BEVBy Xeba73 (2014-05-14)
Thomas Fortune Ryan (1851–1928) was a tobacco, insurance and transportation magnate. In 1918, Forbes ranked him among the 15 richest Americans. Having spent much of his career in New York, he was probably the wealthiest native Southerner at the time of his death.
Ryan purchased the Oak Ridge estate in 1901 and transformed the small, Federal-style dwelling into a 50-room Colonial Revival mansion. Today, it’s available for weddings, corporate events, etc.