Hickory Hill is almost ready for the public.
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Hickory Hill Curator Michelle Zupan discusses the historic home.
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The historic home will open as a museum on Nov. 22, according to curator Michelle Zupan.
"It's a wonderful property," she said during the Oct. 21 meeting of the Thomson Rotary Club. "It has so much potential."
Hickory Hill was purchased in 1900 by Thomas E. Watson, a Thomson native and legendary author and politician. Hickory Hill was Mr. Watson's vision, and while he purchased the home 35 years after it was built, he made many architectural and aesthetic enhancements over the next 17 years.
The Watson-Brown Foundation has worked extensively over the last two years to make Hickory Hill close to what it was in 1920, Ms. Zupan said.
"We want to make it appear like the Watsons just walked out the back door," she said.
Once the museum opens, the work is not complete. Other plans include archaeological excavations of The Jeffersonian publishing plant and a Native American site on the Hickory Hill property.
Also, the historic home will play host to the Hickory Hill Forum -- a gathering of Southern history scholars -- in May.
Hours for the museum will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Guided tours will begin every hour on the hour until 4 p.m. Museum officials are also looking for volunteers to help out around the home. For more information, call 595-7777.
