Residents urge Sumner County to use $500,000 Brown bequest to restore historic Brown House

Michael Clark, a Hendersonville resident, told the Sumner County General Operations Committee that money tied to the estate of a William Brown has been transferred to the county and urged commissioners to prioritize restoration work on the Brown House.

“After years and months and everything, the mayor has finally beat Vanguard down and we got and got the money has been transferred to the county,” Clark said during the public-comment portion of the committee’s March 24 meeting. He said commissioners would be asked later to appropriate some of the funds.

Cynthia McLeod, a resident who identified the property as part of the Liberty Creek school system area, read language from William Brown’s will saying he bequeathed “a cash sum of $500,000 to Sumner County, Tennessee, to establish and maintain a public park located at 212 Hunters Lane, Hendersonville, Tennessee, with the historic home currently situated thereon being permanently maintained by the county as the park’s centerpiece.”

“I am just so excited to tell you that we finally the gen ops committee finally got the $500,000 and interest,” McLeod said. She described the house’s long history, saying the Brown family acquired the property from an earlier family and that the house may date back to the late 18th century.

Diane Stinson, who said one of her ancestors built the house, also urged the commission to approve requested repairs so the structure can be used for educational purposes by local schools.

Committee members acknowledged the public comments but did not take final action on a capital appropriation during the meeting. Commissioners and staff discussed that the money is held in a restricted, separate county account and must be used “solely for the establishment, promotion, ongoing support, and maintenance” of the named park, consistent with the language read into the record.

Speakers asked the committee to approve an immediate expenditure for removal of carpet and paneling and for HVAC work; McLeod said she understood an offer had been made for contractors to remove interior materials and equipment, but she cautioned that the detail had not been fully confirmed.

The committee kept the Brown House matter on old business and indicated the full county commission would see appropriation requests once staff returned recommendations and estimates.

The public comments represent an initial push by neighbors and descendants to see the property restored and used for community or school programs; the committee did not adopt a funding measure at the meeting.