Williams Family

Following the Civil war, Edwin Ewing lived in Murfreesboro with one of his daughters on North Highland Drive.

Built in 1856 by Dr. Ford Norfleet, the home was a two-story brick and one of the finest of its time. Norfleet never lived in the home, which was sold to E.L. Jordan who was married to Norfleet’s sister. The house was featured in the 1942 book, “Heartstones” by Mary B. Hughes and was described as the Ewing-McElroy House.

Despite the war, Ewing remained politically prominent to the point where the New York Times wrote an editorial questioning his request for amnesty in the post-war days. "The Union between the North and the South was at an end forever and he had no hope of its restoration,” the editorial quoted Ewing as saying.

“He regarded this as a war of subjugation, and would never consent to such a domination as was attempted to be established over us. We see it now stated that this same EDWIN H. EWING has expressed his readiness to accept amnesty on the conditions of the President's Proclamation, and freely urges the same step upon his friends,” the Times said.

But Ewing received amnesty and continued his law practice. After the war, Ewing’s son, Josiah and his wife, moved into the house, which was purchased by Ewing’s father. Judge Ewing moved into the house as well.

The home became known for its parties and elaborate flower garden, which featured beds of lilies and roses, bordered by violets. The garden’s paths radiated to a honey-sucked covered summerhouse to the left of the two-story brick structure.

Judge Ewing would take evening promenades on the long second-story balcony at the rear of the house, which was built traditionally with four bedrooms on the second floor and the parlor, dining and other “public rooms” on the ground floor.

While the Ewings occupied the dwelling, it was the scene of four lavish weddings. Following the death of Judge Ewing (in 1902) and his son, the home was sold to Professor W.M. Mooney, who attempted to establish a boys’ school there. When the school failed, the property reverted to Mrs. Ewing’s control. She ultimately sold it to Mrs. George D. Nelson, who established a home for handicapped children there.

Later the home was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. McElroy, who continued to operate a school there. Ultimately, the land was purchased by Middle Tennessee Medical Center and the house was demolished, making way for MTMC’s Bell Street Center.

As for Judge Ewing, he was laid to rest in the Murfreesboro City Cemetery on Vine Street, where he remains an almost forgotten figure in Tennessee’s history.

Sketches of Prominent Tennesseans

The oldest living and probably the best representative of the family is the subject of this sketch, Hon. Edwin Hickman Ewing. He was born in Davidson County, Tennessee, December 2. 1809, and there grew up, attending the schools of the city, and graduating in October, I 1827, from the University of Nashville, under the celebrated Dr. Philip Lindsley, in a class of twelve, among whom were Gen. Gideon J. Pillow, Hon. David W. Dickinson, for several years M.C., Hon. Ebenezer J. Shields, M.C. from Giles County, G. W. Foster, Thomas Foster, and Dr. Patrick D. Nelson, of Rutherford County.

From the age of fifteen young Ewing determined to be the best lawyer, and in school and at college studied with that end in view. After graduation he obtained license to practice, January, 1831, from Supreme Judge John Catron and Circuit Judge James Stewart, and thenceforward practiced regularly in the County, Circuit, Chancery and Supreme courts. He was in the Supreme Court as early as 1833. He practiced at Nashville without any break from 1831 to 1851, except the time he was in Congress and the Legislature, to be mentioned hereafter. In 1837 he took his brother, Hon. Andrew Ewing, into partnership, which continued until 1851.

In 1840 he canvassed the counties around Nashville in favor of the election of Gen. William Henry Harrison to the presidency, during which he got into divers difficulties with Democratic politicians and editors, Judge Ewing's prominence and ability as a speaker making him a standing target for the shots of the Democratic leaders.

In 1842 he was a member of the Tennessee Legislature from Davidson County, elected as a Whig, without opposition. When that General Assembly organized he was made chairman of the committee on federal relations.

