Nearly a century later, a look back at the history of Cheekwood

The estate was the product of Nashville's Cheek family, which made its fortune off the sale of a successful family business responsible for creating the Maxwell House Coffee Blend.

Once a private estate, today the mansion at Cheekwood is a public art museum, and its grounds are home to 55 acres of gardens.

A lot’s changed since construction wrapped on the historic mansion at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens nearly a century ago.

For one, the estate has gone from the private home of Nashville’s Cheek family to a public resource that today operates as a nonprofit. And the home itself has functioned as a museum for more than 65 years.

Here’s a look back at Cheekwood’s history, from mansion to gardens.

About the Cheek family

Cheekwood was the home of Leslie Cheek and Mabel Wood — whose surna