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    Johnny Cash Built This Rustic Tennessee Home for His Son. Now It Can Be Yours for $6.25 Million.

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    Sometime in the 1980s, country music icons Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash commissioned the late master builder Braxton Dixon to build a home for their son, Johnny Carter Cash. At that time, the younger Cash was just a teenager who eventually followed in his family’s legendary footsteps to become a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. Dixon—aka Nashville’s builder to the stars—also restored and updated an 18th-century log cabin on the thickly wooded 21-acre parcel in Hendersonville, Tennessee, about 30 minutes outside of downtown Nashville. 

    Known as Dogwood Estate, the property has just come up for sale with an asking price of $6.25 million. Erin Krueger and Mary Spotts of Compass hold the listing.

    The location of Dogwood Estate was hardly arbitrary; the elder Cashes had long owned a nearby spread, a six-structure compound also built by Dixon called Sycamore Homestead. In fact, the two properties share a driveway that passes over a wooden, Dixon-built covered bridge. 

    The rustic home was built in 1987 by the late master builder Braxton Dixon.

    Realkit / Compass

    The main house is set in a small clearing with two bedrooms and three bathrooms in nearly 4,300 square feet. Among its many rustic charms are exposed wood walls, yellow heart pine floorboards, stained glass windows from Europe, and Amish-built stone fireplaces.

    The great room includes an open kitchen with custom oak cabinetry that incorporates a charming built-in dining booth, while a huge three-season porch and an equally spacious adjoining screened porch both have treehouse-like views into the canopies of surrounding trees. Elsewhere, a den does double duty as an office with a long, built-in desk, and a massive fireplace anchors a lower-level family room. All three bathrooms are updated—one has a classic claw-footed tub—and the primary suite is a spacious retreat that includes a sitting area with a thirty-foot cathedral ceiling, a fireplace, and a roomy dressing area.

    The cabin, which dates to 1789 according to marketing materials, stands apart from the house. There’s a large room joined by a porch, along with a lofted area. There is not a kitchen or bathroom, so it’s perhaps best suited as a place for quiet relaxation or as a music studio or creative space.

    A 18th-century cabin on the property was also refurbished by Braxton Dixon.

    Realkit / Compass

    Johnny Carter Cash sold Dogwood Estate in 1993, and nearby Sycamore Homestead, which spans nearly six acres with six structures, has not been in the Cash family for quite some time either; the current owner bought Sycamore Homestead in 1992 and now has it on the market for $3.3 million.

    For more than 30 years and until they died within months of each other in 2003, Johnny and June Carter Cash made their primary home a 14,000-square-foot mansion on the shore of Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville. Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees bought the 4.5-acre property in 2005, but the house burned to the ground in 2007 while undergoing renovations. Gibb built a new house, and the property has since changed hands several times.

    Click here for more photos of Dogwood Estate.

    Realkit / Compass More

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      Radio and TV Personality Bobby Bones Spins His Sprawling Nashville Home Onto the Market

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      About seven miles south of downtown Nashville, in the affluent Oak Hill neighborhood, a five-acre compound owned by veteran radio personality and reality TV regular Bobby Bones has hit the market. Initially priced at $9.25 million, the price was lickety-split dropped to $8.75 million. 

      The syndicated radio host, who has a popular iHeart radio broadcast, has over the years also appeared in a variety of roles on several reality TV programs. There was the short-lived docuseries “Breaking Bobby Bones” (2021), in which he traveled the country taking on unusual jobs; he was a full-time mentor on “American Idol” for a couple of seasons; he won the crown on the 27th season of “Dancing with the Stars”; and last year he served as the host of the reality competition series “Snake in the Grass.”

      The double-height living room, traversed by a catwalk, spills out to a terrace with a stone fireplace.

      Paul Nicol

      Records show the property last sold a bit more than three years ago for $3.75 million. Since then, among other updates and enhancements, the shingled and wood-planked exterior of the residence has been stained charcoal, a comprehensive surveillance system has been installed, and an old barn has been converted into an airy guesthouse. The pastoral estate’s three residences together span nearly 15,000 square feet, with a total of six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, plus four powder rooms. 

      The main house is a sprawling collection of shapes and volumes, some of which take their cues from vernacular rural buildings, capped by a combination of flat, arched, and peaked rooflines. There are four ensuite bedrooms, a home gym, a state-of-the-art home theater, and a heated garage that will accommodate six cars. In addition to a cavernous double-height living room traversed by a catwalk, there’s a 49-foot-long dining room with a built-in bar area and an octagonal kitchen with a triangular light fixture suspended above a u-shaped island.

      The swimming pool is set agains a backdrop of old-growth specimen trees.

