No more important historical landmark exists in Tennessee than The Hermitage, the Nashville-area plantation home of President Andrew Jackson. Reason one is Jackson himself. The seventh and greatest Southern president cast such a shadow over early 19th Century America that the period is referred to as the “Age of Jackson.” Closer to home, consider that “Old Hickory,” a real estate developer as well as a military hero, co-founded Memphis.

The Hermitage is also the most significant residence in Tennessee (sorry, Graceland). Built in 1819, the Greek Revival mansion—original architect unknown—is the most accurately restored early presidential home in America. Over 80% of its artifacts there are authentic possessions of Jackson, a favorable percentage compared to the less than 35% of bona-fide personal belongings housed at both Mt. Vernon and Monticello. Many prominent Americans sojourned at The Hermitage, including Sam Houston, hero of the Alamo. When Jackson died there in 1845, thousands attended his funeral.

This July 5 is the bicentennial anniversary of Jack- son’s 1804 purchase of The Hermitage property. Although Hermitage officials thus far have grabbed little publicity for the anniversary, they say the celebration is in full swing all year long and will culminate with the autumn unveiling of a restoration of the log cabins Jackson and his wife Rachel lived in for 17 years. A private donation largely funded that project, matched by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded, nonprofit organization steered by former Hermitage executive Jim Vaughn.

But like Mt. Vernon and Monticello, times are tough for The Hermitage, which receives no regular state or federal support, has virtually no endowment and depends exclusively on ticket sales and donations to fund its operations. The Ladies Hermitage Association board recently passed a deficit budget for 2004—the third year in a row. Last year’s annual campaign fund was down a record 30% while attendance and earned income were down 8%, the lowest since the early 1960s. Down from what? A 990 tax form from the previous year reveals expenses at The Hermitage outpacing costs by a full 20%.

Given the financial realities The Hermitage faces, superior management will be critical to its future success or failure. The following then are some modest suggestions for increasing profitability at the Hermitage.

Get more free media. The Hermitage was home to upwards of 150 slaves. Thousands of African Americans might trace their roots to the plantation. A staff archeologist at The Hermitage recently used cadaver dogs for what turned out to be a failed search for a slave cemetery on site. Business Tennessee’s predecessor, Nashville Post, reported the compelling human-interest story without cooperation from The Hermitage staff. Surprisingly, Hermitage officials never sought publication for the important search—legitimately New York Times fodder—in any other media, local or otherwise. Similarly, the Hermitage has received no media coverage for recently instituting a new tour designed specifically to focus on the plight of slaves on the plantation. Ditto for the ongoing transformation of the Hermitage from a pristine park-like setting into more of a working farm via the re-introduction of live animals, including a rare breed of cattle known as Belted Galloways, donated by the U.S. Belted Galloway Society. Executive Director Patricia Leach tells Business Tennessee that The Hermitage is putting in hiking trails on the 1,100-acre plantation, one of the largest open spaces around Nashville, a proposal never before broadcast to the public. President’s Day came and went without a Hermitage-related story in the local press. The anniversary of the 1998 tornado, which felled many trees dating back to Jackson’s day, has come and gone each year without The Hermitage courting media attention (plant a tree?) to remind the public of the catastrophe and its effects on the institution’s bottom line. The attention any such stories could bring The Hermitage would no doubt translate into ticket revenue. Tellingly, although it is the bicentennial year, it wasBusiness Tennessee that contacted Leach about covering the anniversary in the magazine. Leach then missed a scheduled interview, finally contacting the magazine eight days later.

Get corporate dollars. Leach admits fundraising efforts in the past “haven’t been terribly sophisticated.” Regarding current efforts to raise some Andrew Jacksons, Leach describes her team as “starting from square one” with a single staff member devoted to development. One way to enhance the site’s profile in the corporate community would be to get more local business people on the board. While it’s a positive that the current board includes people with political connections, including Sandra Fulton, (former state tourism commissioner and spouse of former Congressman Dick Fulton), Martha Cooper (spouse of current 5th District Congressman Jim Cooper) and Mary Clement (spouse of former congressman Bob Clement), a more diverse membership might better tap local corporate dollars.

