Who Bought Brentwood’s Historic Mountview?

Brentwood, Tennessee lies squarely along a historic Civil War route.  Soldiers marched down Franklin Pike between the Battle of Nashville and the Battle of Franklin.

We talked about the historical significance of Isola Bella when it came up for sale last year.

Did you know that its antebellum neighbor Mountview also has a new owner?

Here’s the scoop…

Mountview was built in 1860.

According to the city archives, it was Brentwood’s last antebellum home built before the Civil War.

A wealthy Methodist minister bought it in 1865.  His descendents occupied the home until the 1920’s.  The Brentwood archives show that it was purchased by the Wilson family at auction.

You’ll recognize Mountview’s 3rd owner:  Ray Bell, founder of the construction empire whose signs sprinkle every local road building project.  After buying the property in 1976, Bell renovated and furnished the home with period materials.  The house was soon added to the National Register of Historic  Places.

According to theNashville Post’s Headline Homes column, Will and Trudy Byrd have owned Mountview for the last 10 years.  The Nashville couple has successfully sold Mountview for $1.85 million to Bunny Price.

Thomas Wood, who writes the Headline Homes column, tracked down the only clues to Bunny Price’s identity.  With a New Jersey mailing address and a Forbes-listed ex-husband, it will be interesting to see how Mountview’s 6th owner becomes a part of our Brentwood community.

I should think Ms. Price should fit in quite well.  Even with comparable house prices, Brentwood seems to attract Nashville’s transplants instead of the older city of Belle Meade.

Buying a part of Brentwood history can only give one instant status in a city full of new construction.