First United Methodist Church - Humboldt, TN This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as First Methodist Episcopal Church, South. According to the Tennessee Historical Commission marker: Built 1899. Thus church is an example of Gothic Revival architecture. The exterior of the sanctuary consists of standing buttresses, towers, a copper spire and cross, and pointed arch stained glass windows. Transept windows were designed and installed by the renowned Jacoby Company of St. Louis in 1901. The interior features a cruciform plan and vaulted ceiling. The church was organized in 1860 in Humboldt, and in 1867 a small frame building was built east of the present sanctuary. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/underrated-tn-towns/ 12 Underrated Tennessee Towns That Deserve A Second Look
The "Old" Cumberland Co. Courthouse - Crossville, TN The "New" Courthouse (inasmuch as you can call a 1905 building new) is across Main Street from this building. This was built in 1886 and much of the inside was destroyed by fire in 1905. It was restored and used as a school for a while. Now it is home to the Military Memorial Museum of Upper Cumberland. Like most every other building in the area, the courthouse exterior is made of Crab Orchard stone. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cumberland Mountain State Park Stone Arch Bridge View #1 Also known as Byrd Creek Bridge, this concrete stone arch bridge is the centerpiece of the Cumberland Mountain State Park near Crossville, TN. Here, a dam was built on Byrd Creek forming a lake on the southeast side. Highway TN419 carries the seven span bridge which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Cumberland Homesteads Historic District. Byrd Creek Dam is the largest masonry structure ever built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Here is the text of the nearby historic marker: Men of the Civilian Conservation Corps' Company 3464 built this unsuspended bridge between 1935 and 1940, for a 30-acre impoundment of Byrd's Creek. Three thousand five hundred and fifty cubic yards of dirt and rock were excavated and the core, containing 8,000 tons of concrete, is faced with Crab Orchard stone for the 319-foot span. Seven spillways, rising 28 feet above the stream bed, carry the 18-foot roadway approximately 16 feet above water level. This photo has been used with permission by Stonebridge family Counseling: stonebridgefamily.weebly.com/contact-us.html
Christ Church Episcopal - Rugby, TN Rugby is a small community along the Cumberland Plateau in Morgan County, founded by British Immigrants in 1880. The Rugby Colony was designed to be a utopian community, but the design failed in less than a decade. Still a few townspeople and their descendants lived in the area over the next several decades. In the 1960s, residents, friends and descendants of Rugby began restoring the original design and layout of the community, preserving surviving structures and reconstructing others. The Christ Church Episcopal was established on October 5, 1880, and initially used the original Rugby schoolhouse for services. The current building was built in the Carpenter Gothic style in 1887 by Cornelius Onderdonk, who constructed many of the original buildings in Rugby, and consecrated by Episcopal bishop Charles Quintard in 1888. The church's alms basin was designed by English carpenter Henry Fry, who had previously done work for various churches in the London area. The church's reed organ, built in 1849, is one of the oldest in the United States. The Christ Church congregation has met here regularly since 1887.
Rugby School Rugby is a small community along the Cumberland Plateau in Morgan County, founded by British Immigrants in 1880. The Rugby Colony was designed to be a utopian community, but the design failed in less than a decade. Still a few townspeople and their descendants lived in the area over the next several decades. In the 1960s, residents, friends and descendants of Rugby began restoring the original design and layout of the community, preserving surviving structures and reconstructing others. The Schoolhouse was originally built in 1880 and reconstructed in 1907. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/most-unique-tn-town/ The Little Town In Tennessee That Might Just Be The Most Unique Town In The World
The Tivoli Theater - Chattanooga, TN The Tivoli Theater is a historic theater and opulent landmark in downtown Chattanooga that opened in 1921 at a cost of $750,000. It was one of the first air-conditioned public buildings in the U.S. The theatre was named Tivoli after Tivoli, Italy, has cream tiles and beige terra-cotta bricks, has a large red, black, and white marquee with 1,000 chaser lights, and has a large black neon sign that displays TIVOLI with still more chaser lights. Reflecting the Beaux Arts architectural style prevalent in late 19th century and early 20th century America, the theatre contains a high rose-and-gold coffered ceiling, the original box office, a grand lobby with a white terrazzo floor inlaid with forest-green marble and music-motif medallions, crystal chandeliers, an elegant foyer, and red velvet-plush chairs. The Tivoli opened on March 19, 1921 to a concert by the Tivoli Symphony, a screening of Cecil B. DeMille's 1921 film Forbidden Fruit, and a personal appearance by Forbidden Fruit's Mae Murray. The theater served Chattanooga well for several decades as the chief location for stage and film entertainment in Chattanooga, but went into a steady decline as modern movie theaters started to appear in Chattanooga in the 1950's. The Tivoli was, at one time, owned by the ABC TV network and was later leased to Chattanooga as a performing arts facility. The theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in April 1973. The city of Chattanooga purchased the Tivoli in 1976 for $300,000 after the theater had been in disrepair for some years; Chattanooga's Department of Education, Arts, and Culture currently owns and operates the Tivoli. After the Tivoli closed on June 5, 1987 for renovations, the Tivoli reopened on March 29, 1989 with a recital by Marilyn Horne.
Chester County Courthouse - Henderson, TN The original courthouse burned in 1913 and was replaced by this building a year later. The Classical Revival styled building is two stories atop a tall base. The front entrance features a two story pedimented portico supported by four columns. Also, it has a low hip roof with an open square, domed cupola. In 1955, a brick veneer was added. Today, the courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places and the grounds are host to a yearly barbecue festival. in neighboring McNairy County, Sheriff Buford Pusser gained national fame for taking on local corruption. A semi-autobiographical movie about Pusser was made in the early 70s, Walking Tall. The movie producers wanted the film to be shot where the events happened, however the local elected officials didn't want to be embarrassed by the national attention brought to the corrupt county. Instead, they were embarrassed by having the movie filmed here in Henderson (partially at this courthouse) and losing out on important revenue. Due to term limits as sheriff, Pusser had time to be a technical consultant for the film. Then, when he reran for sheriff again, the locals ignored all the good he did to clean up the county and how he helped Hollywood work next door, did not vote him back into office.
R.M. Brooks General Merchandise - Rugby, TN This old fashioned general store isn't in the historic area of Rugby, but is a couple of miles down the road on TN52. According to the wooden sign above the front door, at one time this was the post office for Rugby with a zip code of 37733. However, according to the USPS website, there is no Rugby post office now, which is evidence that this store isn't open anymore. Today, highway 52 curves in front of this store at this intersection. TN52 used to continue on the right side of the picture. That was until 1999 upon the completion of the new Brewster Bridge causing the old road to be barricaded.
Greyhound Half Way Station - Jackson, TN The subject of many images from my photostream is nostalgia, although rarely do any of these places outside of Nashville have any personal meaning to me before I photograph them. This is a rare exception. Growing up, my family would spend every Christmas in the Dallas suburbs to be with my grandmother. In the Christmas of 1986, the rest of my family took the car because they were able to get away sooner leaving my dad and I needing alternate transportation when my school break came up. For the first (and so far only) time I traveled by bus alongside my dad. We departed downtown Nashville late and made a scheduled stop here close to midnight. I am told this is the oldest functioning Greyhound Station in America, dating back to 1938. (It's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.) As a kid making a stop here, that was lost on me. Today, I love the Art Deco architectural design of the place, but I don't think I would have even noticed back then. The one thing I do remember from our midnight pit stop is my dad had to go to the counter to get a token for me to be able to use the bathroom. It was the first and almost certainly the last Pay Toilet I've ever been to. I would suspect most people my age and younger aren't even familiar with pay toilets.
Hotel Halbrook Museum at Dusk - Dickson, TN Once known as Edwards Hotel, this building was built in 1912 and now on the National Register of Historic Places. Once common, it is rare these days to find a small town railroad hotel, as this one is located across the street from the Dickson Depot. The hotel has another local interest claim to fame as in 1920 it was the birthplace of Frank Clement who went on to become the Governor of Tennessee and father of Congressman Bob Clement. At the time of his birth, the Hotel was operated by his parents. The street in Dickson has been renamed to Frank G. Clement Place. In 2009, the Hotel opened as the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum featuring exhibits on railroads, the Clement family and local history. www.clementrailroadmuseum.org/ Hello to anyone who found this photo here: suburbanturmoil.com/70-things-to-do-with-your-kids-in-nas... 70 Things to Do with Your Kids in Nashville This Summer: 2015 Edition #21 or here: suburbanturmoil.com/things-to-do-with-kids-in-nashville/2... Things to Do with Your Kids in Nashville This Summer: 2016 Edition - See more at: suburbanturmoil.com/things-to-do-with-kids-in-nashville/2...
Omohundro Waterworks Lighthouse In Tennessee, there are only two real lighthouses, but you wouldn't expect many from a landlocked state. Built in 1889, this lighthouse is on the Cumberland River in Nashville as part of the Omohundro Water Filtration Plant where it was also used to intake water. It is seen across the shore from Shelby Park. (The other one is in Decatur County on the Tennessee River) The brick part at the top was the pump room, but the light also shone from a pole extending out of one of the windows. Originally, the brick was painted white but that has worn off by now. The water intake was in use until 1986 and in 1987 was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Omohundro Water Filtration Complex District. It is in poor condition today with the holes in the roof.
Historic Limekiln - Erin, TN Around 1870, the Lime industry began to flourish in Erin and Houston County. Several Limekilns were built in the area and several still remain. Limestone was loaded into the fire chambers of these kilns and was converted into a fine lime powder. It was the county's biggest industry until the 1940's when the high quality limestone was depleted. Limestone was mined from a man-made cave in Erin until they hit an underground spring. The water has since formed a lake in the cave but also extends outside. This Limekiln is on the other side of the lake from the cave entrance. You can also get right up to it as the other side is now a gravel parking lot for nearby businesses. Today, this is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Quarry Limekiln"
St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Franklin, TN According to the historical marker: This "Mother Church of the Diocese of Tennessee," was begun in 1831, four years after its congregation was organized in 1827. Here James H. Otey, its first rector, was elected the first bishop of Tennessee. It was so damaged through use as a Civil War barracks and hospital that it had to be remodeled in 1870. It is the oldest Episcopal Church and congregation in Tennessee, and the oldest Episcopal Church building in continual use west of the Appalachians. After its use in the Civil War as a barracks and a hospital, there were major changes to the building as the entrance was placed here and the altar was moved to the other side. New pews, an organ, and Tiffany stained glass windows were added during the remodel. In 1988, a National Register study of Williamson County historical resources described it as "one of the finest remaining" Gothic Revival style churches in middle Tennessee.
Palace Theater - Crossville, TN
Clay County Courthouse - Celina, TN This courthouse is one of the smaller courthouses in one of the sparsest populated counties in Tennessee. The courthouse was completed in 1973 with bricks made from clay taken from the town square. The courtroom is on the second story, which is taller than the first floor. The structure is rather plain but the most elaborate feature is the large arched courtroom window above the main entrance. The center of the lower hip roof has a square cupola with its own tall pyramidal roof.
Newbern, TN IC Depot There are two Amtrak stops in Tennessee. One is in Memphis and the other is in the tiny West Tennessee town of Newbern. The brick passenger station was built by Illinois Central in 1920 as part of the "City of New Orleans" route. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Illinois Central passenger train service to the depot ceased in 1965. The building was then used for storage until 1990, when it was acquired by the city of Newbern. It was subsequently restored based on the original architectural drawings. The building now houses the Amtrak stop and a small museum of railroad history that exhibits old photos, railroad tools, uniforms, schedules, and other memorabilia, along with model trains and art work. The depot is a central feature of Newbern's "Depot Days" Festival, held annually in September.
Free Hills Rosenwald School Free Hill is a community in Clay County, TN. It is an African American community established before the Civil War. The original inhabitants were the freed slaves of Virginia Hill, the daughter of a wealthy North Carolina planter. After purchasing 2,000 acres of isolated hilly land, Hill freed her slaves and turned the property over to them. Julius Rosenwald was the owner and president of Sears, Roebuck & Co. and established the philanthropic Rosenwald Fund. This fund was used to build schools in underserved African-American communities in the south. From 1917 and into the 30's, the fund helped build 354 schools. Very few of these schools still remain. For more info on these schools: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenwald_School The Free Hills Rosenwald School was used from approximately 1925 to 1949. The structure, which is believed to be one of only about 30 Rosenwald schools still standing, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The school is also stop #56 on the TN Trails and Byways Ring of Fire trail
1805 Masonic Lodge - Rogersville, TN The Overton Lodge facing the county courthouse is the oldest continually operating Masonic Lodge in Tennessee. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Rogersville Historic District. It is along Main St. which used to be US11W and TN1 For the full story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_Lodge
First Presbyterian Church - McMinnville, TN First Presbyterian Church (also known as Cumberland Presbyterian Church) is a historic Presbyterian church in McMinnville, TN. It was completed in 1872 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It is located along Main St. which is TN380 but used to be TN1 and US70S.
