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Oral history interview with John Kiser, 1978 April 10

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@ Nashville Public Library

Description

Excerpts from an interview with architectural historian John Kiser, conducted on 10 April 1978 by Deborah Cooney as part of the Historic Nashville Inc. Oral History project. The interview took place in John Kisers' historic home, the Hays-Kiser house, located at 834 Reeves Road in Antioch, Tennessee. In 1974, the house was placed on the National Register. Designated a Davidson County historic landmark in 1989, it is also known as "Locust Hill," with Benjamin D. Wills cited as the original builder circa 1805. Kiser discusses the history of the Hays-Kiser house and how it was known in the Antioch community as the "North Carolina" house; the 18th-century methods used in its construction and anecdotal evidence regarding a 1795 document that described the building of the house; his research in the Court House records documenting the numerous purchases and sales of land by Charles Hays; early records about Hays' service in the Grand Jury; other families living near the Hays; the name "Antioch" and Mr. Hays' donating land for the building of the Antioch Baptist Church; Mrs. Hays' obituary; what happened to the house upon the death of Mr. Hays; and the elaborate interior features of the historic structure. The complete interview, as well as an index and transcript, is available in the Special Collections Division.
Type:
Sound
Format:
Sound Oral Histories
Rights:
U.S. and international copyright laws protect this digital content, which is provided for educational purposes only and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or distributed for any other purpose without written permission. Please contact the Special Collections Division of the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee, 37219. Telephone (615) 862-5782.
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Record Contributed By

Nashville Public Library

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Tennessee