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Nashville's historic properties are full of good storiesthey're stamped inside the walls, like letters from generation to generation. George Jones purchased First Lady Acres, home of the late Tammy Wynette, for her in 1974. Though there are conflicting accounts about whether the property was a 'wedding gift,” during her time there, Wynette and co-writers penned her Woman to Woman albumproof that the property had an impact beyond the tumultuous marriage.
Snapshots of Wynette's time there include the First Lady of Country Music sporting white go-go boots, jumping on her trampoline. And, although the gate boasting the abode's name has been replaced, the moniker will be forever attached to the property. There's a Gatsby-like nostalgia one feels journeying up the snaking driveway, which still melds seamlessly with the tranquil landscaping. History meets future, as polished stones and chartreuse lanterns remain intact.
Not the only iconic woman to dwell in this house, after Wynette passed, esteemed music mogul Louise Scruggs took on the next renovation. Another 'first lady,” Scruggs was the 'pioneer woman ... who understood trends. The first woman to take on... an industry dominated by men,” according to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
For its most recent update, in 2015, real estate mogul Lisa Peebles introduced Meg Epstein, a developer, to Cheryl Underwood, a designer, who worked together to pay homage to the women with whom it all began. They wanted to successfully update the legendary home with a more modern style, while maintaining its historic integrity. With a fusion of Southern meets West Coast design, the two added expertly placed accents to bring harmony to the property.
From the welcoming entrance, a gateway to contemporary elegance, the embrace of Wynette's original textiles still resonate. Otherwise, the changes include an exquisite glass fireplace embedded in a snuggery stone wall; the butler's nook updated with a wine-cellar wall; the kitchen updated for discerning culinary entertainers; a majestic wood wall that adds stand-alone art to the master suite; and the bath, which once held a gilded amethyst Grecian sink, that now features a sophisticated vanity and circular tub.
Perhaps the best-kept secret, a tribute to Wynette, is her preserved closetit hides an apartment-style, drop-down ironing board, so old school that it's cool. Rumor had it that Wynette always ironed her own clothes. Altogether, the changes reflect the many women who have created and changed these walls, with this latest transformation being one that would likely make Wynette and Scruggs proud.
By K.W. Poole / Photos by Jay Winter.