If you’ve driven by Wedgewood Houston’s Merritt Mansion before, it’s impossible not to wonder about the estate’s past. Like a kid on her bike pedaling past the neighborhood “haunted” house, I’ve spent many a drive-by wondering: What is up with the old house at 441 Humphreys Street? Now, I know. And you can visit it, too! The first iteration of the estate’s new life is open through September: a mystical art gallery by tastemaker and curator Clarence Edward.
Adventurous Journeys “AJ” Capital Partners purchased Merritt Mansion in 2019 and plans to continue to restore it while opening it up to the public and bolstering their neighborhood’s art scene in dramatic ways.
“Since 2015, when we acquired the May Hosiery Mills Campus, our goal has always been to celebrate community and amplify the existing arts culture within Wedgewood Houston,” says Brandon Johnson, Vice President of Development and Construction at AJ Capital Partners. “Our vision for Merritt Mansion is to do just that — to shine a spotlight on Nashville’s roots and important voices by opening the historic property to the public. Clarence Edward is an excellent partner who helped keep our vision alive.”
“I am unsure what the plans for Merritt Mansion will be after my residency ends in September,” Clarence says, “so I want to provide as many artists as possible an opportunity to exhibit in the unique space.”
The 1800s Era
Before showing you Merritt Mansion’s new outfit, let’s go back to 1799 when Captain John Rains, the co-founder of Fort Nashboro, originally built the home as a log cabin. The mansion was relocated to its current site in 1840 and expanded into a federal-style home for the captain’s daughter Sally Merritt in 1870. Over four periods stretching from the 1830s to 2004, the house was constructed and remodeled, showing three important eras of construction within the layers of a single address.
This intriguing blend of old and new was starving for an art exhibit of a similar juxtaposition of media.
Layers of plaster and brick are left exposed throughout the house, and you can still see some of the original logs from the cabin.
The Murphy’s Era
Local couple Patrick and Holly Murphy spent a decade preserving the home before selling it in 2015. At the gallery opening, I walked the halls with Holly as she nostalgically offered snippets of memories. “We put that bathroom in,” she said through a laugh. Or “You should have seen what this room was like before.” It was clear that the new owners and gallerists wanted the Murphys to be involved and their restoration work celebrated. After all, the Murphys won a Metro Historical Commission Preservation Award in 2008.
The Rockstar Era Until Now
In 2015, Nashville rockers Kings of Leon bought Merritt Mansion from the Murphys for $1.3 million. The band recorded albums and threw parties there before selling it a few years later to AJ Capital Partners, the real estate and hospitality team behind Graduate Hotels, many Soho House clubs, and other intentional urban development projects.
AJ Capital Partners has embarked on a multi-year restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic home as part of their larger strategy to retain the scale and character of the neighborhood while opening these spaces to the community. Thoughtful and careful preservation of the building’s historic nature will create an inviting space for various events and uses.
Tastemaker Clarence Edward Takes Over
The first to activate in the historic site is Clarence Edward, an art gallerist, set designer, and avant-garde event curator who partners with visual artists, small businesses, and real estate development companies to curate temporary art exhibitions and immersive brand marketing activations. For the past year, Clarence has operated cëcret by cë Gallery, a contemporary and fine arts gallery on WeHo’s Houston Street that just won “Best Art Gallery” in Nashville Scene’s 2022 Best of Nashville awards.
Clarence Edward’s residency at Merritt Mansion offers a unique opportunity to showcase modern art by fresh talent inside one of Nashville’s longest-standing buildings. “We plan to fully embrace the unique Italian-inspired design and mystique of the home with the addition of contemporary artworks by emerging and established visual artists,” says Clarence.
cëcret by cë gallery: A Group Show
To create the first show at Merritt Mansion, Clarence assembled a diverse board of art enthusiasts to help him review more than 100 submissions. “After the review, I narrowed the selection down to 17 emerging and established visual artists for the first group exhibition. The goal was to show a variety of mediums and techniques that align best with interior designs in both antique and modern homes,” Clarence adds.
I snapped a photo and had an enriching conversation with Madeline Kiel, one of the artists in this show. She painted these East African Maasai elders in exquisite detail. Image: Zoe Yarborough
Madeline’s portrait of Snoop Dogg as a cowboy went viral on TikTok. Snoop’s portrait hangs in the mansion, and you’d better see it before Madeline sends it to Snoop himself.
I asked Clarence what he wanted visitors to feel as they walk through the gallery. “The house’s exterior has a mystique and somewhat haunted vibe, so it was imperative that all of the guests feel comfortable upon entry,” he says. “By embracing the original aesthetic and adding vintage furniture among the artworks, we were able to maintain the feel of visiting someone’s home.”
The side porch’s disco ball and chandelier piece was created and installed by Natalie Elefante, a local artist who typically creates installations and rents them to independent local festivals. “I wanted to make something playful but also sophisticated that brings out a whimsical feeling in everyone who visits,” Natalie says.
“It was important for me to bring the house back to life,” Clarence adds. “Nashville is obsessed with disco balls, so Natalie’s install was the perfect fit for the exterior and an ode to the creative community.”
Next Era: Unknown
Brandon at AJCP says that Merritt Mansion will undergo a multi-phased restoration over the next few years. “Following completion, the historic property will sit at the heart of a two-acre lawn, anchoring a new town square, which we will call ‘Wedgewood Village,’” he says. “This restoration is part of AJ’s larger strategy to retain the scale and character of the neighborhood while opening historic spaces to the community. Through our thoughtful preservation of the Merritt Mansion, our goal is to create a welcoming space for various uses.”
Here’s a list of all the artists you can see in the first group show. Image: cëcret by cë gallery
More News From Wedgewood-Houston
The Wedgewood Houston Farmers’ Market (WHFM) has returned to the neighborhood weekly on Wednesdays in The Outfield. “The WHFM gathers 40+ local farmers, bakers, and chefs and will last through the fall, with the last market being on November 1st,” Lindsay DeCarlo, Vice President of Brand and Programming at AJ Capital Partners, tells me.
“We are also thrilled to partner with Artville to bring a new three-day art festival to the Wedgewood Houston and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods from September 29th to October 1st,” Lindsay says. Founded by Nashvillians Samantha Saturn, Director of The American Artisan Festival, and Jack Davis, Founder of Good Neighbor Festivals, stay tuned for more about Artville to come.
To visit cëcret by cë gallery at Merritt Mansion, email [email protected] to book an appointment. All photos by Daniel Meigs unless otherwise noted.
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