Leiper's Fork is an unincorporated village in Williamson County, Tennessee.
The village, located on the Natchez Trace Parkway, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district containing examples of late 19th century architecture.
Early American Revolutionary War veterans from North Carolina and Virginia began to acquire land from this area in the late 1790's through land grants as payments for their service. The present village of Leiper’s Fork is situated on part of the 2,504 acres of Col. Jesse Steed, which was later purchased by Jesse Benton, who unfortunately never lived on his land due to an untimely death.
Attracted by the opportunities in the West, Jesse’s widow, Nancy, and her children moved here, to what was first known as Benton Town. Nineteen-year-old Thomas Hart Benton helped build their new home, clear their land and plant their first crops.
To help other settlers moving to the area, the Benton’s leased parts of their land to newcomers; eventually a small community grew up around them. Thomas Hart Benton, who later became a U.S. Senator for the State of Missouri, practiced law in Williamson County and was a close friend to Andrew Jackson. Today, a historic marker honors the site of the Benton home.
