The Leas at Lealand

'Many of us wonder about the lives and homes of our ancestors. We are treated with the story of a prominent, but now forgotten, figure from 19th century Tennessee history, John M. Lea, and his influential family. Her narrative brings to life the majestic mansion Lealand, enjoyed by the Leas from the 1880s to the 1930s. Once again, this "moment in Nashville's history" opens before us' Ann Toplovich, Executive Director, Tennessee Historical Society

Sally Lea Nance is a sixth generation Tennessean and descendant of one of Nashville's earliest families. Local history is delivered through the lens of an heir who sees beyond the present landscape to an earlier time when her great-great-grandfather and mayor of Nashville, John McCormick Lea, established Lealand between Franklin Road and Granny White Pike. Together with researcher, historian, and five generation Tennessean Ashley White, Nance has graciously penned a story that peels away the layers of modern suburban growth in search of the truest Nashville. The Leas and Lealand is a multi-generational family story illustrated by archival photography and sharpened by the details only brought forward through solid research and reflection.

Sally Lea Nance is a native Nashvillian. She is a graduate of St. Cecilia Academy and attended Webster College. She and her husband, a foreign service officer, lived fifteen years overseas, and they retired to Franklin. She owned and operated Cruises Galore. She is related to the Leas through her father, Luke Lea, Jr (son of Colonel Luke Lea).