farm history
The Allen family of Greene County begins with Robert Allen who moved to the area from Pennsylvania in 1786. His son Daniel was a contemporary and friend of Greeneville tailor and alderman, Andrew Johnson. It was Daniel's son, James Allen, Sr. that established a farm of 560 acres about nine miles southwest of Greeneville in 1857 and built what is now known as the Allen/Birdwell house, circa 1865.
James Allen, Jr. acquired the property in 1885. He served in the Tennessee General Assembly from 1903 to 1907 and from 1923 to 1925. Married to Elizabeth Jay Birdwell, the couple had no children, but they raised her nephew, George Leo Birdwell, Sr. In 1952, George, Sr. obtained the property. He married Julia Gladys Russell and they had five children, one of which is the present owner, Jay D. Birdwell, Sr. In 1973, Jay and his wife Ann obtained the farm. They reared the next generation in the house that was built by the founder, James Allen Sr.
Our house is central to the identity and pride of our farm. We and the four generations before us have preserved everything. We have added modern conveniences but otherwise still use the original doors, doorknobs, light fixtures, and glass window panes. A log barn and smokehouse dating to the first half of the nineteenth century are still used in everyday farming activities. We are especially proud that our history and artifacts are preserved by their everyday use.