Belly up to the federal pork barrel. In the current federal appropriations bill, $1.5 million is set aside for the Adventure Science Center in Nashville. None is set aside for The Hermitage. Ask any American citizen outside of Nashville which entity they would be more comfortable seeing pork dollars directed to and they are almost sure to say The Hermitage. It’s a bit surprising no pork was collected given the aforementioned political connections on The Hermitage board. Adding to the mystery is that former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker is on the Ladies Hermitage Association National Advisory Board and, as everyone knows, current Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is a Nashvillian. Foremost Jackson scholar Robert Remini tells Business Tennessee that he bumped into Frist for the first time during a visit to the nation’s capitol last year and made a hasty pitch to the Majority Leader for federal funding of The Hermitage. According to Remini, Frist took him to his large Senate office to show him a portrait of Jackson hung on the wall, which The Hermitage had loaned him at his request back in 1996. (Frist paid for needed repairs.) That Frist has a Jackson portrait in his Capitol office is clear evidence that GOP politics are not at odds with funding a national landmark synonymous with Democratic politics. It also suggests that former Hermitage executives planted a seed with Frist that current executives and the board have failed to bring to fruition. “I think he could be very helpful,” says Remini, interviewed by phone from his suburban Chicago home. “But you have to keep after these people.” Therein lies the problem. Leach admits that to date she’s not pushed for federal dollars. “We’re just beginning to talk to our congressional delegates,” Leach says. “We’re aware the pork is out there. We’ve built up our case … I think we’re ready now.”

Sell the license tag. The state legislature passed a bill granting The Hermitage clearance to sell specialty license tags promoting preservation of the plantation. A large percentage of proceeds would go directly to The Hermitage. However, to date The Hermitage has failed to acquire the 1,000 deposits required before the state will print plates. Meanwhile, organizations that have received the required 1,000 commitments and had plates printed include supporters of fish, birds, ducks, bears, northern universities including Purdue University and Penn State University and even the Sons of the Confederacy.

Maximize the potential for free exposure available under the currently proposed state marketing push by the state department for tourism. Gov. Phil Bredesen has promised to use tourism as an economic driver in the state. He has repeatedly characterized his predecessor’s “Sounds Good to Me” branding as too general, indicating he wants a tourism marketing approach built around the promotion of individual tourist sites. That’s an open invitation for the Hermitage, which should be working overtime with Bredesen—a Democrat—to maximize their take. Leach presently serves on a state tourism subcommittee and says she is excited about the administration’s focus.

Reduce the gate for local residents. Ticket prices at The Hermitage are now $12, a dollar more than Mt. Vernon and a dollar less than Monticello. In addition to the occasional discount days currently offered at The Hermitage, institute a Davidson County-only gate and let local folks support The Hermitage at a slightly reduced cost. Although $12 is a bargain for tourists seeking out The Hermitage as a destination, it is too much for your average couch potato Nashvillian who is reluctant to navigate the highway out to the grounds. Increasing traffic by lowering the gate could increase profits.

Increase marketing locally. Leach describes the level of The Hermitage’s current national marketing budget as “practically nothing,” adding “we really need to bolster that.” Imagine, then, how insignificant the local marketing budget is. The Hermitage is notoriously the place Nashvillians haven’t been to since a field trip in elementary school. Leach personally accepts at least part of the blame for The Hermitage being “under the radar screen” in the local community, a fact she agrees hasn’t changed in her three years at the helm. About 80% of Hermitage visitors come from at least 120 miles away. “That tells us we’re not reaching our local population,” Leach says. Remini compares Nashvillians who don’t go to The Hermitage to New Yorkers who never visit the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty. “That’s how you know a New Yorker,” Remini says.

Hire a historian to work on site disseminating scholarly research that will kindle a 21st Century audience’s curiosity about Jackson. The Hermitage has two curators who Leach says double as historians. In fact, The Hermitage eliminated the position of historian several years ago and never replaced it. Regarding scholarly research, Leach defers to the work that since 1971 has been conducted at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville on the Andrew Jackson Papers Project. The Hermitage used to provide funding to that project but no longer does. Consider the new life breathed into stories about the Alamo, John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson/Sally Hemmings through books and movies stemming from modern research. Jackson certainly has a compelling enough tale to merit similar treatment. Though known for his role in the Trail of Tears, Jackson also adopted two Native American infants left orphaned after his Tennessee militia ravaged the Indian village of Tallushatchee during the Creek War in Alabama. At a minimum, the Hermitage should do more to support and bolster the commercial appeal of Remini’s work. For his part, Remini says the national board is working now to identify funding to create a presidential library at The Hermitage where symposiums could be held in the atmosphere of Jackson’s own home.

Take Leach’s husband off the payroll. In 2001, the director of site operations at The Hermitage was called away to active duty. Leach hired her husband, a retired executive with California-based Pacific Gas & Electric, to fill the position as a paid consultant, with board approval coming after the fact. Upon the employee’s return, Leach maintained her husband on the rolls, granting him oversight of the new farming operations. Given the inherent problems of setting salary and dispensing discipline, there’s a reason standard corporate policy bans spouses from reporting to one another.

Turn up the heat on Leach. In her biggest job to date, Leach left the John Steinbeck museum in California with a clear mandate: raise money. Now paid more than $100,000 a year, she has developed a reputation as a no-show at events. That’s no way to raise money. Old Hickory deserves better.