In the latter part of 1845 he became the successor of Dr. J. H. Peyton, brother of Hon. Bailey Peyton, who had been elected to represent Davidson, Sumner, Smith and Macon counties in the United States Congress. Judge Ewing was elected in opposition to Gov. Trousdale. He took his seat in January, 1846, after the committees had been formed. In Congress he made a number of speeches on the tariff, the Oregon question, the Mexican war, and the river and harbor bill, which were published and at once gave him a reputation which was an honor to himself and a credit to his State. Hon. Alexander Stephens, then in Congress, said of his speech on the tariff, it was the best he had ever heard on that subject.

Declining a re-election, he returned to his law practice, which he continued with his brother until April, 1851, when, his health failing from his large and laborious law business, he took a trip to Europe, starting April 2, 1851, and being absent eighteen months. He visited England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, traveling in the latter country six hundred miles on foot, meanwhile recovering his health. He then went to Egypt and up the Nile as far as Assouan, at the cataracts, inspecting the pyramids, the temples and other noted ruins; and, then making a detour to Suez, went down the Gulf of Suez to Mt. Sinai, which he ascended; thence by the Gulf of Akabah visited Petra; thence to Hebron, on the borders of Palestine, and the home of the patriarch Abraham, whose tomb he visited. He then went to Jerusalem; to the river Jordan, and bathed in it; then to Bethlehem, to the Dead Sea, and then north to Damascus—the oldest of cities; saw the rivers Abana and Pharphar, and ascended to the headwaters of the famous stream. On the route from Damascus to Beirout, he took in Baalbec and measured a corner-stone in its walls-66318x12. From Beirout he went to Smyrna, thence to Constantinople, Trieste, Paris, London and home. These travels in the East made Judge Ewing, who is always an entertaining conversationalist, much sought after by those interested in oriental places of historical interest.

Not long after his arrival at Nashville, he was called upon to pronounce a eulogy on Daniel Webster. This address, delivered in 1852, gave him more fame as a writer and orator than any other of his numerous addresses and papers, on all manner of subjects, published sometimes over his own name; sometimes under a nom de plume.

Judge Ewing continued to practice law, in a perfunctory way, only in important cases, until 1857, at which time he was worth upwards of one hundred thousand dollars. In 1857 he bought a fine plantation in Rutherford County, and moved there, but returned to Nashville in 1859 with his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Emmet Eakin, and lived with them for a year, when they removed to Saline County, Missouri, near Marshall. In 1860 he again removed to Murfreesborough to live with his son, Josiah W. Ewing, intending to practice law no more.

The war came on and his sons, Josiah and Orville, both went into the Confederate service, and Judge Ewing remained on his son's place, three miles from Murfreesborough. During the war Judge Ewing was under surveillance of the Federal troops on account of his sympathy for the South, though up to the war he had been a Union man, but heartily with the South after Federal invasion begun.

After the war he continued to live with his son until January 1, 1866, when he resumed the practice of law at Murfreesborough, in partnership with Hon. E. D. Hancock. This partnership was dissolved in 1869, after which Judge Ewing appeared in cases mostly at Nashville—bank and railroad cases—meanwhile frequently contributing articles to the press on metaphysics, religion, and politics. He wrote what may be called the basis of the speeches and writings that have since been made on the State debt question, Judge Ewing taking the ground that the State is liable for the whole debt, but that the creditors should allow a large deduction as an equity.

In 1880 he was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, vice Judge Cooper, disqualified on account of his having, as chancellor, decided many of the cases taken by appeal from Davidson County. He afterwards took the place of Judge Peter Turney, absent on account of rheumatism and the old wound he received during the war. In 1881-2, by request of the other members of the court, Gov. Hawkins appointed Judge Ewing special judge in place of Judge Cooper, incapacitated on account of being the owner of State bonds, to sit, in what has since become the "one hundred and three case." Judge Ewing delivered the opinion advancing the case on the docket, and afterwards, in the final disposition of the case, three of the judges, Freeman, McFarland and Turney, enjoined the issuance of new bonds by the funding board. Judge Ewing wrote and delivered the dissenting opinion, which the lawyers speak of as his monument. This opinion was the most labored effort of Judge Ewing's life. [See Lea's Supreme Court Reports, 1881-21. For the past three or four years Judge Ewing has been receiving no fees, practicing merely to wind up his old cases, only a few of which now remain.