810 South Water St. Gallatin, TN
Circa 1836-42. 2-story red brick Greek Revival Palladian style
Rose Mont, located in Gallatin two miles south of the public square at 810 South Water St., was built between 1836-1842.
Photo by rossograph
The mansion iwas owned by Judge Josephus Conn Guild (1802-1883) and his wife Katherine Montgomery Blackmore Guild (1806-1888). At the time, it was the area’s largest thoroughbred horse farm at 500 acres. His experience and love of horse racing and breeding helped to build Sumner County’s preeminent reputation for thoroughbreds. Judge Guild was an outstanding lawyer and very influential in Sumner County. He was a member of the General Assembly in 1833, 1835 and 1852 and in the Senate in 1837 and 1845. In 1870, he was elected judge in Nashville and served an 8 year term. In addition to other accomplishments, he wrote and published Old Times in Tennessee chronicling early Tennessee history. In 1879, the thoroughbreds not taken by the Union Army were sold at auction.
At Judge Guild’s death, his daughter-in-law, Bettie Alexander Guild 1848-1923), inherited Rose Mont and its 65 acres. Her husband, Walter J. Guild (1843-1879), died decades before she did. After Bettie’s death, her children inherited the property, and it was divided among them.
In 1936, grandsons William Alexander (W.A.) Guild and Lewis Cass Guild (1887-1951) owned the property. Lewis bought out his brother. Lewis married Annie M. Fidler Guild (1878-1967) in 1908.
After Lewis’ passing, only one of his children, Joseph “Jo Conn” Conn Guild and his wife, Joan Mason Brown Guild, wanted to live at Rose Mont and its 6 acres with his mother, Annie. In 1978, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Conn Guild III owned the property.
It was inhabited by Guild family members until 1993 when the City of Gallatin and the Rose Mont Restoration Foundation bought the property. The name comes from the large rose garden planted by the judge’s wife, Catherine Blackmore Guild. NRHP 1978 See Guildwood
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