Cheekwood’s complicated past and present

The storied history and cultural significance of the Cheekwood estate is beyond dispute. But as the home, gardens and galleries continue to attract more and more visitors, it has created a feud with neighbors that the nonprofit says is threatening its future.It’s been said that to fully understand the history of Cheekwood, you have to begin with Leslie Cheek and Mabel Wood. After marrying in 1896 and securing a fortune from the sale of Maxwell House Coffee Company, they built the house as a family estate. Donated in 1960 to the newly established non-profit, Tennessee Botanical Gardens and Fine Arts Center (now known as Cheekwood Estate & Gardens) by the Cheek’s daughter, Hulda, and her husband, Walter Sharp, the attraction has since grown in size and popularity. Today we explore Cheekwood’s history, the genealogy of the Cheek family as well as their latest chapter – a dispute with Belle Meade neighbors who argue, among other things, that traffic to the property already exceeds recommended volumes for neighborhood streets.Guests: Joe Altman, Resident, Belle Meade Highlands Charles Birnbaum, President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation Austin Hornbostel, Metro Reporter, Tennessean Jane O. MacLeod, President & CEO, Cheekwood Correction: Cheekwood's MOU with Metro requires visitor parking to move off parks land by December 2027, not 2026.