This Italianate mansion is The Hobson House or also known as Riverview. Construction on the mansion began in the late 1850s by the youngest Union colonial on record, Atwood G. Hobson. The Civil War put a stop to his plans when thousands of Confederate soldiers occupied Bowling Green. In hopes that his home would be spared, he sent a message to the Confederate commander Simon Bolivar Buckner and asked that his partially-built home be spared. He obliged and used the structure as munitions storage and also stationed several soldier units on the property.
After the war, the home’s plans were tweaked and construction finally completed in 1871. The family moved in shortly after. It remained in the Hobson family for 80 years before being sold as housing for tenant farmers.
A fire left the home uninhabitable. The city bought the property and had initially planned to tear it down for a place to build a golf club house, but city citizens joined together to form “The Friends of Riverview” and managed to save the home and preserve its history. It’s now a museum – Riverview at Hobson Grove.
The interior walls are solid brick and the ceilings are covered with flowers, mythical figures, and intricate designs that were hand-painted. You can visit and take the tour yourself!