Polk County Courthouse - Benton, TN The Polk County Courthouse in Benton, TN was built in 1937 at a cost of $100,000 with partial funding by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. US411 is the main road through town, but that road passes the back of the courthouse. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Waverly, TN Greyhound Half-Way House The Art Moderne Greyhound station in Waverly opened in 1939 and was in use until the 1960's. Today the building is used as the Humphreys County Chamber of Commerce and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In Waverly, it is located on Main St. (Which used to be US70 / "Broadway of America" / TN1)
"Ladies Rest Room" - Lewisburg, TN Serving an unusual purpose is this brick building at the Lewisburg town square in Marshall County, TN. My understanding of the idea is that when men would come into town on business, they'd bring their wives who would socialize here. I'm not quite sure how popular the idea was, but if it was really successful every town would have had one. The Ladies Rest Room building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. At the time of its listing, it was still being used for its original purpose. For the full story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_Rest_Room
Jackson, TN NCSTL Depot The brick building in Jackson was built in 1907 and is now open as a museum.
Brown-Daly-Horne House - Pulaski, TN Built in 1855 and purchased by Governor John C. Brown in 1869, it is the best example of Queen Ann style in Giles County, and one of the finest in the state. The Daly’s celebrated their 20th anniversary in their new home in 1901. From 1918 to 1979, the Oscar Horne family owned the property. Today, the home is used as a bank, which means you can walk around inside during regular business hours. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/underrated-tn-2/ 11 Reasons Why Tennessee Is The Most Underrated State In The US
St. John's Lutheran Church - Knoxville, TN From Wikipedia: St. John's Lutheran Church is a historic Lutheran church located at 544 Broadway NW (Emory Place) in Knoxville, Tennessee. The church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, both individually and as a contributing property in the Emory Place Historic District. The St. John's congregation was formed in 1888. It was the first English-language Lutheran congregation in Knoxville. The founding members were Lutherans of German heritage who preferred English over German, which was then used in other local Lutheran churches. Initially, they met for worship in the First German Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Knoxville. In 1889, the group leased the former the Broad Street Methodist Episcopal Church building, on the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue, for worship use. In 1890, the congregation incorporated, affiliated with the United Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the South, and purchased the former Broad Street Methodist property. Development of the current church building began in 1910 after church member Martha Henson donated land one block north of the church building. After adjoining land was acquired, construction of the new church building began in August 1911. The new church was completed and dedicated in 1913. R. F. Graf was the architect of the Gothic Revival style building. Martha Henson contributed almost $90,000 toward the $100,000 cost of the project as a memorial to her husband, James A. Henson. Gothic elements in the building include arches at windows and doorways, exterior buttresses, and tracery. The church's interior utilizes quarter sawn oak. Hammerbeam trusses vault the sanctuary, rising to almost 40 feet. The sanctuary is surrounded by 61 stained glass windows, including a series of nine pictorial windows that depict scenes from the Bible in chronological sequence. The windows were designed by Von Gerichten Art Glass of Cincinnati and assembled onsite during building construction.
Madison County Courthouse - Jackson, TN Completed in 1936 at a cost of $300,000, this courthouse was partly funded by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. Indiana Limestone makes up the exterior while Tennessee Marble is on the inside. This fifth courthouse in Madison County is now listed on teh National Register of Historic Places.
Capers Memorial C.M.E. Church - Nashville According to the historical marker: The oldest known African-American congregation in Nashville, Capers Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in a brick house near Sulphur Springs in 1832, as the "African Mission" of McKendree Methodist Episcopal Church. When the congregation moved in 1851, Capers became the first local church edifice erected solely for Blacks. During the Civil War, the building was used as a military hospital by the Union Army. In 1870, Capers became a member of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church Conference. Capers assisted in the founding of Lane College (1878), Bethlehem Center (1911), and the Missionary Connectional Council (1918), of which women's suffrage activist, Dr. Mattie E. Coleman was first president. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, its present Neoclassical building was designed and built by McKissack & McKissack Architects, the founders of which were lifetime members of the congregation. This church building is also stop #14 on the Nashville Civil Rights Walking & Auto tour: www.historicnashvilleinc.org/resources/sm_files/civilrigh... UPDATE This property has been added to the Historic Nashville Inc. list of endangered properties, the 2015 Nashville Nine. You can see their listing here: www.historicnashvilleinc.org/resources/nashville-9/2015/2...
Old Deery Inn - Blountville, TN According to the historic marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/... Built shortly after 1785 by William Deery. Stopping place for many distinguished travelers of early days. Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, the Marquis de Lafayette, Prince Louis Phillipe, Andrew Johnson and others enjoyed its hospitality. It operated as an inn until shortly before 1930. For the full story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Deery_Inn
Coffee County Courthouse (2014 Vert.) - Manchester, TN Located in a county next to where I live, I have been to this courthouse several times. However, since my last visit they have added a handicap ramp along the front. It was also the first time I had been there during the work week and their front door was propped open. This Courthouse was built in 1871 in an Italianate Style. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Coffee County Courthouse (2014 Horiz.) - Manchester, TN Located in a county next to where I live, I have been to this courthouse several times. However, since my last visit they have added a handicap ramp along the front. It was also the first time I had been there during the work week and their front door was propped open. This Courthouse was built in 1871 in an Italianate Style. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Home of Casey Jones - Jackson, TN According to the historic marker: This is the house where John Luther Jones was living, at the time of his death at the throttle of his engine, "Old 382," at Vaughn, Miss., April 30, 1900. A folk song has immortalized his name. For years, the home operated as a museum to Jones and railroad memorabilia. Originally, this home was located at 211 W. Chester St. and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1980, the home was unlisted as the home was relocated. When I look up that address on a map today, I see that the US70 / 45 Bypass is located, so I bet the house was moved to stay open as a museum and avoid demolition. When this home and museum was relocated around 1978, so was the Shaw General Store. The new tourist stop became Casey Jones Village and it is one of the top tourist stops in Tennessee today. Now, if you tour the railroad museum, you can still see the inside of the Casey Jones home.
Fentress Co Historical Society Museum \ Bruno Gernt Office Allardt, TN - Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, today serving as the Local Historical Society. Also, the sign for the Museum also uses my picture. See it here: flic.kr/p/oETF3K In the late 1800s, Gernt and M. H. Allardt founded a community of immigrant Germans in the Upper Cumberland Plateau at about the same time the British were settling nearby (and today the much more famous) Rugby. German land agent Bruno Gernt envisioned a self-sufficient city here. Gernt sold 9,000 acres owned by the Clarke family of Nebraska in parcels of 25,50, and 200 acres at $4 per acre to farmers, miners, and lumbermen. The town was laid out geometrically and named for Gernt's partner, M. H. Allardt, who died before settlement began. Gernt recruited skilled craftsmen, professionals, and experienced farmers from Germany, and soon Allardt led the region in production of hay, fruits, and vegetables. For more than 50 years, Gernt never ceased his efforts to have the town of Allardt be all he dreamed it could be, and the community prospered for a time. Today, more than a dozen buildings make up the Allardt Historic District.
Old Gym - Vanderbilt University From Wikipedia: Old Gym is one of the surviving Victorian buildings that characterized the early style of the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville, TN. The Old Gym was originally a gymnasium, later served as the Fine Arts Building, and currently houses the university's admissions office. The gymnasium was completed in 1880 and featured an indoor running track and considerable gymnastic equipment. At the time, it was one of the best equipped gymnasiums in the southern United States. The exterior of the building remains fairly untouched while the interior space has been modified through the years and uses of the building. The Old Gym is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building consisted of a foundation of Tennessee limestone with a structure of wooden trusses and walls of natural finished red brick. The Mansard roof was covered with slate shingles. Some of the original gymnastic equipment included a leaping rig, a vaulting board, rowing machine, parallel bars, trapeze ropes, Indian clubs, dumb bells and a walnut chest expander. In 1962 the Old Gym was renovated and made into the Fine Arts Building by Warfield and Associates. The remodeling project included the removal of the second-floor running track and the addition of heating and cooling throughout the building.
St. Joseph Catholic Church - St. Joseph, TN From Wikipedia: St. Joseph Church is a historic Roman Catholic church on Spring Street in St. Joseph, Tennessee. The Roman Catholic church in St. Joseph was established in 1872. Its first church building was a small frame structure located near the current church. It housed a parochial school for many years and was being used for storage as of 1984. The current church building is a large structure built by in 1885 by the church's parishioners from ashlar cut stone that they had quarried at a nearby site. It has a stucco exterior and a square bell tower with a short octagonal steeple that is roofed with tin shingles. It has an unusually elaborate interior that is largely the work of John Sliemers, who served as the local parish priest from 1901 to 1903 and from 1914 to 1934. Both the main altar and side altars have elaborate carvings, while lathe-turned balusters support the chancel rail and the rear gallery. Religious scenes are depicted in stained-glass windows and in paintings on the interior walls. The 1885 church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Meigs County Courthouse - Decatur, TN Facing the town square, the Meigs County Courthouse was completed in 1904 at a cost of $4,000 after the previous one burned down. Many design elements of the previous brick courthouse were recreated here, such as the arched entrance, a stocky tower and stone trimmed window lintels. Other features include low pyramidal roof with gables on each face. This courthouse has seen significant change in the last two decades. Most notably is the addition and modern entrance which faces highway TN58. The new section is wide instead of long, and both portions back up to each other with a small glass connector. Cosmetically the brick and stone foundation is a matching color. Much of the stonework around the windows on the historic section used to be painted white but not anymore. For several decades, the clocks on the tower were missing but now they have been restored. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Robert H. Smith Law Office - Decatur, TN Located on Smith Ave in Decatur, The 1948 Law Office is now part of the Meigs County Historical Museum. The museum next door was built with a similar look of the law office which is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tracks of the Ocoee River Flume If you've ever driven along US64 where it parallels the Ocoee River, you might look across the river on the other side of the bluff and see a wooden trough way up high. Constructed in 1912, the main part of the flume carries water from Ocoee Dam #2 to the Powerhouse about five miles away. Atop the flume are tracks to help get the TVA employees from one side to the other, but it was also useful for carrying when sections of the flume had to be rebuilt. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Ocoee structure is the only flume line in the United States used to produce power. This photo was taken from the dam near where Ocoee rafters get on the water. For the story: www.knoxnews.com/business/flume-repairs-under-way For some video: youtu.be/PjZkDJRA05g
Neely House hotel - Jackson, TN The following information was copied from the Jackson recreation website: www.jacksonrecandparks.com/media/leagues/3046/graphics/Fi... The Neely house listed on the national register of historic places as the Murphy Hotel February 11, 1993 as an example of a railroad Hotel. The hotel remains intact and substantially unaltered today from its original appearance. The hotel was built of brick in the Modern-Classical style between 1910-1912. The large two story porch on the main facade was built with fluted columns and scroll-like ornament capitals. The hotel is described as a modern hotel in in every detail, with hot and cold running water in every room. The interior was designed with twenty-two hotel rooms, nine fireplaces, and three bathrooms on each floor. The hotel catered to salesmen and travelers who arrived in Jackson at the flic.kr/p/o8Wqbx. Tradition states that Mr. Neely would meet trains at 4:00am to hand out coffee and sandwiches to promote the hotel. Mr. Neely was recognized as one of best hotel caterers in West Tennessee. The hotel was operated by the Neely family for the next thirty years and became one of Jackson's best known hotel building. In 1946 Mrs. Lillie Neely sold the hotel for $5,000 to Mr. Robert J. Murphy. Since, it has been identified as the Murphy Hotel for over 50 years. Mr. Murphy was an area farmer and purchased the hotel as a business investment. During the 1950's and 1960's passenger rail travel along the railroad declined and the hotel relied less and less on rail travelers for business. Although Mr. Murphy died in 1960, his two daughters continued to operate the hotel. The adjacent depot was closed to passenger rail traffic in 1967 and bus traffic in 1970's, the hotel remained open to both travelers and permanent residents till 1996. The city of Jackson, TN. purchased the hotel in 1997 with hopes of preserving the hotel by converting the structure into a children's museum About the time the children's museum was going to open, the tornado of 2003 took its toll on the hotel. The building was under insured and badly damaged. The Children's museum chose to move to a new building. In 2005 the building was acquired by Hal Crocker of Crocker Construction Co. Mr. Crocker has worked closely with the Tennessee Historic Commission to restore The Neely House to its original beauty. The Hotel still features its original doors, mantles, light fixtures, bathroom fixtures and similar details. The Neely House ( Murphy Hotel ) is Jackson's only remaining example of a railroad Hotel.
