The storied history and cultural significance of the Cheekwood estate is beyond dispute. But as the home, gardens and galleries continue to attract more and more visitors, it has created a rub with neighbors that the nonprofit says is threatening its future.
It’s been said that to fully understand the history of Cheekwood, you have to begin with Leslie Cheek and Mabel Wood. After marrying in 1896 and securing a fortune from the sale of Maxwell House Coffee Company, they built the house as a family estate. Donated in 1960 to the newly established non-profit, Tennessee Botanical Gardens and Fine Arts Center (now known as Cheekwood Estate & Gardens) by the Cheek’s daughter, Hulda, and her husband, Walter Sharp, the attraction has since grown in size and popularity. Today we explore Cheekwood’s history, the genealogy of the Cheek family as well as their latest chapter — a dispute with Belle Meade neighbors who argue, among other things, that traffic to the property already exceeds recommended volumes for neighborhood streets.
Guests:
- Jane O. MacLeod, President & CEO, Cheekwood
- Charles Birnbaum, President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation
- Joe Altman, Resident, Belle Meade Highlands
- Austin Hornbostel, Metro Reporter, Tennessean
Further reading:
- How Cheekwood, Belle Meade and Warner Park’s conservation intersect in neighborhood lawsuit [WPLN]
- Cheekwood clash continues as neighbors demand pause on blasting work [Tennessean]
Correction: Cheekwood’s MOU with Metro requires visitor parking to move off parks land by December 2027, not 2026.
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