Hadleywood / Green Pastures, was built in 1840 by Hwy 31A in the Little Harpeth Valley in northern Williamson County.
In 1821, Denny Porterfield Hadley (1797-1872) married Elizabeth Leiper Smith (1800-1876). She was the granddaughter of Capt. James Leiper who established Leiper’s Fork. They began their life on 200 acres given by her father, Alexander Smith whose entry is earlier. By 1830, Hadley had accumulated 825 acres of very good farmland. They then built their 2 story brick house.
After Denny died, the property was left to their son, Ferdinand Columbus Hadley (1840-1905), and grandchildren, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Hadley Clack Armistead (1857-1941) and John Hadley Clack (1858-1904). They were the children of Mary Emeline Hadley Clack (1835-1919) and Thomas Jones Clack. Over time the land was subdivided to others.
Later, Lizzie’s widower, William Blair (W.B.) Armistead (1849-1935) and their daughter Mary Robina Armistead Moore resided there. Mary wed (James) Washington Moore (1866-1965) in 1892. Moore was very involved with the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon (was SAE at Vanderbilt Univ.) and was Emminent Supreme Archon 1891-94. He was also a Tennessee congressman in 1903, a city attorney for Nashville in the 1930s, and a United States Commissioner from 1942-63. Before Hadleywood, he had a home in East Nashville.
By 1930, it was sold out of the family to (John) Mason Houghland (1888-1959) and Sarah Ivy Roark Houghland (1893-pres) who helped found The Hillsboro Hounds in 1932 and moved the club’s fox hounds to their property in 1935. The estate consists of 110 acres. The Houghlands renamed the property Green Pastures. Mason founded Spur Oil Co. and was part of its growth into one of the largest independent oil companies in the U.S. He was called “the grandfather of private branch chain stations.” He was very involved in fox hunting and horse breeding and a longtime supporter of the Iroquois Steeplechase.
After Mason died, Sarah sold to Mr and Mrs William D. Hail in 1974. [Sarah moved to a house on Belle Meade Blvd.] The Hails were very involved with horses and active in the Hillsboro Hounds and Iroquois Steeplechase.
In 1988, Jesse M. and Margaret Currey Henley owned Green Pastures Farm with 3.7 acres. The couple was also longtime steeplechase supporters. One of the Iroquois Steeplechase races is named the Margarete Currey Henley Stakes race in her honor. Margaret died in 1992.
In the early 1990s, Hurley Calister "Cal" & Margaret Turner, Jr. bought the mansion with 550 acres. Turner was long-time Chief Executive Officer of Dollar General. Under the Turner family, the horse farm had allowed horse owners to stable their horses very nearby in the Brentwood area. Around 2017, the Turners decided to end that practice and focus on a private home and property. The home was called Hadleywood by Elizabeth & Denney Hadley while in the Hadley family. It has been called Green Pastures by the Houghland family - it references Psalm 23. NRHP 1988 See also Ashlawn, Harmon House/24 Trees.
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