Carter Mansion - Elizabethton, TN From the historic Marker: "The Mansion" was built before 1780 by John Carter and his son Landon. John Carter was chairman of the Watauga Association, a court of five men elected by settlers of the Watauga County in May 1772. "to govern and direct for the common good of all the people." Carter County is named for Landon Carter and Elizabethon is named for his wife Elizabeth Maclin. The family cemetery is located to the east of the house. Also of note: This is the oldest frame house in Tennessee. Little is known about John Carter as many records have since been destroyed by fire. Landon Carter is also the great-grandfather of brothers Alf & Robert Taylor who ran against each other for Governor. The property is also on the National Register of Historic Places. For more info about this house: www.oldhouseonline.com/carter-mansion-tenneesees-oldest-f... Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/historic-houses-tn/ Everyone In Tennessee Should Visit These 20 Houses For Their Incredible Past
James Weldon Johnson Home - Nashville This home is located on D.B.Todd Blvd just down the road from Fisk University. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fisk University Historic District. According to the historic marker: This Dutch Colonial house was built in 1931 for James Weldon Johnson. He served as U.S. Consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua, editor of the New York Age, and field secretary of the NAACP. Johnson's poem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, is renowned as the Negro National Anthem. Johnson occupied the Adam K. Spence Chair of Creative Literature and taught creative writing at Fisk University from 1931 until his death in 1938.
Fayette County Courthouse - Somerville, TN In Feb 1926, Fayette County's third courthouse burned down. The county acted quickly to have a new one built in the town square as within 6 weeks architect George Mahan Jr. designed this courthouse. It was completed the following year at a cost of $106,000. Much of the exterior is made of buff-colored brick. At the main entrance is as entry portico with 4 Ionic columns. Above this on the roof is a copper domed roof and clock tower. The building went through extensive remodeling in the 80s. The courthouse is also listed on the National register of Historic Places as part of the Somerville Historic District.
Old house in Blountville, TN The house at 3379 Highway 126 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Blountville Historic District. Otherwise, I have no more info.
Cheatham County Courthouse (Oct. 2014) - Ashland City, TN The front of the Courthouse which is seen here serves as the main entrance with two columns and was built in 1914. An older section of the building is behind the front part and was built in 1869. If you view large, the words "Cheatham County Courthouse" appear above the front of the building. There is no "town square" in Ashland City, but this building faces the intersection on TN12 and TN49/249. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The County Jail was added to the back of the courthouse in the 1980s. This visit was made during October 2014 when the county placed some Breast Cancer Awareness Month decorations on the grounds. These include a pink ribbon on the lawn, a pink wreath above the main entrance and pink bows on the lamps
Third Baptist Church - Nashville, TN Located in the Buena Vista neighborhood in Nashville, this congregation is now known as the Hopewell Missionary Baptist church. The brick building dates back to 1909 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. 2020 Update. This building was listed on the 2020 Nashville Nine of endangered historic properties. Here is their writeup: historicnashvilleinc.org/announcing-the-2020-nashville-nine/ The tornadoes that tore through Middle Tennessee on March 3, 2020, damaged more than a hundred buildings, including several houses of worship. Between the destruction and the suspension of in-person services, many of the congregations have yet to rebuild. The home of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, which has sat on the corner of 10th Avenue and Monroe Street since its dedication in 1906, was one of the hardest hit—and for the second time. The red brick church trimmed with stone lost its bell tower during a tornado that followed a similar path in May 1999. The steeple was destroyed again this March, and that was only part of the damage the building sustained. The church building, with its gabled bays facing both 10th and Monroe and its Gothic or Romanesque details, was designed by Henry Gibel. Gibel, a Nashville architect who emigrated from Switzerland in the 1880s, also had a hand in designing the original Nashville Carnegie Library, now demolished, and the Nashville Arcade. During its hundred-plus years, the church building has been associated with Nashville’s German and Black communities. It was dedicated in 1906 as the Third Baptist Church. Third Baptist moved out in 1959 and sold the building to Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, which had split off from Mt. Zion Baptist Church in 1914. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The members of Hopewell Baptist have been unable to worship here since March, and fallout from the pandemic has slowed restoration plans. An investment from the broader community would allow this congregation of about two hundred people to rebuild the steeple and return the sanctuary to its former beauty.
Edward Washington King House - Bristol, TN Constructed in 1903, the E.W. King House is one of the few remaining homes from the beginning of the 20th Century in Bristol, and is an excellent example of Queen Anne architecture. The hill was the site of Fort Shelby which was an important Revolutionary War outpost. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more info: www.bristolhistoricalassociation.com/ewkinghouse.html Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/hidden-tn-oases/ Escape To These 10 Hidden Oases In Tennessee To Find Peace And Quiet
Knoxville's L&N Station (Street View) From Wikipedia: The L&N Station is a former rail passenger station in Knoxville, TN, located in the downtown area at the northern end of the World's Fair Park. Built in 1905 by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the station was renovated for use in the 1982 World's Fair, and is currently home to the Knox County STEM Academy. In 1982, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and role in Knoxville's transportation history. For the full story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%26N_Station_%28Knoxville%29
Cordell Hull Bridge (2014 reopened) South Street view - Carthage, TN Originally Built in 1936 and recently reopened, the Cordell Hull Bridge crosses the Cumberland River in Carthage, TN. (The Smith County Courthouse tower is visible on the left.) Work on the bridge began in 1934 and is named after the former US Secretary of State Cordell Hull who lived in the area. The bridge is a 3 span continuous truss at a length of 1412 ft. with the main span over the river at 316 ft. The southwest side of the bridge reaches highway US70N which runs along a bluff near the river. The northwest side intersects with Main St. near the city's central business district. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The bridge was closed in 2007 when a routine TDOT inspection found the superstructure was in critical condition. Repairs began in August 2011 and they replaced all of the concrete bridge deck and guard rails. The remaining truss, lattice work and rivets were preserved with blast cleaning and then painted white. (It had been green.) The bridge reopened on July 2, 2014.
Smith County Courthouse in Autumn - Carthage, TN The two story Smith County Courthouse was built in 1877 in Second Empire Style at a cost of $16,000. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
John Bridgman's House - Pikeville, TN I have no idea about the signficance of this place, other than the fact it's old and it's on the National Register of Historic Places. Googling this, John Bridgman may have named Pikeville. This house is probably more than 150 yrs. old.
Meigs County Bank - Decatur, TN Located on the Decatur town square is the historic Meigs County Bank which dates to the early 1900s. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Decatur Methodist Church This church building is a stop on the Southeast Tennessee Tourism's religious heritage trail. Although the building has been expanded, the core of the building dates back to 1857-59. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Burial Site of Nancy Ward, "The Pocahontas of Tennessee" Nancy Ward was a princess of Cherokee Nation, and some call her The Pocahontas of Tennessee. Known to the Cherokee as Nanyehi, she was a Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, which means that she was allowed to sit in councils and to make decisions, along with the chiefs and other Beloved Women. She believed in peaceful coexistence with the European-Americans and helped her people as peace negotiator and ambassador. She also introduced them to farming and dairy production bringing substantial changes to the Cherokee society. She died in 1822 and was buried atop a hill that overlooks the Ocoee River in Polk County. A century later, the Nancy Ward chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution built this memorial at her gravesite. Today, this gravesite is easily accessible as a State Park, located along Old US411 a mile southwest of Benton. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Nancy Ward Tomb. Read more about her here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Ward See the D.A.R. marker here: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/... See the TN Historic Marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/... See the TN Overhill Experience marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Ambrose House in East Nashville Located in the East End neighborhood, this historic house is located on S 12th Ave between Russell St. and Holly St. This property is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the East Nashville Historic District. Architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson designed the house (He is most famous for designing the historic Ryman Auditorium.)
Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery The Primitive Baptist Church is one of the three remaining church buildings in Cades Cove. The Cades Cove Baptist Church formed in 1827 and it split in 1841 forming this and the Missionary Baptist Church. The congregation met in a log building for sixty years until this building was constructed in 1887. The church staunchly backed the Union in the Civil War, which led to divisions tense enough within the cove that it was actually closed during the war. The Primitive Baptist Church resisted closure until the 1960s, more than 20 years after the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Cades Cove Historic District.
Cades Cove: Cable Grist Mill Cades Cove at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular destination in the United States most visited national park. The isolated valley was the home to many early settlers and today several of those sites are well preserved. An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sight-see the wildlife, scenic beauty and historic district structures on the National Register of Historic Places at a leisurely pace. One of the most successful -- and enduring -- grist mills in the cove was the John Cable Mill, built in 1867-68. He had to construct a series of elaborate diversions along Mill Creek and Forge Creek to get enough water power for the mill's characteristic overshot wheel. The mill, which processed logs, wheat and corn and was originally operated by millwright Daniel Ledbetter, continued to function in some fashion until the 1920s, and was still in use when the Park was formed.
Fisk Memorial Chapel According to the historic marker: Fisk Memorial Chapel, designed by New York architect William Bigelow, was erected in 1892 in memory of General Clinton B. Fisk, a founder of the University. The religious and cultural center of the campus, the Chapel has welcomed foreign dignitaries, outstanding concert artists, and renowned lecturers, such as Booker T. Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Chapel is the home performance site for the famous Fisk Jubilee Singers. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fisk University Historic District. To learn more, here is the history section on their website: fiskmemorialchapel.com/History/History_of_the_Chapel/
Cades Cove Methodist Church Cades Cove at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular destination in the United States most visited national park. The isolated valley was the home to many early settlers and today several of those sites are well preserved. An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sight-see the wildlife, scenic beauty and historic district structures on the National Register of Historic Places at a leisurely pace. This Cades Cove congregation began modestly meeting in a log structure with a fire pit and dirt floor. It took sixty two years to get a newer more modern building in 1902. Carpenter and pastor, John D. McCampbell built this white frame structure which became the Cades Cove Methodist church. The buildings two front door design was common in the 1800’s. Generally this two front door design allowed men to enter and sit on one side of the chapel and women and children on the other. Many churches even had a divider in the middle of the chapel. However, the Cades Cove’s Methodist congregation was more relaxed and sat where they pleased. Records show the builder was simply copying the design of another church building which happened to have the two door design.
Stone Hall - Nashville, TN Stone Hall was built by Dempsey Weaver Cantrell soon after the "1916 Great Fire" of Edgefield in Nashville. The home is constructed of hand-hewn pure dove limestone quarried on the Cantrell farm. Stone Hall takes its name from the sixteenth century home of the Cantrell ancestors in England. (Of course, there is a double meaning since the home is made of limestone and it overlooks the Stones River.) Today, the 1918 Colonial Revival home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was acquired by Metro Parks in 2007 and connects to the Stones River Greenway.
Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church Cades Cove at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular destination in the United States most visited national park. The isolated valley was the home to many early settlers and today several of those sites are well preserved. An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sight-see the wildlife, scenic beauty and historic district structures on the National Register of Historic Places at a leisurely pace. The Baptist denomination came to Cades Cove in 1825. Several years later that congregation split into the Primitive Baptist Church and this Missionary Baptist Church. (the sign on the side of the building says they were founded in 1839.) They met together at first in homes in 1841. They stopped meeting during the Civil War. They grew large enough to need a building, which was completed in 1894. As they continued to grow, they needed a bigger building and this one was completed in 1915.
