NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In honor of the centennial of women's suffrage, The Hermitage Hotel is offering high tea Thursday through Sunday.
"The Hermitage Hotel really was the epicenter of the final days leading up to ratification," said Dee Patel, managing director of the hotel.
In 1920, 36 of the 48 states had to ratify the 19th Amendment to give women the right to vote. Tennessee cast the pivotal vote.
The Hermitage Hotel is celebrating the anniversary in a number of ways, including the tea series in the veranda room.
"We wanted to create a really true and authentic experience that is beyond the traditional afternoon tea. We started looking at recipes from the 1920s and we started researching the recipe cookbooks which were part of the pro-suffrage campaign strategy. We include recipes that also involved the subliminal messaging of why women should have a place at the table and equal voting rights," said Patel.
The menuincludes loose tea, tea sandwiches, scones and deserts. The hotel is also offering cocktails that are named after each suffrage leader. Cocktails include "The Carrie" for Carrie Chapman Catt and "The Anne" for Nashville's Anne Dallas Dudley.
During the tea, an actress visits each table to explain Tennessee's role in the suffrage movement.
"It's very gratifying to be able to teach people about their reasons to be proud of where they're from," said Debbie Watts, of Tennessee Stage and Film Company.
Reservations for tea are required at least 48-hours in advance and are limited based on social distancing guidelines. It is $60 for adults and $35 for children 10 and younger. Contact 615-244-3121 or email events@thehermitagehotel.com.
