top of page
Sarah Crosby Berry
Sarah Crosby Berry was the last Smith descendant to own and work at Historic Rock Castle. She was a woman of strength and independence, two characteristics commonly present among her ancestors. Her life's work at Rock Castle not only sustained it as a working farm but also preserved it as a museum for future generations. Click through the pictures below to learn more about Sarah Crosby Berry--scroll over each picture for captions!
 Sarah Crosby BerrySarah Crosby Berry was the last Smith descendant to own and work at Rock Castle. She was fiercely independent and highly educated with strong morals and a dedication to her civic duty. Sarah Berry captures the characteristics of each of her female ancestors and is a fitting finale to our women's exhibit. Click through the pictures to learn more about her life! |  1886. Sarah's BirthSarah Crosby Berry was born to Nannie (pictured above) and Horatio Berry on October 24, 1886. She was the fourth of five children and was named after her great-great grandmother Sarah Michie Smith. |
|---|---|
 Hazel PathSarah Crosby was the first of her siblings to be born at Hazel Path. Before that her family had lived at Rock Castle with her grandfather, Harry Smith. However the house had become too crowded after the birth of three children, so Harry bought Hazel Path for Nannie and her growing family. Sarah and her siblings spent their childhood years growing up on the two farms located only 2 miles apart. |  Sarah's EducationSarah and her siblings were tutored privately early in their childhood, but later, the young girls were sent to a Nashville boarding seminary. After her graduation, Sarah was accepted to an exclusive program in Brussels, where she learned the intricacies of the opera and heard world-renowned performers. Upon her return, Sarah enrolled in Peabody College (pictured above) in Nashville and studied chemistry, a degree that would eventually help her run the farms at Hazel Path and Rock Castle. |
 Sarah's Community InvolvementMuch like her ancestors, Sarah believed strongly in her civic duty to vote in every election, provide aid for those in need, and support the local school system. Sarah served on the Sumner County Board of Education and worked closely with local students to further their education. |  Saving Rock CastleIn the 1950s, the plans to expand the floodplain of the Cumberland River with the creation of Old Hickory Lake threatened to demolish Sarah's ancestral home. She worked closely with the state and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to save Rock Castle from the flood waters. Ultimately the Berry farms lost 1800 acres to Old Hickory Lake. |
 Nannie Smith Berry Elementary SchoolSarah was an active proponent for education in Sumner County, and in the 1960s donated land for a school named in honor of her mother. Nannie Berry Elementary sits on Indian Lake Road today just 1.5 miles from Historic Rock Castle. |  Historic Rock CastleAlmost twenty years after saving Rock Castle from the flood waters of Old Hickory Lake, Sarah and her siblings sold the house and 18 acres of property to the State of Tennessee to turn their ancestral home into a museum honoring the life of Daniel Smith. Sarah then took on the pivotal role of establishing the Friends of Rock Castle group that would oversee the site. That same group continues to run and operate the site over 40 years later. |
 1978. Sarah's DeathSadly, Sarah Berry passed away before Rock Castle opened to the public for the first time. However, she left this world knowing that she had done her part to preserve the home of the many men and women who had come before her. She is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville with her parents and siblings. Her hard work and dedication to her family legacy lives on at Rock Castle through the continued efforts of the Friends of Rock Castle. |
bottom of page