Cummins Station - Nashville, TN Soon after Union Station opened up, in 1906 Big Bill Cummins made plans to open a warehouse just down the tracks. The next year when it opened, they claimed to be the largest reinforced concrete terminal station in the world, fireproof and a place that rats cannot live. The building was 4 stores tall, plus a basement, 500 feet long and 132 feet deep. (later it expanded to 603 feet long.) The most famous resident company was the Cheek-Neal Coffee Co., makers of Maxwell House. This view is taken along Demonbreun ST. with the viaduct that crosses the gulch. Today, Cummins Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Placed. If you'd like to know the whole story, read this PDF on the Cummins Station website in honor of the 100th anniversary. cumminsstation.com/pdf/History.pdf
William H and Edgar Magness Community House & Library along Main St. in McMinnville, TN William H. and Edgar Magness Community House & Library; (118 W. Main St.) Mr. W. H. Magness, Jr. (1865-1936) was a co-founder and the first president of the National Bank of McMinnville in 1874, which became First National Bank in 1905. He was the city's foremost philanthropist, and donated the land and construction cost for this classic and dignified cut-stone building. It was built in 1931 at a cost of $40,000, and is named in honor of the father and brother of Mr. Magness. His other charitable gifts included the construction of the carillon tower of Magness Memorial Baptist Church at 403 North Spring Street. That building burned after his death, and was rebuilt as First Baptist Church. Mr. Magness is buried in Riverside Cemetery. Mrs. J. M. Cunningham was the local champion of reading and headed the library from 1913 until her death in 1954. www.tngenweb.org/warren/warsite.htm
Fisk University: Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery From the historic marker: This building, completed in 1889, was the first gymnasium at any predominantly black college in the United States. In 1949, it was rededicated as an art gallery and named in honor of Carl Van Vetchen, a New York Music Critic, author, photographer, and art collector who encouraged Georgia O'Keefe to donate to Fisk University part of the art collection of her late husband, Alfred Stieglitz. The building is undergoing renovations when I visited here in the Spring of 2015 and will reopen in 2016. The Gymnasium / Gallery is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Fisk University Historic District.
Murfreesboro East Main: 435 E. Main This house is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 435 East Main Street The Clardy House was built in 1898 for J. T. Rather, a former mayor of Murfreesboro. This residence is an example of Richardsonian Romanesque style, featuring three wide, rounded arches supported by squat columns on the porch. Operated as the Clardy Guest House from 1948 to 2000, it was one of the state’s oldest bed and breakfast inns. More info from The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County: There is a story that Mr. Rather, afraid of fire, had firecrackers placed in the walls when the house was built, the idea being that any fire would set the fireworks off. It remained a private home until 1948, when Jack & Henrietta Moore converted it to a guest house. In 1954, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Clardy purchased the house at auction and continued it as a guest house.
Silver Dollar Saloon The Silver Dollar Saloon opened in downtown Nashville in 1893 and catered to the men who worked on the river wharf. The name comes from the Silver Dollars embedded in the floor and are still there today. It is located at the intersection of the two most touristy streets in downtown, Broadway and 2nd Ave. I remember how back in the 1990s, there was talk about how this historic building would probably be lost to deterioration. Thankfully, the building was rescued by the Hard Rock Cafe which moved in next door. Today, the former saloon serves as the Hard Rock Cafe gift shop. It is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Second Avenue Commercial District.
Murfreesboro East Main: 446 E Main This house is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 446 East Main Street A Reconstruction-era dwelling, this two-story brick house was built in 1869 by J. C. and Lizzie Alice Leiper. In 1881, Captain James Clayton purchased the house and added modern plumbing and Victorian details. His son updated it by adding the Neoclassical porch with square Ionic columns in 1910.
Union Station (View from Demonbreun Viaduct) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Nashville) The depot was built in 1900 in a castle-like late-Victorian Romanesque Revival style. The clock on the tower was one of the earliest digital clocks, but is now a traditional clock. Atop the tower used to be a 3D statue of the Roman god Mercury, but was knocked off in a windstorm in the 50s. In the mid-90s, a flat Mercury was put in its place. That one was knocked off in the 98 tornado, but was replaced again. The station became vacant in 1979 after train service was discontinued. It opened as a luxury hotel in March of 1990, and is now a Marriott hotel. An architecturally significant train shed used to be located right next to the station, but it's deteriorating condition, plus lack of any conceivable use led to it being demolished a few years ago, which caused Union Station to lose its status as a National Historic Landmark.
Murfreesboro East Main: 331 E. Main This house is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 331 East Main Street The windows—different shapes and sizes—draw attention to this 1896 house built for Murfreesboro jeweler William R. Bell. The elegant oval stained glass window beneath the Neoclassical porch is overshadowed by the projecting Palladian window on the first floor, above which are paired arched windows with keystones. On the roof, an elaborate round window, finials, cresting, and towering chimneys add to the picturesque quality of the dwelling.
Carnegie Library at Fisk University According to the historic marker: The Academic Building at Fisk University was designed by Nashville architect Moses McKissack and was made possible by a gift from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. On May 22, 1908, William H. Taft, later 27th President of the United States, laid the cornerstone. This building served as the first library at Fisk. Other notes: Carnegie donated $20,000 for this library. Taft was serving as U.S. Secretary of War when he came to the campus to lay the cornerstone. The building was completed on Feb. 25th 1909 and was known as "One of the South's finest." It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places as part of the Fisk University Historic District.
Murfreesboro East Main: 425 E. Main This house is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 425 East Main Street Built circa 1849 by Ivy J. C. Haynes, this house was remodeled after 1870 to reflect the popular Italianate style that dominated architecture from about 1850 to 1880. Paired rounded arches, brackets, a bay window, and the projecting tower covering the entry are typical of the Italianate style.
A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store - Beale St. A. Schwab dry goods store is the only remaining original business on Beale Street in Memphis, TN. Their motto is "If you can't find it at A. Schwab, you're probably better off without it!" Established in 1876 by Abraham Joseph Schwab, a Jewish immigrant from France, the store is a local tourist attraction with two floors of shopping and, between the first and second floors, a small balcony which houses the Beale Street Museum, a collection of Beale Street memorabilia along with several items and records of the Schwab family, which ran the store until 2011. It began as a men’s haberdashery, transitioned to a dry goods store, and later evolved into a seller of quirky merchandise. Products include various hoodoo items, assorted dry goods, and tourist memorabilia. A. Schwab's was also the retailer of the largest overalls in the world which sold two pair a year. The overalls were so large they hung from the ceiling. A. Schwab, the oldest store in the Mid-South, is housed in the oldest remaining building on Beale Street. The store was founded at another location on Beale Street and moved to 163 Beale Street in 1911 and expanded into 165 in 1922. Both of these buildings were constructed before 1890. Prior to the expansion, 165 Beale housed a Piggly Wiggly. The building is part of the Beale Street Historic District which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Would you like to see more photos from Beale street? Check out the Beale Street gallery
House of Mayors - Murfreesboro, TN This residence at 500 N. Spring St. in Murfreesboro is usually called the "House of Mayors" as four Mayors lived here: Ingram Collier, Newton B. Collier, James H Crichlow, Jr. & N. Collier Crichlow. There is already another Collier-Crichlow house in town, so this one was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Collier-Lane-Crichlow House. The following description was taken from the brochure entitled "in the Footsteps of Notable Women; a Self-Guided Tour of Rutherford County" Built in about 1850, this house was purchased in 1858 by Jesse and Newton Collier for their widowed mother, Martha Covington Collier. Ten years later, a nephew of the Collier brothers, Ingram Collier Jr., bought the house for his sister, Martha Collier Lane, and her husband, William. Their daughter, Emily “Emma” Lane (1847–1923), kept a diary from 1864 to 1866 (now housed in the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU). Extraordinary for her insights into the war, Lane lamented that it had brought “trouble, sorrow, and desolation to the hearthstones of so many.” Emma Lane and her husband, James Crichlow, raised their family here. For a thorough description, here is the nomination form for the National Register: pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/nrhp/text/78002629.PDF 2023 update: This house is scheduled to be torn down: www.newschannel5.com/news/historic-house-of-mayors-schedu...
Murfreesboro East Main: 346 E. Main This house is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 346 East Main Street Charles Byrn, a hardware merchant, built this Queen Anne–styled house in 1903. Designed by Nashville architect Thomas J. Moore, the house incorporated many modern conveniences, including five bathrooms, a game room, gymnasium, and both gas and electric lights.
Acme Farm Supply Building - Downtown Nashville Located in downtown Nashville at the prominent corner of 1st Ave. and Broadway is the Acme Farm Supply building which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Here is the history of the building, according to Wikipedia: It was built in 1890 by J.R. Whitemore as a three-story building. The first tenants were two brothers, Frederic and William Cummins, who rented the building for their grocery store in 1890. It later housed Southern Soda Works, Continental Baking Powder Co., Ford Flour Co., and D. Byrd and Co. In 1913, it housed the Bearden Buggy Co., and a wooden elevator was added to the building to move buggies up and down. It later housed Sherman Transfer Co., Chadwell Transfer and Storage Co., and the Tennessee Wholesale Drug Co. In 1943, it housed Acme Feed and Hatchery, known as Acme Farm Supply in 1965. The farm supply store, which sold "straw, feed, wire, tools" and more products needed on a farm, was owned by Currey L. Turner, a businessman from Nashville. His pet calf, Beautena, appeared during commercials at the Grand Ole Opry. In 1980, his son, Lester Turner Sr., bought the building. The store closed down in September 1999. The building, however, is still owned by the Turner family trust. It was for rent in 2000, but it stayed vacant until 2013. In 2013, Tom Morales, a restaurateur and owner of TomKats, a catering company for movie sets, as well as several other businesspeople, including country music singer Alan Jackson, leased the building from the Turner family trust through MJM Real Estate Partners LLC to turn it into a restaurant/bar and country music venue. Known as Acme Feed & Seed, it opened in 2014.
Murfreesboro East Main: 537 E. Main This house is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 537 East Main Street The combination of Queen Anne and Classical Revival elements makes this house one of the most architecturally entertaining properties on East Main. The irregular roof line, gazebo front porch, and steeply pitched roof are features of the Queen Anne style in this house, while paired columns, a pedimented portico, and surrounds with bullseyes are Classical Revival influences. A stained glass window with keystone is yet another detail of interest. Hello to anyone who found this here: or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/murfreesboro-living-tn/ How This Small Tennessee Town Became One Of The Best Places To Live In The U.S.
Wightman Chapel - Scarritt College Scarritt College was a Christian college that was founded in 1892 and relocated to Nashville in 1924. Over the next few years, all of the central buildings on campus were built, including Wightman Chapel. These buildings were built using Crab Orchard stone from East Tennessee in a Collegiate Gothic architectural style. A few decades later when Nashville was at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke here on the role of churches to confront racism. After declining enrollment, the school closed in 1988. The property was purchased by the Women’s Division of the United Methodist Church. Today, the campus is known as the Scarritt Bennett Center and the Chapel is a popular wedding venue. The chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Scarritt College Historic District.
Murfreesboro East Main: 511 E. Main - Collier-Crichlow House This house is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 511 East Main Street The Second Empire style is characterized by the Mansard roof, central tower, two-story bay windows, and metal cresting along the roof line. Built to reflect a combination of wealth and fashion, the Collier-Crichlow House was designed by Nashville architect W. C. Smith and built by local carpenter H. C. Jackson. The first owner, Ingram Collier, was a successful businessman and the mayor of Murfreesboro in 1872 and 1873. The Collier-Crichlow House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places independently in addition to being part of the historic district.
Central Christian Church - Murfreesboro, TN This church building is on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the East Main Street Historic District in Murfreesboro, TN. Here is a description of this house from the brochure entitled "Explore Historic Murfreesboro - A Walking Tour" 404 East Main Street The Central Christian Church (1912) is the town’s best example of Neoclassical design, including the dome, Ionic columns, and pedimented entrances. The sanctuary is a perfect square with semicircular seating rather than the usual center aisle arrangement. The floor is canted (sloped downward) as in a theater to focus on the altar and chancel area.
The Station - Pure Art In McMinnville, TN, an old Pure Oil Gas Station just a couple of blocks from the county courthouse has been preserved and converted into some kind of art place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Spring Street Service Station. It was built in the 1930s for Pure Oil, designed by Carl August Petersen.
Cragfont Cragfont, located in Castalian Springs, TN, was the home of War of 1812 Brigadier General and Memphis founder James Winchester. Construction was started in 1798 and completed in 1802 by artisans from his home state of Maryland. It is listed with the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours. It is owned by the State of Tennessee and administered in partnership with the Tennessee Historical Commission by the non-profit group Friends of Cragfont. At the time the home was completed, it was the largest home in Middle Tennessee. The exterior is made of Limestone quarried nearby. The most distinctive feature may be the seven six-pointed metal stars. The stars are not only for decoration, as they are caps on poles that span the entire mansion to hold it together in case of earthquake. www.cragfont.net/History.html
Richardson House - Fisk University This is now the Alumni building at Fisk University. Here is the house's history from the historic marker: This house, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1905 as the home of Reuben B. and Mary Knowles Richardson. Richardson, who served as Capt. of Eng. Co. No. 4 from 1893 to 1923, was one of the first blacks to obtain this rank in Nashville. In 1923, Eng. Co. No. 4 moved from Woodland St. to 12th Ave. N. and Jefferson St., and became Eng. Co. No. II. In 1930, the name of the building housing that company was changed to Reuben B. Richardson Hall.
