House Updates 12 -- James Lowry House, Greeneville, Tennessee

 

I liked this pretty mid-1800's Tennessee farmhouse when it came on the market two years ago because it had a lot of surprise elements. I like it even better now that it's been freshly updated with new paint and decor. Let's take a look at the changes.

Two years ago, the plaster moldings and large, ornate furniture were a fun surprise to find in a rural farmhouse.

Today the furniture is a little smaller, but the moldings really pop against the new paint and refinished hardwood floors:

In my original post, I was inspired by the iron furniture being stored in the living room...

and paired it with this airy design:

{Marshall Watson}

In real life, it got re-decorated in a much warmer club/library scheme, with rich green walls:

Meanwhile, in the dining room...

I pictured it in a blue and white scheme that would complement the living room design I chose:

{Charles Hilton Architects}

The new homeowners went in an entirely different direction and turned it into a cozy den instead:

(By the way, the fireplace fires in each of their "after" photos are all the same fire. I noticed it as someone who has used that photoshop trick herself.)

Instead of dining in the den, they turned this room into the dining room. It's closer to the kitchen.

Again, a fresh paint job and spruced-up floors make a huge difference in a space:

The kitchen has also seen some big changes, going from this...

to this:

But, did they keep this fireplace when they re-did the kitchen?

Yes, they did -- we can just catch a glimpse of it here -- and its original large brick hearth floor.

Another one of those surprise elements in this farmhouse are the original (according to the National Register of Historic Places)1800's faux-finish paint treatments. One is seen here on the fireplace surround:

The new homeowners let it shine by decorating with neutral colors that complement it:

The same is true of the reddish-brown swirl treatment on this fireplace and window trim:

Now, soft blue paint is a nice backdrop for the antique elements:

In 2023, the house had four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 5,380 square feet.

In 2025, it has six bedrooms and an additional half bathroom in the same square footage.

That partially explains why the bedroom below wasn't in the old listing photos. The original room must not have been photo-ready or bedroom-ready:

This charming bedroom below, though, is instantly recognizable in both sets of photos, as is its adjoining brick-walled space:

Similarly, the porches have also had nice refreshes between the two listing periods:

It's a little hard to see here in the old photo, but I'm pretty sure that they've replaced the metal roof.

See how much nicer it looks in the newer photo below?

There's also a new playset area:

and an old barn that we didn't get to see before:

Another surprise are the plaques on the front of the house. Both the old and new photos show the house's national and county landmark status...

But the sign naming it as the James Lowry Home Built 1828 seems to be missing now. 

As I speculated last time, that might be because the house wasn't built in 1828. Legend has it that Daniel Allen (1791-1857) had it built as a wedding present for his daughter Nancy, who was born in 1826. That means either it was constructed later than 1828 or it wasn't for Nancy, unless he was really planning ahead for her future. 

Nancy married mercantile owner James Lowry (1817-1906) in May....but we don't readily know which year.

{source}

For what it's worth, The National Register of Historic Places says it was built circa 1850 and that they were married that year. 

That's fine, except for one more surprise element that wasn't included in the new listing.

This preserved wall of photos and messages allegedly has a signature dated 1837. 

I'm glad that this house still has some surprise elements -- and surprised me with such nicely updated rooms in a new listing!

The listing (currently off the market) is here.