Nashville's historic East Ivy Mansion sold for $2.95M

• Buyer Ed Clay has operated the events space and had his personal residence there for five years.
• East Ivy Mansion hosts about 60 weddings a year plus red carpet and other events.
• The property was built in 1876 for the late late Henry Cooper, who beat former President Andrew Johnson for a U.S. Senate seat.
• The location includes 44,000 square feet of usable event space.

The owner of event venue East Ivy Mansion in East Nashville has paid $2.95 million for the just over an acre historic property that also doubles as his personal residence.

Ed Clay essentially exercised his option to buy the location at 209 S. Fifth St. For five years, he had leased it with a special exception that allows for 120 events each year.

"I love the idea of preserving historical properties and hope that more people would do it and stop tearing down the houses in the neighborhoods," said the local native and former owner of Nashville Mixed Martial Arts who is also CEO of a hospital in Mexico.

The historic house, which was built in 1867 for the late Henry Cooper, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as contributing to the Edgefield Historic District and located within the Edgefield Historic Preservation Overlay District. In 1869, Cooper defeated the also late former U.S. President Andrew Johnson for a U.S. Senate seat.

Legal dispute over permit

During hearings before which the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals granted Clay a new special exception permit last year, Metro’s law department opined that events should only be within the historic house on the site. The board disagreed, prompting some Edgefield neighbors to challenge its decision in court. In November, Clay won a favorable ruling from a circuit judge, but an appeal is pending with a higher court.   

East Ivy Mansion hosts roughly 60 weddings a year plus red carpet and other events, said Clay, who purchased the site from a trust with Joseph M. Swanson as the trustee.

Located between Russell and Fatherland streets, the Italianate-style East Ivy Mansion has 11,000 to 12,000 square feet of space in four building structures. The location includes 44,000 square feet of usable event space, a swimming pool and two ponds.

Reach Getahn Ward at gward@tennessean.com or 615-726-5968 and on Twitter @getahn.