Lincoln American Tower - Memphis, TN This is the top of a 22-story 290 foot tall skyscraper tower in downtown Memphis, TN. It was built in 1924 by the Columbia Mutual Insurance Company (which later became Lincoln American Insurance Company) overlooking the court square. The building was designed to be a one-third of the size replica of the famous Woolworth Building in Manhattan. The top floor was the office of branch president Lloyd Binford, who also ran from here the Memphis Censor Board which was controversial based on the films he banned being shown in town. Today, the building is mixed use with four floors of businesses and 31 apartments. It is the 9th tallest building in Memphis. In 2006, a nearby church caught fire and strong winds pushed embers up to the top floors causing the tower to also catch fire. This happened when the building was undergoing renovations and vacant, but tenants were able to move in in 2008. The Commercial Gothic style building is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bedford Co. Courthouse #2 daytime Located in Shelbyville, TN. Built in 1935 after mob violence (!) destroyed the previous courthouse. Listed on the National Register of historic places
Becky Cable House - Cades Cove Cades Cove at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular destination in the United States most visited national park. The isolated valley was the home to many early settlers and today several of those sites are well preserved. An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sight-see the wildlife, scenic beauty and historic district structures on the National Register of Historic Places at a leisurely pace. Several historic structures from the cove have been relocated and are now near the Cable Mill. Leason Gregg purchased land from John Cable and built this house in 1879 with lumber from Cable Mill. It is believed to be the first all-frame house in the Cove. Originally located south of its present location on Forge Creek Road, it was used as a store and later as a residence and boarding house, known as Aunt Becky's House. Rooms in the middle and on the right was original to the building when it was used as a store. Then, a room to the left, a kitchen, the upstairs and a porch were added when it became a residence. The house never had indoor plumbing and heat was generated from the fireplace. Rebecca Cable, better known as 'Aunt Becky' to the Cove community, was born on Dec. 7, 1844 in Carter County, TN. One of nine children, she moved with her family to Cades Cove in 1868. She bought this house in 1887 with her brother Dan and lived here until her death in 1940 at the age of 96. Never married, she owned over 600 acres in the Cove and kept busy spinning, weaving, knitting, farming, tending store, taking in family boarders, and caring for her brother's children after he became ill.
Minty green house in Manchester, TN sign out front says it's now a law firm. This picture was used on my blog here: brentkmoore.blogspot.com/2008/03/green-stuff-for-st-patri... Update: This is known as the Wilkinson-Keele House / Nicoll & Nicoll Law office. It was built in 1888 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rutherford County Courthouse in winter Since I moved a few months back, this is now my county's courthouse. It was built in 1859 and is one of the 6 TN Courthouses that predate the Civil War. For Christmas, my wife bought me the book Tennessee Taproots which is a 30 year old book about all of the county courthouses in Tennessee. Looking at the photo of this in the book, the 2 big trees in this picture were considerably shorter. I've had experiences shared with others that it's impossible to get a good view of the building unless you don't get the whole building or you bring a chainsaw. The obelisk in the foreground was placed by the state of Tennessee marking every state capitol before Nashville.
The Mitchell House - Lebanon, TN Home of one of the founders of the Castle Heights Military Academy, where this house is located. (along Main St. or U.S. 70 a few blocks west of the town square) It is now the headquarters of Cracker Barrel. Built in 1906.
Argie Cooper Public Library - Shelbyville, TN This is now an Antique Mall. www.mainandmcgrew.com/ This building is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Shelbyville Courthouse Square Historic District. Here is the writeup from 1981: 29. Bedford County and Shelbyville Library Building (S. Main St.): 1913, two story brick, Neo-Classical Revival, originally U. S. Post Office building, monumental six columned flat portico with denticulated frieze, seven bay façade with 8/8 light rectangular windows at the far right and left bays and two long multi-lighted semi-circular windows flanking central entrance, brick pilasters divide windows, denticulated frieze and cornice extend around all sides of building, parapet.
Idler's Retreat - Smyrna, TN Also known as the Dillon-Tucker-Cheney House house. One of three listings on the National Register of Historic Places in my new hometown. Building - #04000475 Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Architect, builder, or engineer: Dillon, Joseph R. Architectural Style: Italianate, Greek Revival Area of Significance: Architecture, Social History Period of Significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899, 1900-1924, 1925-1949, 1950-1974
James K. Polk Ancestral Home Located near the heart of Columbia, TN on 301 West 7th St. (U.S. 412). This house was built ca. 1816 by Samuel Polk, father of President Polk. President Polk lived here from 1818 until 1824 and is the only residence of his (other than the White House) still in existence. www.jameskpolk.com/new/polkhome.asp This is a National Historic Landmark. Also is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This picture is a closeup of the sign to the right of the front door. NRHP Reference#: 66000728 Designated as NHL: July 4, 1961 Federal Style architecture.
Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ - Nashville, TN Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ is a historic church at 3 Lindsley Avenue in Nashville. The Late Gothic Revival building designed by architect Robert Sharp was built in 1894 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. According to the Register's nominating form, "The Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ, a late Victorian Gothic-style building with a great deal of ornate architectural detailing, is unique in Nashville for its decorative exuberance on a church of its scale."
W.C. Crawford General Store - Williston, TN W.C. Crawford, Dealer in General Merchandise. Cash and Barter. ca. 1860. I'm a sucker for old time general stores, and this is one of the finest. They look like they are still in business, possibly as an antique store, but not very often. This is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Williston is a small town in Fayette County along highway TN193. Also on the National Register in town is a nearby place called the Crawford Experimental Farm. I guess I should research that someday.
Oakland Presbyterian Church - Oakland, TN The Oakland Presbyterian Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I am not sure how old the building is but a plaque near the door says the congregation was organized in 1888. Oakland is a small town in Fayette county. The church is located on highway TN194 at the intersection of US64 and just a couple blocks north of the old town's Main Street
Cairo Rosenwald School This historic school house has worn down a little bit, but I think the building looks happy. The historic marker is seen next to the school in the picture, but it must have originally been located at the intersection of highway TN25 and Ziegler Fort Rd. The school is down the road from the entrance to Bledsoe Creek State Park in Sumner County. Here is the text of the marker: Located 2.6 miles south of here is the Cairo Rosenwald School. Completed in 1923, it provided educational opportunities for African-American children until 1959. Funding for the school's construction was provided by the Rosenwald funds. The architectural plan followed the standard Rosenwald School design for a one-teacher African-American school. Closed in 1959 due to the consolidation of schools, this building has remained in use as a community center. The Cairo School building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Old Daisy Theater - Beale St., Memphis Opening in 1913, the Daisy Theater is one of the best remaining examples of nickelodeon architecture from the early cinema era. Located on the famous Beale Street, the landmark has a grand half dome entrance. In 1941, the New Daisy theater opened across the street. The Old Daisy is listed on the National Register of Historic places as part of the Beale Street Historic District. Would you like to see more photos from Beale street? Check out the Beale Street gallery
Homes of Old North Knoxville Old North Knoxville is a historic district neighborhood north of downtown with over 400 contributing properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_North_Knoxville,_Knoxville,_Ten...
Hazel Path Mansion - Hendersonville, TN Hazel Path is a mansion on the National Register of Historic Places located in Hendersonville, TN. An office park has surrounded in just off of US31. Today, the mansion is used for lawyer offices. Here is the history from a Civil War Trust marker: Hazel Path Mansion is associated with the beginnings and legacies of the Civil War in Tennessee. The home of Confederate Gen. Daniel Smith Donelson, completed in 1857, became a camp for escaped slaves during the war. Donelson was the grandson of Pioneers Daniel Smith of Rock Castle and John Donelson of Nashville. From the age of three, after his father's death, Daniel Donelson lived with his uncle, Andrew Jackson, at Jackson's Hermitage plantation. Donelson graduated from West Point in 1825 but served less than a year in the U.S. Army. Before Tennessee seceded in 1861, Gov. Isham G. Harris appointed Donelson a general of state troops and asked him to locate sites for fortifications. Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland River, was named for him. He became a Confederate General in July 1861 and served under Gen. Robert E. Lee in western Virginia. Donelson then served under Gen. Braxton Bragg in the 1862 Kentucky campaign and led a brigade at the Battle of Stones River at the end of the year. On April 17, 1863, Donelson died of natural causes while in charge of the Department of East Tennessee. He is buried west of here at the Presbyterian Church on Gallatin Pike. Donelson's widow. Margaret Branch Donelson, returned in July 1865 to find the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen's Bureau) occupying the plantation, which had been a contraband camp since the Battle of Nashville in December 1864. About 900 former slaves had lived there, growing crops, cutting timber, and operating a sawmill. Mrs. Donelson petitioned President Andrew Johnson for the return of her property. Johnson agreed because her father, North Carolina Gov. John Branch, had been kind to him in his youth. The Berry family owned the house from 1886 to 1978.
Oakland's Plantation House Murfreesboro, TN www.oaklandsmuseum.org/
Sam Davis Home 1 home to the Boyhood Hero of the Civil War. built 1820 and expanded 1850. Smyrna, TN www.samdavishome.org/history.html
Homes of Old North Knoxville: Dunn Mansion James B. Dunn Mansion is a large Neoclassical-style house built in 1905 Old North Knoxville is a historic district neighborhood north of downtown with over 400 contributing properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_North_Knoxville,_Knoxville,_Ten...
Trousdale Place - Gallatin, TN info taken from TrousdalePlace.org: Trousdale Place is a handsome old two-story brick house serenely shaded by large trees and has been proudly placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located two city blocks west of the Gallatin, Tennessee Public Square. This historic home was built circa 1813 by John H. Bowen, a local attorney and member of Congress. Bowen died in 1822, and the house was later acquired by Governor William Trousdale. The city of Gallatin was developed on part of the original North Carolina land grant #1 awarded to James Trousdale, Governor Trousdale’s father, for his service in the Revolutionary War. In 1812, lots were sold for the construction of the jail, courthouse and other Gallatin city buildings. In 1899, Annie Berry Trousdale, daughter-in-law of William Trousdale, deeded the home to the Clark Chapter #13 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor all veterans and in particular, veterans of the Confederacy. Then the mansion became known as The Trousdale Place
Wynnewood, after tornado damage from Wikipedia: Wynnewood, located in Castalian Springs, Sumner County, Tennessee, is the largest existing log structure in Tennessee. It was built in 1828 by A. R. Wynne, William Cage, and Stephen Roberts, to serve as a stagecoach inn for travelers between Nashville and Knoxville. In 1834, Wynne purchased his partners' shares in the property and moved into the inn with his family, where he resided until his death in 1893. The building has since been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is open to the public and tours are available. On February 5, 2008, during the February 2008 tornado outbreak, Wynnewood suffered major damage to parts of the second story, roof, and trees on the property.
Wynnewood - Castalian Springs, TN Wynnewood is a National Historic Landmark in Sumner County. Dating back to 1828, this former stagecoach Inn is the largest existing log structure in Tennessee. The building features significant restoration following tornado damage in 2008. For more information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynnewood_(Tennessee)
Hartsville TN Depot L&N reached Hartsville in 1892 and the depot was built at about that time. The building is now used as a county history museum and chamber of commerce. For a vintage picture of this station, look here: www.hartsvilletrousdale.com/hp.html
Davidson County Courthouse (old) - 2016 Wide-angle view The 1937 Davidson County Courthouse was the 5th (of 6) to be used in Nashville. In 1935, the Courthouse of 1857 burned, and the county decided to make the replacement building in the public square the County Courthouse and Nashville City Hall. A Competition was held to design the new building, and the winning Architects were Emmons H. Woolwine of Nashville and Fredrich C. Hirons of New York with their PWA-influenced Art Deco design. The Cornerstone was placed on Aug. 10, 1936 and was dedicated on Dec. 8, 1937. The building cost $2,000,000 and was the first building in the city with air conditioning. The building is eight stories high and measures 260 feet by 96 feet. The official title of the building was Davidson County Public Building and Court House. After several decades of use, updates were needed. Starting in 2003, the Courthouse began an extensive renovation. (When I was summoned for jury duty, courts were held in MetroCenter.) For additional space, a newer courthouse was built nearby with similar design themes. Also, the surface parking lot in front of the courthouse was replaced by an underground lot, and a small public park. The park has an observation deck, large lawn, small reflecting pool and picnic tables. The quality of the Architecture placed the building on the National Register of Historic Places. As a significant Public Works Administration project, it is an example of Government Art Deco. The symbolism and Classical Columns are typical of a public building. The excellent craftsmanship is seen in the decorative work: Bronze castings, terra cotta and carvings.