      Paul Nicol

      A soaring breezeway separates the main house from the guest house, which doubles as a poolside entertainment pavilion. On its playlist of features are a fireside lounge, a huge great room with a large kitchen, a basement, a sauna, and an indoor-outdoor bar that opens to the pool deck. And, privately positioned in a wooded area away from the main and guest houses, a second guesthouse—the old barn—has two more bedrooms and baths, plus soaring ceilings, honed concrete flooring, a fireplace in the living area, and an open-plan kitchen.

      The grounds, a park-like mix of lush lawns shaded by mature specimen trees, include a sports court for tennis and basketball and a resort-style swimming pool alongside a vast terrace. The boulder-bordered pool has two poolside ramadas, one that shelters a spa and another a sitting area.

      The home is listed with Carrie Prickett at Compass.

      Click here for more photos of Bobby Bone’s house.

      Paul Nichol More

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      in Luxury

      Home of the Week: Country Superstar Kenny Chesney Lists His 56-Acre ‘Tennessee Tuscan’ Estate for $14 Million

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      With one of his biggest hits entitled “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”, and with his Franklin, Tennessee, estate sprawling over 56 acres, you would expect country music legend Kenny Chesney to know a thing or two about tractors. In fact, in a recent interview, the six-time Academy of Country Music Award winner and four-time Entertainer of the Year admitted to owning not one, but two.
      Just don’t expect to find them on his recently listed property.

      “I think he liked his tractors so much that he took them with him,” explains realtor Laura Stroud of Nashville-based French King Fine Properties, who together with colleague Lisa Wilson holds the listing for Mr. Chesney’s spectacular Nashville-area home.

      Featured materials include reclaimed walnut, Venetian plaster and Santa Fe clay barrel tiles. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      Chesney, 53, bought the Tuscan-style villa as a spec build back in 2009 for a reported $9.25 million. Called Bella Luce, Italian for “beautiful light”, it was designed by local Nashville architect Brad Norris, who was given free rein by builder Jimmy Franks of Old South Construction to use some of the most authentic materials available.

      For the exterior walls, he specified 150-year-old brick and carved stone, along with Santa Fe clay barrel tiles for the multitude of roofs. Inside, it’s all rich, reclaimed walnut floors, hand-carved Mesquite-wood doors and massive cedar and Douglas fir exposed wood beams.

      “What makes my heart sing are the exquisite Venetian plaster walls throughout the entire house,” says Stroud. “It involves a remarkably time-consuming, and expensive, process where several layers of plaster are hand-troweled and then given a wax finish to produce this beautiful luster and sheen.”

      The master bedroom suite. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      Naturally, for such a high-profile artist like Chesney, the original appeal of the property was no doubt its security and privacy. Imposing gates off Franklin’s Lake Valley Drive open to a half-mile-long driveway leading to the tree-shrouded home’s stunning, brick-paved circular motor court.

      When Chesney bought the estate it included more than 30 acres of land but, according to Stroud, over the years the singer quietly acquired additional plots for added privacy, as well investment.  “If a buyer wanted to, there are parcels that could be developed and sold off while still keeping the property as a very sizable estate,” she says.

      The home theater. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      Talking of size, the home comes with over 12,000 square feet of living space spread over four, elevator-connected floors. The main ground floor includes a spectacular reception room with soaring beamed ceilings, giant wrought iron chandeliers and two 25-foot-high limestone fireplaces, one at each end of the room. An archway leads into the home’s cavernous yet cozy kitchen/dining room/family space with its huge center marble-topped island, professional-grade appliances and stone fireplace.

      This ground floor level also includes the stylish master suite with huge wooden beams, vaulted ceiling and Romanesque stone pillars. Here, you’ll also find a sitting area, dressing room and French doors that open on to a private patio.

      The custom gym occupies the basement level. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      A wood and hand-painted tile staircase leads up to the second floor with three more ensuite bedrooms, each with its own balcony overlooking the grounds. One more elevator ride upwards takes you to a whimsical lookout tower offering 360-degree views all the way to Music City in the distance.

      The cavernous 2,538-square-foot basement area was outfitted by Chesney—often referred to as “the fittest man in country music”—as a state-of-the-art gym. Other stand-out features of the main house include a movie theater with oversized leather recliners, a billiards room and an elegant office with built-ins and arched glass doors leading out on to covered terraces.

      The home features lots of outdoor living areas. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      In total, the home boasts over 3,000 square-feet of covered terraces and walkways, an infinity-edged saltwater pool with a waterfall feature, and a covered outdoor kitchen. “The outdoor spaces are truly exceptional,” explains Wilson. “Because the home sits on a hilltop, the views across the meadows to the large pond are spectacular. There is a real feeling of peace and serenity here.”

