Andrew Johnson's Backwards Birthplace

Greeneville, Tennessee

In 1808 Andrew Johnson, future 17th President of the United States, was born in the loft of a detached kitchen in Raleigh, North Carolina. Somehow the tiny building survived in Raleigh until 1974 when it was moved to a historic park, preserved, and restored.

Seven years later Margaret Johnson Patterson Bartlett, Johnson's last surviving direct descendent, funded construction of a replica of the birthplace for the grounds of her alma mater, Tusculum College. The birthplace was a faithful copy -- except that for some reason it was placed in reverse, with the back of the house facing front. No one apparently noticed or cared about the flip-flop, and the replica was dedicated on November 24, 1981.

In 1999 the replica was moved into downtown Greeneville, Tennessee. It stands just across the street from the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site -- but not on its grounds since the birthplace isn't authentic and it commemorates something that happened nearly 300 miles away in another state.

And it's still in reverse.