Homes of Old North Knoxville: Lou-Mar Lou-Mar, built in 1889, is a Queen Anne-style house designed by architect David Getaz Old North Knoxville is a historic district neighborhood north of downtown with over 400 contributing properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_North_Knoxville,_Knoxville,_Ten...
Neil House - From Trenton to Jackson, TN The Neil House was originally built in 1837 in Trenton, TN. The antebellum plantation house was built in a Federal style with two large porches, 14-foot ceilings and 12-foot windows. The home played a role in the Civil War Battle of Trenton as citizens gathered on the roof to watch the battle unfold. Later, it became the home to Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice M.M. Neil. It was the centerpiece of the Trenton Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The Trenton Historic District has multiple churches all bunched together and one of those congregations felt they needed more parking spaces. At the time, the home was not lived in, although it was in decent condition for the age. The church owned the property and decided to turn it into a parking lot. Preservationists were not happy. Thankfully in this case there is a happy ending. The home was purchased by the Shaw family which owns Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store at Casey Jones Village in Jackson, TN. In 2010, the home was split in half and transported to Casey Jones Village. This photo was taken while the renovations were almost complete. Today, the home is restored and fitted with retro furniture under the name Providence House, and is available for events.
Dixona Home of U.S. Revolution Army Captain Tilman Dixon in the late 18th century. The log cabin portion of the center of the historic house also served as the Smith County courthouse starting in Nov. 1799 before the county seat moved to Carthage. If you look at the picture at the large size, you can see the logs in the center portion of the house. The small town was known as Dixon Springs, TN. Located on highway TN25.
Greystone - Knoxville, TN From Wikipedia: Greystone, also called the Camp House, is a prominent historic home in Knoxville, Tennessee, that houses the studios and offices of WATE-TV. It is an imposing structure, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion is located at 1306 Broadway (US441). Major Eldad Cicero Camp began constructing his home in 1885. Architect Alfred B. Mullet designed the mansion in the Richardson Romanesque style. Mullett had previously designed the Customs House building in downtown Knoxville. The home is two and a half stories, with a three-story tower in the front. The exterior of the home is sheathed in stone from a quarry in Lake City, Tennessee. The home contains elaborate hand-carved mantels from France. Each room is paneled in a different type of wood. The heads of windows include stained glass panels, and 22 different types of marble are used in the house. The site also includes a carriage house. Major Camp was born in Ohio, served in the Union army during the Civil War, made Knoxville his home and was appointed a U.S. District Attorney by President Ulysses S. Grant. The Camp family used the home until 1935. When Camp's heirs were no longer able to maintain the house, they sold some of the furnishings and subdivided the mansion into apartments. The condition of the building declined during its rental use, until WATE-TV purchased the building in 1965 at a cost of $75,000. Over the next two years, the mansion was restored and renovated for use by the television station. The restoration and renovation process cost $1.5 million. The first floor of the building was preserved and restored largely in its original form. A new 13,000-square-foot addition on the back of the building housed the station's studios. In April 1973, Greystone was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Illinois Central Railroad Division Office - Jackson, TN The ca. 1920 Illinois Central Railroad Division Office in Jackson, TN is listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to the city's railroad prominence. Learn more from the NRHP PDF here: npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/8f429bdb-bf52-416c-9621-b08719...
Harlinsdale Farm's Main Horse Stable - Franklin, TN Harlinsdale Farm is a historic farm for breeding Tennessee Walking Horses. The farm was purchased by the city of Franklin to preserve history and to be used as a park. Here is a portion of the National Register of Historic Places writeup of this stable. Read the PDF for the thorough story. npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/06000344.pdf Harlinsdale Farm is a 198-acre historic district north of downtown Franklin on the west side of U. S. Highway 31 (Franklin Road). The highway provides a portion of the western boundary of the property while the Harpeth River is the eastern boundary. The property's entrance faces the location of the historic Dortch Stove Works (Now The Factory at Franklin). The nominated property contains 18 contributing and 4 non-contributing resources. The related buildings and structures of the Harlinsdale stables visually dominate the nominated property. The stables are connected to the highway by a paved driveway, which is lined by a white board fence that splits the eastern most horse pasture into two separate fields. Large expanses of open land, critical for a training stable, characterize the farm. Main Horse Stable (1935) At the center of the complex, approached by a paved road, is the main horse stable, completed in 1935. Set back about 680 feet from Franklin Road, the long facade of the gable end stable is parallel to the road and only the wood fence lining the drive to the barn interrupts the view. This arrangement was an innovation in the modem revival of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry in the 1930s. The one story plus monitor roof main horse stable is capped by a green asphalt shingle gable roof, sheathed with white weatherboard and green wood trim, and rests on a concrete slab foundation. It has a centered gable bay entrance on both front and rear facades and two side wings, creating a cross-shaped plan precedent setting for Tennessee Walking Horse stables. This bay projects approximately fifteen feet from the wings, which are approximately forty feet long. The front, or east facade (street facade) has two wood six-over-six double hung sash windows flanking the one-story overhead rolling "garage-type" door on the central projecting bay. Above the door in the monitor roof are two three-paned single sash windows with a single metal tube centered between them that projects, curving downward. The walls are constructed of five-inch weatherboarding. The first story wings each contain four open, barred, and symmetrically placed square windows. The monitor roof repeats this pattern but with five windows, two of which abut the central bay. The principal features of the south elevation are the two sliding wood doors. Each door has a square six-pane window. Flanking the entry doors are square windows identical to those on the east facade, while the monitor roof also repeats the window and lighting pattern of the east facade. Also visible are the south elevations of the central bays of the east (farm side) and west (street side) facades. Evident on the eastern part are two six-over-six double hung sash windows on the first story and two triple paned single sash windows in the monitor roof. The western section has one six-over-six double hung sash window on the first story. Harlinsdale Farm is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its statewide significance in agriculture as Tennessee's most significant extant historic stables associated with the modern Tennessee Walking Horse industry from 1935 to 1956. The property also possesses local architectural significance as a cohesive, extant collection of buildings that became a model for the image and appearance of the Tennessee Walking Horse stables. Dating from c. 1900, the farm complex represents an archetypical Middle Tennessee farm that would turn into one of the premier Walking Horse sites in the state. The collection of buildings includes the walking horse farm and the dairy farm complexes, complete with laborer houses, equipment sheds, a smokehouse, a farmhouse, various horse and livestock barns, a dairy barn, and silos. Due to its success as a Walking Horse breeding and training center, Harlinsdale Farm has been a model by which other breeders and trainers in the industry have patterned the layouts of their stables. Other successful horse breeding farms, such as Haynes Haven in Spring Hill, Maury County, and the Wilson Farm in Sumner County, followed the precedents of Harlinsdale's design and layout. Instead of the traditional Tennessee placement of the main barn behind a centrally located house, with the barn's primary entry being on its gable end and facing the rear of the house, the Harlins chose a new model that highlighted the horse stables. By drawing attention to the central structure, through a lengthwise positioning and unusual cross-gable placement of the primary entryway and facade on this long side, the architecture becomes a social statement of pride and position. The main horse barn contains impressive craftsmanship and balances work spaces for employees and stalls for the horses. Its exterior facade reflects an unmistakable 1920s industrial aesthetic: here was a facility to produce horses, large numbers of them, for sale.
Indian Mound #1, Fewkes Site - Brentwood, TN The Indian Mound seen here has been undisturbed since it's creation between 900-1450 A.D. It is one of five mounds located next to Boiling Springs Academy at Primm Springs Park in Brentwood, and the only one not partially excavated. For much of the early 20th century, the surrounding land was used as a pasture on the Primm family farm. Starting in 1920, the Smithsonian sent archaeologist William Myer to the site to conduct a formal scientific excavation and testing of the other four mounds. His research detailed artifiacts and graves found, evidence of prehistoric dwellings, and discovery of different phases of mound construction. On the other side of this mound, a slave burial ground was found, most bodies from before the Civil War. Overall, the site retains most of its historical and archaeological integrity and has been named the Fewkes Group Archaeological site. In 1980, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2003, the Primm family donated the land to the city of Brentwood to be a park and to help preserve the history here. For the full story of the mounds and school, here is the park brochure: www.brentwood-tn.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid...
McLemore House Museum - Franklin, TN The Harvey McLemore house was built in 1880 with Colonial Revival architecture. Five generations of the McLemore family lived here until 1997. Today the house is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the McLemore House African-American Museum. From the Historic Marker: Hard Bargain In 1873, W.S. McLemore subdivided 15 acres, which he called "Hard Bargain" because of a difficult land deal struck in 1866. Hard Bargain became a stable community, largely African-American. The Harvey McLemore house on this lot, built in 1880, was the home of a successful ex-slave and his descendants for 117 years. To the north stands the Franklin Primitive Baptist Church, organized in 1867, and Mt. Hope Cemetery, begun in 1875. On the east stood St. John's Episcopal Church, the church's Negro mission, and a tobacco warehouse. Due south was the 1910 subdivision of Franklin banker E.E. Green and the Green Street Church of God. On the west stood Folk Town, a row of shotgun houses, now a playground.
Knox County Courthouse (2016) - Knoxville, TN This Victorian era county courthouse located in downtown Knoxville was built in 1886 and is difficult to photograph when the trees are in bloom. The most distinguishing feature is the tall, elaborately layered clock tower which projects upwards from the front of the main floor. The building has seen multiple additions and renovations over the years leading to the 1979 City County Building which is across the street but connects via crosswalk.
Elm Street Methodist Church - Nashville, TN Elm Street Methodist Church is a historic Methodist church building at 616 5th Avenue S. in Nashville. The building no longer serves as a place of worship and has been converted to offices for Tuck-Hinton Architects. It was built in 1871 in an Italianate style and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Bank of Williston Williston is a small town in Fayette County, TN. The old Bank building is part of the Williston Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hume-Fogg High School front entrance - Nashville Hume-Fogg High School is a public academic magnate school located in downtown Nashville. The five-story Tudor Revival building opened in 1912 when two schools merged. The school building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. For more information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hume-Fogg_High_School A good friend of mine is a Hume-Fogg alumnus. I showed him this picture and he said that sometimes going to class felt as daunting as the photo represents.
Verona Methodist Church - Verona, TN According to Wikipedia: Verona United Methodist Church, originally Verona Methodist Episcopal Church, South, is a historic church on Verona-Berlin Road in the Verona community of Marshall County, Tennessee. The church was founded and built in about 1880 as one of two successors to the former Cave Spring Methodist Church, which had been built in the 1840s or 1850s. The Cave Spring church closed and its congregation was divided to form new churches in Farmington and Verona. After the Cave Spring Church was torn down, some of its materials were recovered for use in the new Verona church. The pews and bell from the Cave Spring church were installed in the Verona church. A wooden cross that hangs in the Verona church was made from the cedar door-steps of the Cave Spring church. The church building was expanded in the 1930s and the 1950s, when Sunday School rooms were added. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. For many years, the church shared a pastor with the Berlin, Caney Spring, and Farmington United Methodist churches. The Farmington church was administratively separated from the others in 2003. The Verona United Methodist church closed in 2011.
Maury County Courthouse at Christmas - Columbia, TN Located in Columbia's town square, this Courthouse was built in 1906 for $120,000. The top of the tower is 132 ft. above street level. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Columbia Commercial Historic District. For Christmas, they place their tree atop a large tree on the west side of the courthouse.
Fisk University Harris Music Building Text of the historic marker: This Italianate structure was built ca. 1876 as the home of Richard Harris, an entrepreneur and owner of Harris Furniture Co. In the late 1880s, he became the first Black trustee of Fisk University. W.G. Waterman, a Fisk professor, became owner of the house, and in 1909 he conveyed ownership to Fisk. In 1927, the building became the Music Annex. In 1991, the Music Annex was rededicated as the Harris Music Building.
Valentine Square This home built in 1899 and located in Winchester, TN is on the Nat'l Reg. of Historic Places
old Moore County Jail Now a museum. Lynchburg, TN Shamelessly cut and pasted from the internet: A visit to Lynchburg, Tennessee would not be complete without touring the Moore County Jail. The tour is free, although donations are gratefully appreciated to help maintain the building. Moore County Jail is the first jail in Lynchburg. Originally erected in 1872 and later reconstructed in 1893 This facility remained in operation until 1990. Today the jail acts as one of the most interesting tours to be taken in the area.
