The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson

The development of a new housing complex on the former Ingleside plantation, which once adjoined The Hermitage, resulted in the discovery of a slave cemetery that most likely originally served both the Ingleside and Cleveland Hall plantations. Nephews of Rachel Jackson owned these plantations.

A total of 60 burials were excavated from the cemetery and the human remains were studied by anthropologists at Middle Tennessee State University. In 2007, The Hermitage agreed to be the final resting place for these individuals.

To memorialize these African American men, women, and children, The Hermitage commissioned an original work of public art. Funded by the Cracker Barrel Foundation, “Our Peace” serves as a memorial for these individuals while at the same time providing a place for everyone to reflect upon the continuing legacy of slavery in our world. Caroline Carlisle worked with Aaron Lee Benson to coordinate this site-specific piece that was installed in the Spring of 2009.

Aaron Lee Benson, Professor of Art, Sculpture/Ceramics at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, designed this memorial using Polaris, the North Star, and Ursa Minor, the Little Dipper constellation, as a central component to symbolize not only the navigation of the enslaved to freedom but also for ourselves to navigate towards peace in our own lives and our world.