      One major addition Chesney made to the home was building a detached four-car stone garage in addition to the existing attached six-car garage. He also added two 500-gallon fuel storage tanks—one for diesel for those tractors, the other for gas for the singer’s car collection.

      Talking about the estate, Stroud describes it as  “a little slice of Tuscany less than 20 miles from downtown Nashville. While there are other large estates in the area, none have this level of character, this kind of architectural style and this much over-engineered quality.”

      Sadly, however, no tractor is included.
      Check out more photos of the home below:

      The main living room. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      The hand-painted tiled staircase. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      The game room. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      The Tuscan-inspired main house. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      A guest bedroom. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis

      The open kitchen. 

      Courtesy Soloman Davis More

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      in Luxury

      Home of the Week: Country Music Superstar Alan Jackson Lists His Nashville Estate for $23 Million

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      With its $23 million asking price, you can’t say that country singer Alan Jackson is letting his sprawling Tennessee mansion go for a song.
      If it sells for anywhere close to asking, it’ll be one of the most expensive pads ever sold in both the state and in the celebrity-rich enclave of Franklin, just a line dance away from Nashville, aka Music City USA.
      But the massive hilltop estate is certainly not short of curb appeal. Set on 4.3 private acres and surrounded by 120 more of dense woodland, Sweetbriar sprawls over 22,000 square feet, features five bedrooms, seven-and-a-half bathrooms and can garage up to 15 cars.
      Country Music Hall of Famer Jackson—he’s sold more than 75 million records worldwide—and his author wife Denise, originally bought the spread in 2009 for $795,000. They commissioned architect-to-the-country-stars Ron Farris to design the imposing stone residence in a style that Farris describes on his website as “New England Country.”
      The grand entryway and staircase fit for Scarlett O’Hara.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      Part of the home’s considerable attraction is its security and privacy. It’s part of the upscale Laurelbrooke community with a 24/7 guarded gate, while the heavily-wooded Jackson estate has its own set of imposing barriers.
      A winding driveway climbs up to a large motorcourt in front of the main house. Inside the foyer, with its rich inlaid wood flooring, is a sweeping wood-and-wrought-iron staircase in front of a towering two-story window.
      Decorated in a very traditional and elegant style, the interior is heavy on beautiful wood floors, paneling and arched windows.
      The kitchen.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      There’s a formal reception room with large fireplace, formal dining room with seating for 10, formal sitting room and what listing agent Rick French of French King Fine Properties describes as “grand public rooms.”
      Less stuffy is the wood-walled TV room with its belly-up bar and the 10-seat movie room.
      The formal reception room.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      Upstairs, the expansive primary suite features a cloister-ceilinged bedroom with doors leading out to a terrace. There are also dual bathrooms, one with a huge, marble-edged soaking tub with tall French doors that open on to a balcony.
      Outside there’s a pool and pool house, a large expanse of manicured lawn, a paved area around a firepit and a vast, covered, poolside loggia with stone arches and stone fireplace.
      When you want to gaze out on to those surrounding woodlands – of which
      The music room.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      Jackson is said to own another 84 in the area—the main house also includes a sizable roof-top deck with multiple tables and sun loungers.
      For car lovers, the home’s twin, stone-faced garage buildings will no doubt be a considerable draw. Inside there’s room for around 15 cars in heated and air-conditioned luxury.
      The formal sitting room.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      Jackson is well-known for his motoring passion. No one knows for sure how many cars he owns, but his eclectic collection is said to include everything from a 1929 Bentley Le Mans and a 1928 Stutz Black Hawk Boattail Speedster to an array of 1970s American muscle cars, an Amphicar and a 1977 Ford Bronco.
      Pride of place in the collection however, goes to a refrigerator-white 1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible—the car Jackson bought when he was 15 and took his wife out in on their first date. Seems he later sold the car for a down payment their first home. Denise Jackson surprised him by buying the car back for his birthday.
      The formal dining room.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      Before building the Laurelbrooke estate, the Jacksons lived in an 18,600-square-foot, custom-built antebellum mansion on 135 acres in Franklin, also called Sweetbriar, which was supposedly modeled after Tara in Gone With the Wind.
      After first listing that home for $38 million, they sold it to Copart salvage car auction founder, Willis Johnson, for $28 million in 2010.
      There’s no word on where the Jacksons and their three daughters plan to move to when they sell. Just don’t expect it to be too far away from the Grand Old Opry.
      The primary bedroom suite.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      The ensuite bathroom.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      The secluded pool.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      The patio.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      The patio at night.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties

      Sweetbriar is surrounded by forest.  Photo: Courtesy of French/King Fine Properties More