207 Main St. (Queen Anne Cottage) - Wartrace, TN Comes with a matching hydrant! As of 2021, this home is a solid Dark Blue, trimmed in white. This home is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Wartrace Historic District. Here is the description. ca. 1880. Queen Anne Cottage. 1 1/2 story, frame, weatherboard, L-plan, gable composition roof, pedimented entry with cut-outs, Palladian serliana, decorative wooden vergeboards, porch supported by Doric columns, spindle balustrade, cornice with deptil, two interior brick chimneys.
La Grange United Methodist Church This Methodist church is seen along highway TN57 in the small Fayette County town of La Grange. This building was built in 1928 after the previous building was destroyed by a tornado. It is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the La Grange Historic District. For a thorough history: www.lagrangetn.com/methodist.htm
John Sevier State Office Building - Nashville Located next door to the Tennessee State Capitol, this government building opened in 1940 as the Tennessee State Office Building as part of the New Deal Public Works Administration program. The Streamlined Classical design from local architect Emmons Woolwine is seen in the monumental scale of the pilasters and cornice and the simplified classical details of the building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Wartrace, TN Baptist Church This is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Wartrace Historic District. Here are the notes: ca. 1880. Victorian Gothic Revival. 1 story structure of local brick, rectangular plan, bell tower with open belfry at central entry topped by simple wooden hipped canopy, lancet windows with stone sills, stained-glass transom over double-leaf entry, continuous stone foundation, cinderblock addition rear. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-churches/ These 14 Stunning Churches In Tennessee Will Make Your Jaw Drop
United States Post Office and Courthouse - Knoxville, Tennessee From Wikipedia: The United States Post Office and Courthouse, commonly called the Knoxville Post Office, is a state building located at 501 Main Street in Knoxville, TN. Constructed in the early 1930s for use as a post office and federal courthouse, the building contains numerous Art Deco and Moderne elements, and is clad in Tennessee marble. While the building is still used as a branch post office, the court section is now used by the state courts. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and political significance. The Knoxville Post Office is a three-story structure occupying the lot bounded by Main Street, Locust Street, Walnut Street, and Cumberland Avenue. The building measures 250 feet (76 m) by 138 feet (42 m), and contains 123,000 square feet of gross space. The first floor is used primarily for the post office, while the upper floors contain the court room and offices. The lot includes a large parking lot behind the building, mainly for postal service vehicles. The building was constructed using six different types of Tennessee marble, a locally quarried stone used in monumental buildings throughout the United States. The exterior, clad mostly in Tennessee "pink" marble, includes a facade of imposing columns, Moderne-style cylindrical molding along the roofline, and four eagle statues carved by Candoro Marble Works sculptor Albert Milani (1892–1972). The entrances are located at the corners of the building, while the front of the building contains aluminum casement windows and a sunken courtyard. This courtyard is masked by a retaining wall built of red Tennessee marble, and topped with Art Deco light fixtures. The interior of the building contains numerous Art Deco elements, namely grillwork with floral motifs, floral patterns in the entrance transoms, aluminum spandrels on the upper floors with floral and zigzag patterns, and a plaster ceiling with aluminum floral and zigzag moldings (this ceiling was later hidden by the installation of a tiled ceiling in the 1960s). The first floor contains a marble floor and marble, aluminum, and bronze paneling. The courtroom floor is made of cork wood. The lot on which the Knoxville Post Office now stands was part of James White's 1795 extension of the city. By 1886, this lot contained several large houses and townhouses. By the time the federal government purchased the lot for the post office's construction, it was occupied by the home of prominent Knoxville physician Walter S. Nash and his wife, Eva. Knoxville's first federal building, the Old Customs House, was built on Market Street in the early 1870s, and expanded in 1910. By the following decade, the city's growing population had rendered this building too small for the city's postal needs. In the late 1920s, Congress appropriated several million dollars for the construction of new postal facilities across the country. Senator Kenneth McKellar and Congressman J. Will Taylor, both from Tennessee, managed to have some of this money allocated for the construction of a new post office and courthouse for Knoxville. The new post office and courthouse was designed by Baumann and Baumann, a prominent local firm that had recently designed the Andrew Johnson Hotel on Gay Street. The firm's two chief partners were Albert Baumann, Sr. (1861–1942) and his son, Albert Baumann, Jr. (1897–1952). Albert Baumann, Jr., had studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania under Beaux-Arts champion Paul Cret, and the design of the Knoxville post office was likely conceived from a Treasury Department model inspired by Cret. The A.W. Kushe Company of Detroit was hired as the contractor for the new building. Construction began in December 1932, and was completed in February 1934. On February 15 of that year, the new building was dedicated in a ceremony attended by Congressman Taylor and Knoxville Mayor John O'Connor. The new post office opened about a month later, on March 11, 1934. The Knoxville Post Office was renovated in 1964, during which time a lower, tiled ceiling was installed. In the 1990s, most federal court functions were shifted to the Howard Baker, Jr., Federal Courthouse a few blocks down the street. In 2003, the building was again renovated, this time by the contracting firm Denark Construction, following a design by Cope Associates. These renovations involved remodeling of the first floor, and renovations to tenant spaces. The building continues to operate as a branch post office, and the courthouse section now houses the Tennessee State Criminal Court of Appeals and the eastern division of the Tennessee Supreme Court. The post office is twice mentioned in Cormac McCarthy's 1979 novel, Suttree. In one instance, the title character traverses the building's long ground-floor corridor to briefly escape the bitter cold. In another scene, an itinerant mountain wanderer known as "the goatman" is chastised by a police officer for allowing his goats to graze on the post office's lawn.
Clover Bottom Mansion - Nashville, TN From Wikipedia: Clover Bottom Mansion occupies land on the Stones River first claimed in 1780 by John Donelson, who abandoned his homestead following an Indian attack. The mansion was built in 1858 and was the centerpiece of the 1500 acre Clover Bottom Plantation. The Mansion was built near Nashville's first horse-racing track for Dr James and Mary Ann Saunders Hoggatt, who owned sixty slaves. Mrs. Hoggatt was a granddaughter of Daniel Smith, and her half-brothers were Andrew Jackson Donelson and Daniel Smith Donelson, for whom Ft. Donelson was named. The mansion was constructed in the Italianate style. A strong similarity to nearby Two Rivers Mansion that was being erected around the same time suggests that the same unknown contractor and/or architect was used, although no records have been found. The interior of the home had French scenic Zuber wallpaper, and the parlor had a frescoed ceiling. Clover Bottom Plantation was the childhood home of John McCline, whose autobiography "Slavery in the Clover Bottoms" provides a rare and detailed account of the life of a Davidson County slave prior to and during the early days of the Civil War. A Tennessee Civil War Trails marker was erected on the property in 2015 detailing the story of McCline. Dr. Hoggatt died in 1863, and the home was occupied at different times during the Civil War by soldiers from both armies. Mrs. Hoggatt's brother-in-law, the former U.S. and Confederate Congressman Meredith P. Gentry, was left destitute from investing his money in the Confederacy and moved into the home. He died at Clover Bottom in 1866. In the 1886 the property was sold to Andrew Price. Mr. Price, married to Anna Gay Price, was a four term Congressman from Louisiana who had Tennessee roots. Price restored the home and added several substantial outbuildings, raising thoroughbred horses on the property. In 1918, A.F. Stanford purchased the house, and his widow Merle Hutcheson Stanford Davis (1907-2011) owned it until she sold it to the state in 1948. The house was converted into housing for faculty for the Tennessee School for the Blind. It then suffered an unfortunate period of neglect and abandonment starting in the early 1980s, until an effort led by Edward Nave and fellow members of the local Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities helped convince the state to restore it. It has been the home of the Tennessee Historical Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, since it was renovated in 1994. The property contains several important historic outbuildings, including two former c. 1858 slave cabins that are among a handful of former slave dwellings remaining in Davidson County. There is also a c. 1850s carriage house that may slightly predate the present dwelling. The c. 1890s transverse crib thoroughbred horse barn is one of the finest 19th-century barns remaining in the area. At the initiative of the Tennessee Historical Commission, the historic outbuildings were restored by the State in 2015-16 and interpretive signs were added. Over 150 trees of native species were planted, and a walking trail is being added. The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours. Tours of the house (which has no period furnishings or exhibits) are by appointment only. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1975.
College Grove Methodest Church College Grove, TN is a small town in Williamson County along US highway 31A. Info taken from the historical marker: On March 31, 1860, Dr. Samuel Webb deeded the land for College Grove Methodist Church and a seminary for young ladies. The present Victorian structure was erected in 1888 by T.G. Slate. Memorial windows were added in 1952 and 1984. The steeple was erected in 1983 in honor of the Joe C. Bellenfant family. Here is the Historical Marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Normandy Historic District The Normandy, TN historic district incudes a row of old businesses along Front St. that are now all closed. The entire district is on the National Register of Historic Places. The town was established in 1852 as a railroad town on the Nashville & Chattanooga line and in 2000 the census reports 141 residents.
Tennessee Supreme Court (East) - Knoxville From Wikipedia: The United States Post Office and Courthouse, commonly called the Knoxville Post Office, is a state building located at 501 Main Street in Knoxville, TN. Constructed in the early 1930s for use as a post office and federal courthouse, the building contains numerous Art Deco and Moderne elements, and is clad in Tennessee marble. While the building is still used as a branch post office, the court section is now used by the state courts. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and political significance. The Knoxville Post Office is a three-story structure occupying the lot bounded by Main Street, Locust Street, Walnut Street, and Cumberland Avenue. The building measures 250 feet (76 m) by 138 feet (42 m), and contains 123,000 square feet of gross space. The first floor is used primarily for the post office, while the upper floors contain the court room and offices. The lot includes a large parking lot behind the building, mainly for postal service vehicles. The building was constructed using six different types of Tennessee marble, a locally quarried stone used in monumental buildings throughout the United States. The exterior, clad mostly in Tennessee "pink" marble, includes a facade of imposing columns, Moderne-style cylindrical molding along the roofline, and four eagle statues carved by Candoro Marble Works sculptor Albert Milani (1892–1972). The entrances are located at the corners of the building, while the front of the building contains aluminum casement windows and a sunken courtyard. This courtyard is masked by a retaining wall built of red Tennessee marble, and topped with Art Deco light fixtures. The interior of the building contains numerous Art Deco elements, namely grillwork with floral motifs, floral patterns in the entrance transoms, aluminum spandrels on the upper floors with floral and zigzag patterns, and a plaster ceiling with aluminum floral and zigzag moldings (this ceiling was later hidden by the installation of a tiled ceiling in the 1960s). The first floor contains a marble floor and marble, aluminum, and bronze paneling. The courtroom floor is made of cork wood. The lot on which the Knoxville Post Office now stands was part of James White's 1795 extension of the city. By 1886, this lot contained several large houses and townhouses. By the time the federal government purchased the lot for the post office's construction, it was occupied by the home of prominent Knoxville physician Walter S. Nash and his wife, Eva. Knoxville's first federal building, the Old Customs House, was built on Market Street in the early 1870s, and expanded in 1910. By the following decade, the city's growing population had rendered this building too small for the city's postal needs. In the late 1920s, Congress appropriated several million dollars for the construction of new postal facilities across the country. Senator Kenneth McKellar and Congressman J. Will Taylor, both from Tennessee, managed to have some of this money allocated for the construction of a new post office and courthouse for Knoxville. The new post office and courthouse was designed by Baumann and Baumann, a prominent local firm that had recently designed the Andrew Johnson Hotel on Gay Street. The firm's two chief partners were Albert Baumann, Sr. (1861–1942) and his son, Albert Baumann, Jr. (1897–1952). Albert Baumann, Jr., had studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania under Beaux-Arts champion Paul Cret, and the design of the Knoxville post office was likely conceived from a Treasury Department model inspired by Cret. The A.W. Kushe Company of Detroit was hired as the contractor for the new building. Construction began in December 1932, and was completed in February 1934. On February 15 of that year, the new building was dedicated in a ceremony attended by Congressman Taylor and Knoxville Mayor John O'Connor. The new post office opened about a month later, on March 11, 1934. The Knoxville Post Office was renovated in 1964, during which time a lower, tiled ceiling was installed. In the 1990s, most federal court functions were shifted to the Howard Baker, Jr., Federal Courthouse a few blocks down the street. In 2003, the building was again renovated, this time by the contracting firm Denark Construction, following a design by Cope Associates. These renovations involved remodeling of the first floor, and renovations to tenant spaces. The building continues to operate as a branch post office, and the courthouse section now houses the Tennessee State Criminal Court of Appeals and the eastern division of the Tennessee Supreme Court. The post office is twice mentioned in Cormac McCarthy's 1979 novel, Suttree. In one instance, the title character traverses the building's long ground-floor corridor to briefly escape the bitter cold. In another scene, an itinerant mountain wanderer known as "the goatman" is chastised by a police officer for allowing his goats to graze on the post office's lawn.
