ceremony at Historic Knollwood.
Among the guests were Frazier descendants Sally Maddox and Mary Jane Broussard. Dick and Sue Ann Stein, owners of Classic Bronze Resources in Cincinnati, also attended. Their company crafted the large bronze marker, which stands at Knollwood’s courtyard entrance.
Chapter members Anne Brooks Haston and Susan Cromwell also presented a DAR Historic Preservation Award to Mollenhour in recognition of the restoration.
The chapter’s connection to Knollwood will continue in December, when members return to celebrate their 75th anniversary.
For a chapter approaching that milestone and a home marking 175 years, the dedication connected generations of local history with the people working to preserve it.
Information and photographs supplied by the Samuel Frazier Chapter, NSDAR.
