BRENTWOOD — After nearly two years of renovations, a pre-Civil War home in Brentwood has been reincarnated as a neighborhood clubhouse for Taramore, a new subdivision on Split Log Road.
The two-story, red brick Greek Revival house was built in 1845 by James J. Sayers, who operated a large farm on the property. At the time, the house was one of the largest in the central section of Williamson County.
'Wood Park,' as the plantation was then known, was owned by Sayers and his descendants until 1941, when it was sold to the Oman family. The Omans held the home and property until 2005, when it and 300 surrounding acres were sold to John Wieland Homes.
According to Chris Edwards, Wieland's vice president for construction here, the house had been uninhabited and was in rough condition when the company acquired it with the land for Taramore. 'It was very much like a house that has been condemned,' Edwards recalled. 'It was in a shambles, like a house that hadn't been occupied in 20 years.'
Photos taken of the house at that time document that Edwards is not exaggerating; they show interior walls damaged and crumbling, and numerous broken windows.
The two-story portico and the four Doric-style square columns that define the front façade were collapsing, judging from one of the pictures taken before repairs.
The house might have been in worse shape if more people had known that it existed. Its location is set so far back from Split Log Road that it is not visible from that street.
Still, the repairs that were needed and the desired renovations were expensive enough, costing the company $1.2 million.
'For what we spent, we probably could have built a much larger clubhouse for the neighborhood, and faster, too,' Edwards said.
'It was John Wieland's desire to create something special for Taramore. It would have been pretty easy to build a new clubhouse, but it would not have been something as special as this.'
Among the necessary repairs was a need to install light switches in the walls, which are 13 inches thick and made of brick underneath plaster.
'They had to cut channels for the wires into the walls, and then they stuccoed the walls afterward,' Edwards said. A new central heating and air conditioning system had to be installed, as well as the ductwork for it. That turned out to be complicated because the house was not built with a crawlspace.
Outside the house, some of the brick had to be replaced, the metal roof had to be replaced, and the exterior trim work was replaced. The front portico and columns were rebuilt as well.
The original breezeway with lattice siding and a brick floor that connected the main house with the two-story kitchen outbuilding was lost in the renovation. In its place is a connecting wing that includes a big sunroom for large gatherings or parties, plus his-and-hers bathrooms.
The list of changes made to the house also includes construction of a back stairway to the second floor and a new kitchen.
The front parlor and dining room of Wood Park were refreshed and have been furnished traditionally in homage to the past. The heart of pine floors on the main level were preserved and refinished.
Rooms have modern appointments
But up the gracefully curving front stairway to the second story, Taramore residents will find that the three rooms there have been set up for contemporary pursuits. One room is furnished for neighborhood board meetings; another is set up for games or socializing and a third room is furnished for big TV viewing.
The kitchen building has been converted into a two-level fitness center with treadmills and other workout machines, mirrored walls and carpeting on the floors. Through the windows, residents can see the neighborhood swimming pool and tennis courts that have been built this year behind the house.
The clubhouse, pool and tennis courts are buffered on five acres of land that will be known as Sayers Park, and a sign commemorating the Sayers family has been erected in front of the Sayers House by Ivy Crest Drive, the new street that now exists in front of the house. The sign notes that Sayers, his wife and one of their daughters were teachers here and once had a school on the premises. A son was a doctor who also had an office on the property.
The Sayers house is listed by the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and engineering.
Taramore has been in development since 2007. When it is finished, it will include 274 single-family homes and townhouses.