Photo from George Zepp
The mansion was built in 1895 by Julius Zwicker, a Nashville architect. He designed the Silver Dollar Saloon in downtown Nashville.
It was located on a hill near the intersection of Porter Rd. and Cahal Rd. in East Nashville. In 1936, the Most Rev. William L. Adrian (1883-1972) , the Catholic Bishop of Nashville, purchased the property with 3 acres as a second residence. The Bishop of Nashville’s official home was beside the Cathedral on West End Ave.. By the next year, a 2nd floor had been added. Interestingly, in 1939, the Catholic Diocese lead by Bishop Adrian moved a small Catholic summer camp from Joelton to Fairview and called it Camp Marymount - it is continuing strong in 2022.
Twenty-two years later, in 1959, the Catholic Diocese sold the property to businessmen Kemmons Wilson and Wallace Johnson of Memphis who founded Holiday Inn of American motel chain - among other business ventures. The two men planned to convert the property to a subdivision. The next year, in 1960, the home caught fire and burned down. Over time, the Bellwood Park Apartments and the Panorama Apartments were built on the property.
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