Michael Dunn had a brick house built on this site around 1810. By 1839, the family enslaved at least 14 people. The house was renovated after the Civil War and named Grassmere by Dunn's grandson, William Dickson Shute. Shute's granddaughters Margaret and Elise Croft were the last private owners. Animal and nature lovers, they left the house and land as a “nature study center” for future generations. Fulfilling the sisters' wishes, Nashville Zoo began managing the property in 1997.
