Two Rivers Mansion is one of the last of the antebellum country homes built in the Nashville area and one of the earliest and best preserved of the ornate Italianate houses in Middle Tennessee.
Italianate architecture debuted in America in the 1830s. Two Rivers mansion displays several prominent Italianate features. Often included
in the so-called Picturesque Movement, the Italianate style began in England in response to the rigid formalism that had come to dominate
19th century architecture. The style was a variation and an homage to Italy’s country farmhouses, usually built of masonry, with their
characteristic square towers and informal detailing. By the 1830s, Italianate had spread across the Atlantic to the United States, where
architects began to transform it into an American vernacular style with only hints of its Italian origin.
Much of the style’s popularity can be credited to architect Andrew Jackson Downing, who’s own Italian home designs were featured in two
publications: Cottage Residence (1842) and The Architecture of Country Houses (1850). Widely read by designers and the public alike,
his influential book generated a wave of Italianate homebuilding around the country. The best surviving examples in the Nashville area besides
Two Rivers are Belmont and Clover Bottom. The style waned during the economic depression of 1873. The expense and craftsmanship of the
ornate exteriors showcased the wealth of those who could afford the style, such as David and Willie McGavock.
