Wheatlands Plantation (also known as Ler-Mac) is a two story brick structure with an ell built by John Chandler in 1825. It is located on the Old Knoxville/Sevierville Highway at the bend of Boyd's Creek where John Sevier and his militia engaged the Cherokees in battle. The highway, now a secondary road, was once one of the major routes to Knoxville from upper East Tennessee and Virginia. The home remained in the hands of John Chandler's descendants until the late 1960's. Only minor alterations have taken place; the present owners, with their respect for the structure's Federal lines, have kept the exterior appearance intact and have made only necessary renovations inside. The house originally contained a parlor, sitting room, dining room and adjoining kitchen on the ground level. Upstairs were two large bedrooms and two smaller rooms which were probably servant quarters. The dining room, kitchen, and servant quarters form a rear wing. Unlike the other rooms of the home which have 12 foot ceilings, these rooms have ceilings which vary in height from 7'6" to 9'. The large rooms were heated by fireplaces; and the ornate wood mantels are found in all rooms. The kitchen has been modernized with range and other conveniences, however, the fireplace and hearth are still utilized. The home underwent three series of renovations. During the late 19th century the home was somewhat "Victorianized" with the major alteration being the installation of "Queen Anne's" windows (i.e. varying stain glass panes which are set in a bordering sash in each window) and the addition of a one-story balustraded front porch. In the present century, plumbing fixtures were added. Around 1930 the entrance to the living room was widened to an archway from the central hall. The height of the walls inside the home are broken by chair and picture rails; various patterns of wallpaper from the Williamsburg collection have replaced the faded paper. Outbuildings include a former servant cabin which is now an apartment and the smokehouse and storage shed are still in good condition. A small black community nearby bears witness to the descendants of Chandler's servants; these people were given a tract of the Chandler land and have remained there over the years farming the land and teaching in the county.
The earliest recorded history connected with the Wheatlands site is the Battle of Boyd's Creek. This engagement with the Cherokees was the first of John Sevier's battles with the Indians. Sevier led his 200 men across the French Broad at War Ford (or Christians Ford) and attacked the Cherokees at the bend in Boyd's Creek—the same area where Wheatlands now stands. The original owner, John Chandler, came to the Boyd's Creek vicinity from the Rocky Springs Community in 1791. Chandler added various tracts of land to this original land grant and eventually accumulated about 46,601 acres. His original home burned in 1824 and the home known as Wheatlands (later known as Ler-Mac) was built of handmade brick, heartpine floors and plastered walls & ceilings; the tin roof, now covered with shingles, was imported from England. The name Wheatlands was derived from Chandler's extensive wheat fields. The farm also included a commissary, tannery, and a distillery. Chandler was a slave owner, but deplored the practice of breaking up families and selling individuals to different owners. By the outbreak of the Civil War he had, accumulated 188 slaves.
Wheatlands is an important landmark in the community being the home of a prominent early settler. And, it is a significant example of the Federal style architecture in East Tennessee during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Typical is the adaptation of late 19th century changes to reflect the Victorian era, a common practice of those who were financially able to "keep up with the times". For these reasons, Wheatlands was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 7, 1975. All of the information above was found on the original documents submitted for listing consideration that can be viewed here:
npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail/bb652d18-9558-4156-994...
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
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