3085 Duplex-Spring Hill Rd. Franklin, TN
Circa 1835. 2-story frame home.
Samuel Brown Lee, Sr. (1768-1865) and Susan Amanda Napier Lee (1819-1850) built their home in 1835 which they named Maplewood The homestead comprised 604 acres. Samuel moved to Rutherford County in 1816, then to Williamson Count in 1819 to claim inherited land. He briefly moved to Memphis and was in the iron manufacturing business with his future father-in-law, John Napier. Samuel returned to the Spring Hill/ Duplex area by 1830. He married Susan in 1837, and they enjoyed a successful plantation life. Samuel also had an interest in Lee & Gould’s Furnace on Sugar Creek. The Lees constructed a home for their daughter Florence Amanda Lee (1848-1894) who married John Kirkman “Kirk” Farrell (1845-1911) in 1860.
The property was left to sons Samuel Jr (1842-1910) and John Wills Napier Lee (1844-1921). John Wills was married to Mary Thomas Core. Florence’s family moved to Columbia and another son Charles Lee moved into her old house. The Lee sons became famous for thoroughbred horse racing. In 1872, one of their horses, Duplex, won the world championship pacing record.
In 1921, John Wills Napier (W.N.) Lee, Jr. became the owner. Then in 1963, after John W.N. Lee, Jr. passed, J.W.N. Lee III (1919-1990) purchased Maplewood.
The year 1985 brought yet another family transition as John Napier Lee purchased Lee House and the 222 acres of Maplewood Farm. Since 1992, Martha “Mona” Broyles (Mrs. J.W.N. III) Lee and John Wills Napier Lee have been owners. In the late 1990s, Maplewood Farm was listed as a Century Farm in Tennessee - having been in the same family for over 100 years. In 1993, the land was increased from 72 acres to 398 acres and the property was named Maplewood Farm. In 1995, John and Mona Lee were owners. NR 1988
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