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Owen Sharkey

1820 - 1879
Gardener
Occupation:
Relations:
NA
About:
May 1869 – First documented working at Belmont as a gardener

1870 - June – He was living and most likely working for the Lishley family greenhouse business.

1871 – He returned to work at Belmont sometime this year and remained until at least October of 1872. Following his work at Belmont he becomes the first greenhouse keeper at Mount Olivet when they build their first greenhouse.

1863 – July 9 - The Nashville Daily Union mentioned him as superintending the Horticultural Department at the Tennessee Insane Asylum. Other newspaper articles mention that he was born in Ireland around 1820 but trained in Scotland and worked in San Francisco as a gardener before moving to Nashville.

1868 – March 6 - In a paper given to the Penn. Horticultural Society, he was listed as a gardener at the Tennessee Insane Asylum.

1879 – July – He died in Shelbyville, Tennessee while working as a gardener for Mr. J.D. Whilhoite. Sharkey was buried at Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville. (Find a Grave #92805763)
Notes:
NA

GPS ADDRESS

Belmont Blvd & Acklen Avenue 

Nashville, TN 37212

MAILING ADDRESS

1900 Belmont Blvd

Nashville, TN 37212

615-460-5459

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Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! Affordable Nashville Elopements start here!

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Photos by Ed Houk

The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee.

Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashville’s early suburbs.

It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Today the Belmont Mansion Association, which was formed in 1972, owns the collection, runs the museum, and shares this unique story of 19th century Nashville with visitors from far and near.

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