WeHo’s Newest Art Gallery is in a Must-See Historic Mansion
The mysterious, historic, opulent Merritt Mansion is under new ownership after the rock band Kings of Leon sold the home. Here's how it's being renovated and shared with the public through an intriguing art show.
If youβve driven by Wedgewood Houstonβs Merritt Mansion before, itβs impossible not to wonder about the estateβs past. Like a kid on her bike pedaling past the neighborhood βhauntedβ house, Iβve 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 estateβs new life is open through September: a mystical art gallery by tastemaker and curator Clarence Edward.
βSince 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,β says Brandon Johnson, Vice President of Development and Construction at AJ Capital Partners. βOur vision for Merritt Mansion is to do just that β to shine a spotlight on Nashvilleβs roots and important voices by opening the historic property to the public. Clarence Edward is an excellent partner who helped keep our vision alive.β
The 1800s Era
Before showing you Merritt Mansionβs new outfit, letβs 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 captainβs 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.
The Murphyβs 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. βWe put that bathroom in,β she said through a laugh. Or βYou should have seen what this room was like before.β 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.
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.Β For the past year, Clarence has operated cΓ«cret by cΓ« Gallery, a contemporary and fine arts gallery on WeHoβs Houston Street that just won βBest Art Galleryβ in Nashville SceneβsΒ 2022 Best of Nashville awards.
cΓ«cret by cΓ« 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. βAfter 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,β Clarence adds.
I asked Clarence what he wanted visitors to feel as they walk through the gallery. βThe houseβs exterior has a mystique and somewhat haunted vibe, so it was imperative that all of the guests feel comfortable upon entry,β he says. βBy embracing the original aesthetic and adding vintage furniture among the artworks, we were able to maintain the feel of visiting someoneβs home.β
Next Era: Unknown
Brandon at AJCP says that Merritt Mansion will undergo a multi-phased restoration over the next few years. βFollowing completion, the historic property will sit at the heart of a two-acre lawn, anchoring a new town square, which we will call βWedgewood Village,ββ he says. βThis restoration is part of AJβs 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.β
More News From Wedgewood-Houston
The Wedgewood Houston Farmersβ Market (WHFM) has returned to the neighborhood weekly on Wednesdays in The Outfield. βThe WHFM gathers 40+ local farmers, bakers, and chefs and will last through the fall, with the last market being on November 1st,β Lindsay DeCarlo, Vice President of Brand and Programming at AJ Capital Partners, tells me.
βWe 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,β 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 cΓ«cret by cΓ« gallery at Merritt Mansion, email [email protected] to book an appointment. All photos by Daniel Meigs unless otherwise noted.
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Zoe Yarborough
Zoe is a StyleBlueprint staff writer, Charlotte native, Washington & Lee graduate, and Nashville transplant of eleven years. She teaches Pilates, helps manage recording artists, and likes to "research" Germantown's food scene.