Located on the Nashville Grassmere Zoo property is an old house built in 1810 by a Michael Dunn. Although sold, the some 346-acre property stayed within the family eventually becoming the home of William and Lavinia Dunn who renovated it after the Civil War.

William and Lavinia had four "surviving" daughters Kate, Venie, Maggie and Leila. The children who didn't survive were laid to rest with their late relative in small family cemetery on the back of the property behind a slave house.

Here you can see to the left a slave house...just behind it now sits not just the families cemetery but a second which was added in 2014. To the right is the families once impressive 3 tiered garden.

Inside the slaves home their belongings still sit where last laid.

The families cemetery...

Next to the families cemetery now lies a second cemetery that was added in 2014...
Kate went on to married a man named William Croft and together they had two daughters Margaret born 1889 and Elise 1894. Although Margaret and Elise moved on from the property they both eventually returned to "Grassmere" what the property was named the to live out their last days. There was one small problem however, they could not pay the property tax. This led them to sign an agreement with The Childrens Museum of Nashville aka Adventure Science center. The agreement stated that the museum would pay the taxes and help with up keep until their deaths. Then, the property would be passed ownership with the clause they had to keep it as a "nature study center". ...and this in short is how it later become a Zoo.

Upon arriving at work one morning I was informed that I was now going to be responsible for the up keep of the two cemeteries. I felt it an honor and although I really didn't know anything about the family, the graves, or the people buried in them I was up for it. (later I learned many before me had refused) My first day at the site I stood outside the main cemetery and I felt it only right that I introduce myself and ask permission to enter this sacred area to groom the earth around their bodies. Afterword I stood there not really expecting much but taking in the silence and the old crumbling stone walls when a giant butterfly came and landed on my arm. ...my permission to enter.

That first day was magical...the butterfly kept me company as I worked every now and again landing on me. I've never experienced anything like it the energy was good.

It wasn't until the second day that I had a different kind of experience. I was careful always never to be on a grave, and while bridged over one weeding I started to feel extremely ill. Many of the tomb stones are so weathered that you can't read them. I sat up trying to hold the contents of my stomach when I decided maybe I should try walking around. Before I got up I tried to read the stone but could not make out what it said. On the outskirts of the cemetery walls the park has posted a map and names of the head stone they once could read or had found history of. I decided to see if they knew anything about the grave I'd just been working over... I counted the graves; it was grave number 9... it read...

Once I finished working on the main cemetery I moved to the other. Twenty misshapen, unified rather drab rocks stood erect as headstones...heavy and nameless. I decided to read the posted story by the park there at its side. Upon the growth of the park they decided to move the entrance to a new location. While breaking ground they found an unexpected surprise human remains. A special team was brought in and 20 bodies many of small children were carefully excavated from the fertile soil. A map was kept where each was found.

Coffin nails?, hair pins, and old buttons were found sprinkled around the bones.

Map of the Zoo's new entrance and Welcome sign.

DNA was taken from the bones to be analyzed, there was talk that perhaps this had been another grave of the families. Results later revealed however that they were all of African American decent and it became assumed that these had been some of the 30-35 slaves the Dunn and Shute families were known to have had up until the civil war. Out of respect it was agreed that these 20 souls deserved a proper burial, which is when the second cemetery was born.

I felt sorry for those here, I appreciate the efforts of the Zoo but I felt as if something was missing.

While working in here I discovered a baby bunnies nest, they began to get used to me and I would stash them carrots and other treats along the base of the stone walls.

During my first few weeks caring for the two sites I began asking more questions about the family and the history there. The Zoo offers a tour through the house which has all the original furniture, knick-knacks and family photos on the wall. I walked through one day with them and felt as if I had stepped back in time. A few employee's told me ghost stories of other cemetery caregivers being scared away. One of the Zoo's longest standing employee who gives the tours at the Croft house admitted that he believed "someone' (ghost of) would occa have tantrums within the house and make the clocks go crazy and mess with the lights.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this post, thank you for your time and attention.

I'll be doing a part 3 here soon where I finally get to start interacting with the wildlife at the Zoo...Sloths, baby white rhinos and more.

-Cheers