The 2nd Annual Mimosas at Marcella’s event featured fun, hors devours and a chance to see inside the historic Ravenswood Mansion on Sunday, April 8, 2018, but also included a new feature this year. The City of Brentwood used the Spring Open House as a way to unveil the new 4,000 square foot paver courtyard located in the back of the property.
The courtyard was the City’s response to repeated sod replacement due to excessive use of the area. Ravenswood Mansion first opened in 2014 as an event and wedding rental space and on averages hosts about 27 events per year. City Commissioners approved $60,000 in the 2018-2023 Capital Improvement Plan to construct the paver courtyard.
Brentwood Mayor Jill Burgin described Ravenswood as a premier event space for this area. “The setting of the historic antebellum home inside the beautiful Smith Park makes for a unique and classy southern location for a wedding or any kind of event. We are very fortunate that city leaders before us saw the importance in saving this land and recognizing its historical value to Brentwood,” Mayor Burgin said.
Mayor Burgin, Commissioner Ken Travis and other City leaders participated in a ceremony to unveil the new courtyard followed by a ribbon cutting. Among those who presented were a Williamson Inc., Leadership Brentwood team who were instrumental in helping move the project along in conjunction with city staff. Team member and Brentwood resident, Jennifer Shepard thanked the contractor who won the job, Jarvis Sign Company. “They began in March with a tight deadline to complete this massive project and they did it. Jarvis and his team worked and completed this in four weeks despite some challenging weather that could have slowed them down” Shepard added. Other Leadership Brentwood team members included Chris Cummins, Brian Evans, David Hopkins, Randy Gibson, and Deanna Lambert, who is also the Community Relations Director for Brentwood.
Residents, potential clients of the mansion and others who just wanted to tour the mansion attended the celebration on Sunday from 1pm-4pm. Several local businesses helped make the event possible by donating food and drink. Those businesses included Sugar Drop, Papa C Pies Bakery, Catering and Events by Suzette, Beyond Details Catering and Floral Design, Clean Plate Club, and Two Fat Men Catering Company.
Ravenswood Mansion, located on Wilson Pike in Brentwood, was built in 1825 by the James Wilson II family. It was named for family friend Sam Houston whose Cherokee Indian name was “the Raven”, most likely due to the jet-black hair of his youth. Reese and Marcella Smith purchased the home in 1961 and the history of the house was always in the forefront of their renovations. In 1983, the Smith family secured its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Brentwood purchased the home and 320 acres of land to build Smith Park in 2010.
To read more about Ravenswood Mansion or learn more about its history, please log onto our website or follow us on social media. To inquire about booking an event, please contact our Event Venue Manager, Abby Cox at [email protected]
