TRAVELING on a BUDGET : Cordell Hull Birthplace State Historical Area

CORDELL HULL BIRTHPLACE STATE HISTORIC AREA...
He is our "Father of the United Nations"

Tennessee State Parks
Official Tennessee Link for the State Park

Located in Byrdstown, Tennessee
FREE Park to enjoy!!!

Saturday, February 1, 2014

My husband I decided to enjoy this park today.
Across the street is the parking for the Bunkum Cave Loop Trail which I am documenting in a separate blog page. But it is actually part of this park. It is the only hiking trail for this location and the best part of it..it's FREE also !!!

Hours of operation: Open Year Round 9am to 4pm winter and until 5pm summer.

Directions:
Take I-40 East from Nashville to exit 287 to route 111 North. You will go into the town of Livingston, TN, follow Rt 111 North by making a Left at the signal light, still following the route north you will see signs for the park. Make a Right onto Rt 325 beside a gas station and drive out about a mile and 1/2. The birthplace park is on the Right. Parking is also on the Right. Signs marking the area are very visible.

Picnic Area available at the parking lot. There are picnic tables and grills. There are also some picnic spots near the cabin, but I didn't see any grills there. Bathrooms located in the Visitors Center.

First we, parked in the parking lot and then we entered into the Visitors Center.
Here you can register in the log. Use the restroom and find a nice museum of artifacts belonging to Cordell Hull and his family including Portraits of him. There you will also find additional literature about other sights and locations nearby.

The museum and site is FREE but there is a donations box if you would like to support the museum and site.

The museum contains original artifacts belonging to former Secretary of the State Cordell Hull including many original papers, photographs and personal effects. While the Original PEACE PRIZE is in a safe storage, a replica from the Nobel Institute is on public display.

Here life is portrayed as it was when Cordell Hull lived here from 1871-1874. 58 acre park.
He attended college at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tn. He worked as a Lawyer, judge, state representative and Captain in the Spanish-American War.
He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1906 where he served until 1931, when he was elected into the US Senate. He served there until President Franklin D Roosevelt appointed him Secretary of the State in 1933.
His most noted achievement was his effort in establishing the United Nations toward the end of WW2, for which he was awarded the Noble Peace Prize.

We next left out the back door of the Visitors Center and museum to walk to the Cabin of Cordell Hull. This is a replica of the birth cabin.
The cabin consists of two separate buildings..with a covered porch connecting them. The main cabin is only one room and 1 1/2 stories tall. Downstairs was the main living area with a large fireplace. This would be what you call today the living room and bedroom area. The stairwell is located beside the fireplace and has a door on it to close it off when needed. Upstairs is where the others slept.

You exit out onto the covered porch walkway to the second cabin which is another one room area but NO upstairs in this cabin. Here is another large fireplace and what we would call today the dining room and kitchen. It was a separate room so in the summer it would cut down on the heat caused by the constant cooking and preparing of food for future use. Summertime there was a lot of canning and preparing for the hard cold winters..

When you enter each cabin there is a button on the wall near the door that you can push and hear a very pleasant lady doing a guided tour and pointing out items and features in the room. Some of the artifacts are original family member pieces.

Additional Links:
Stop #65 on the Top Secret Tennessee Trailway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordell_Hull_Birthplace_State_Park

This is the park office