James Gang (Earthman's) General Store - White's Creek, TN According to the historical marker THE JAMES GANG In this building, then a combination saloon and grocery, W.W. Earthman, magistrate and ex-constable of Davidson County, on March 25, 1881, arrested Bill Ryan, alias Tom Hill, ruthless and indiscreet member of the gang, members of which were living in the Edgefield neighborhood. Frank and Jesse James and their families left the Nashville area the next day. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the White's Creek Historic District, and is located on highway US431 near Old Hickory Blvd.
Chapel Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church Located on Horton Highway (U.S. 31A) in Chapel Hill, TN (Marshall County). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Building - #85001897, significant because of it's Greek Revival Architecture from the 1870's
Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church - Knoxville, TN Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church (now known as Knoxville House of Faith) is a historic church at 416 Lovenia Avenue in Knoxville, TN, in the Fourth and Gill historic district. It was built in 1906 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The sanctuary features high vaulted ceilings.
Glen Echo - Franklin, TN From Wikipedia: Glen Echo, also known as Harpeth Hall, is a property in Franklin, TN that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It is a former plantation house that is now the centerpiece and administrative office of the Battle Ground Academy's Upper School campus. It was designed and/or built c. 1828 by Joseph Ruff for Williamson County's first Circuit Judge Thomas Stuart. The structure includes Federal architecture. The NRHP listing was for an area of 14 acres with just one contributing building. It was one of about thirty surviving antebellum "significant brick and frame residences" built in Williamson County that were centers of slave plantations. It is one of several of these located "on the rich farmland surrounding Franklin"; others were the Dr. Hezekiah Oden House, the Franklin Hardeman House and the Samuel Glass House, the Thomas Brown House, the Stokely Davis House, the Beverly Toon House and the Samuel S. Marten House.
Montgomery Co. Courthouse 2 This is the 4th Courthouse to be built in Clarksville. It was constructed in 1879 for $100,000, and was placed in a location that was away from the town square. It was designed with Italianate and Victorian elements in a classical style and is topped with a tall clock tower. This courthouse was built after a devestating fire turned the previous courthouse and much of the city was turned to rubble. On April 13, 1878, the fire started, which was aided by wind as well as the town's only fire engine broke down early. This fire wasn't fully out until another fire engine was sent by train from Nashville. On March 12, 1900 another fire almost destroyed this courthouse. It was believed to have started in the southeast section of a flue in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. By now, the town had learned its lesson and had better fire-fighting practices in place, which saved the building. Steel girders and beams in the ceiling were anchored in cement keeping the lower floor intact, although the roof and tower collapsed. After inspection, the remnants were deemed structurally sound and the building was rebuilt with a new clock and the soaring bronze eagle was reinstated in his aerie on the top. On March 20, 1976, heavy winds caused the eagle on top to be blown off and it was feared to be lost but eventually found and reattached. Disaster struck again on Jan. 22, 1999, when an F4 tornado struck downtown, crippling the courthouse and causing $74 million damage to the city. Sections of the roof and spires were ripped away, the clock tower was leveled and the east wall was collapsed. The eagle was never found. After considering building a new courthouse, city leaders decided to rebuild this one again. The exterior was rebuilt to look just like it had been and the interior was redesigned. A replicated tower and eagle was again placed on top. All repairs were completed in the fall of 2002. How long will it last this time? Clarksville has a very storied past of disasters with fires, tornados and floods. This view was taken from the top of a parking garage.
Cox House - Franklin, TN The Cox House was built in 1891 with Late Victorian architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Eventually, this house became part of Harpeth Academy, Then in 1998, the property was acquired by Battle Ground Academy for their elementary school.
Hohenwald, TN Train Depot Hohenwald was settled by German immigrants. The name translates to "High Forest." The original 1896 NC&StL Hohenwald Depot has been restored to its original appearance. As one of the first buildings constructed in the town, the Depot welcomed the new settlers. Later, it witnessed visits from Thomas Edison (coming to the region to find Cobalt) and William Wrigley, as well as served as a work site for German prisoners of war from Rommel’s African Corps during WWII. This Depot was moved several times over the years but returned to its original location and restored in 1985.
The Walking Horse Hotel This hotel was built in 1917 in Wartrace, TN as a railroad Hotel, as it sits near the center of town where the depot used to be. 21 years later, the original owners, Jesse and Nora Overall sold the property to Floyd and Olive Carothers. Floys had a reputation as a first class horse trainer, and the next year bought a young horse by the name of Strolling Jim. Soon afterward, that horse won a new festival celebrating the new breed of Tennessee Walking Horses. That festival has since turned into a world class event held every year in nearby Shelbyville and Wartrace is now known as the birthplace of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Strolling Jim strolled for many years in the pasture behind the hotel, and is now buried back there. I first learned of this hotel in the mid 80's when I was about 10 and my family made the 90 minute drive from Nashville for Thanksgiving lunch. For my return visit 20 years later, the place is absolutely nothing like the way I remembered it. More recently, the hotel was purchased by a local musician, Joe Peters, in honor of his wife who died of cancer, but fell in love with the building soon before she died. The Music Hall inside is now named after her.
J.C. Tate General Merchandise store in the tiny town of Belfast, TN. On the National Register of Historic Places. Located on Highway U.S. 431 in Marshall County, south of Lewisburg Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-general-stores/ These 10 Charming General Stores In Tennessee Will Make You Feel Nostalgic There's QUITE a lot of history tied to this general store, located in Belfast. It's even earned a spot on the National Registrar of Historic Places! or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/santa-in-tennessee/
Clarksville Customs House This building in the heart of Clarksville has served many uses since it was built in 1898. It's been known as the Post Office, Federal Building, the Clarksville Dept. of Electricity and now serves as a museum. www.customshousemuseum.org/ It's a relatively small building, but quite flamboyant for its size. Its design is unique in Tennessee. It has a highly pitched roof, large eagles on each of the four corners, steeply gabled windows and elaborate terra-cotta ornamentation in this Queen Anne-styled building. The foundation is made of smooth stone. The walls are natural brick with decorative terra-cotta around all openings and on the corners. The hipped roof with flared eaves has a steel frame and covered with slate. This building was designed by William Martin Aiken, who was also the supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury. For those of you who like neon signs, I saw a photo of this building from the mid-70's where there was a fabulous "Dept. of Electricity" neon sign on it.
James Buchanan Walker house On the National Register of Historic Places, Centerville, TN. Built in 1903 in a Classical Revival style.
First Baptist Church of East Nashville 601 Main St., Listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Classical Revival architecture. The church building was built in 1928 on the corner of Main and Sixth streets. It was expanded in 1931 and continuously improved, especially from 1934 through 1941. The front entrance of the church was restructured because of the widening of Main Street during the 1960s. Built in a Classical Revival design, this beautiful church building contains a magnificent pipe organ, melodic chimes, a mural by Tennessee State University professor and artist Frances Thompson, and memorial windows.
Trinity Parish Episcopal Erected 1875. Clarksville, TN used to occasionally be called a city of seven churches, and this is one of the old ones. 317 Franklin St. Gothic Architecture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Cowan, TN Depot (now a Railroad Museum) 2008 The Cowan Depot is wood frame and built in 1904 for the NC&StL railway. When in use, it was originally on the other side of the still-in-use-by-CSX tracks but moved further away to its current location in 1976. It's built in a railroad gothic style architecture and has been repainted to the original green and yellow colors. The building is in the process of renovation. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Every year, the town has a Summer Weekend festival called Cowan Depot Days with the goal of raising money to further restore the station. Cowan is located on the historic line that runs from Nashville to Chattanooga and is perhaps best known by railfans as the last stop before ascending Cumberland Mountain and the picturesque but almost inaccessible Cumberland Mountain Tunnel entrance. CSX keeps pusher cars on hand to help trains make the incline to the top. I tried to visit the museum twice in 2008. The first time, I got there minutes after it closed for the day (usually at 4pm). The second time, I got there a week after it closed for the season. cowanrailroadmuseum.org/
Columbia Military Academy Has been "Columbia Academy" since 1979. Located at the important location of 7th St. (U.S. 412) at the train tracks. On the National Register of Historic Places, built in a Colonial Revival and Romanesque style. From the historical marker: In 1888, local residents gave 67 acres to the U.S. Army for an arsenal. The Bowling Green stone buildings quartered troops in the Spanish-American War. Columbia Military Academy was founded in 1904 and opened formally August 23, 1905 with 167 young men from eight states. Designated an "Honor School" in 1935 by the U.S. Government, youth nationwide trained here as military and civil leaders, among them: general officers, battle heroes, governors, educators, and corporate heads.
Dickson War Memorial Building
Rippavilla Plantation - Spring Hill, TN Completed in 1855, Rippavilla is a Greek Revival mansion build for Confederate soldier Nathaniel F. Cheairs IV. The Civil War battle of Spring Hill happened on the grounds. Today the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours and the 'Swanky Plank' Marketplace. It is located along highway US31 across from the public entrance to the Saturn plant. For more history: www.rippavilla.org/history.html
Belfast, TN depot Belfast is a tiny community southeast on Lewisburg in Marshall County (Along U.S.431) The depot at Belfast is considered the best surviving example of the Duck River Valley Narrow Gauge Railroad buildings. The small Victorian rail station is an excellent board and batten structure. It was built before the 1870's. The tracks have long since been removed. Now, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Columbia Hydroelectric Station The construction of the hydroelectric station was completed in 1925. It was designed by Freeland, Roberts and Co. and built by Foster & Creighton for the Southern Cities Corporation. It is one of the remaining hydroelectric stations in Tennessee that predates the TVA. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since February 9, 1990. This view of the dam and the Duck River is easily accessible from Riverwalk Park. focus.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/89002364
Old Roane County Courthouse - Kingston, TN Built in 1854, its one of 6 courthouses in TN built before the civil war that still stands today. Used as a Courthouse until 1974 when the new one was built. It was used as a civil war hospital and graffiti written by civil war soldiers can still be seen on the inside. The state of Tennessee placed an Obelisk in the front yard commemorating this as the location of the state capital (for one day in 1807). Today, the building is used as a museum. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roane_County_Courthouse_(Tennessee)
Fatherland Baptist Church - East Nashville Now: YMCA East Nashville Y-CAP I have uploaded a picture of this building because it has a plaque noting its entry on the National Register of Historic Places at the main entrance tower. I can't find any other info on this building, so I don't know if it was always YMCA or if it was a church in the past. It's also not listed individually on the NRHP with its address of 1021 E. Russel St., so it either part of the East Nashville Historic District or Edgefield Historic District. Update: This building is formerly the Fatherland Baptist Church and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the East Nashville Historic District with an address of 122 South 11th Street. Here is the text from the NRHP nominating form: Two blocks away at 122 South 11th Street is Fatherland Baptist Church (photo #33, map #1). It also is somewhat Beaux Arts in style though less so than the previous two buildings. Built of beige brick on a stone foundation and trimmed with stone, the church is basically a gable-roofed rectangle. It is an unusual design, not closely resembled by any other church in Nashville. Brick pilasters with stone caps and bases ring the entire building creating a temple-front effect on the pedimented east end of the building. The pilasters articulate the facades into bays of equal width, three on the short end and seven on the longer sides. On the south side, at the third bay from the rear, facing Russell Street, is a square tower, one bay wide, rising to a full second story and topped by a rather small, domed, eight-sided belfry with Ionic pilasters framing each of its sides. The main entrance is in the base of this tower framed by a pair of Tuscan columns and a pediment. Sanctuary windows are arched, one to a bay, with narrower arched windows paired in each corner bay. To the rear of the entrance tower is a two-storied educational building under the same roof plane.
Sevierville, TN Post Office (old) The former post office in Sevierville, TN is now the Sevier County History Museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997
First Presbyterian Church This church on Main St. in Clarksville, TN was completed in 1878 with a neo-gothic architecture at a cost of $43,000. It's one of several historic churches in Clarksville and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
First National Bank of Dickson Along Main St. in Dickson, TN. Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Marugg Company Tracy City, TN. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Started in 1873. Also part of Tennessee's Backroad Heritage
Coalmont, TN City Hall Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This was originally the Coalmont Bank Building, and then it became the Sewanee Fuel & Iron Company Building. It's located on TN56 and also has the town library
Mechanics' Bank and Trust Building - Knoxville The Mechanics' Bank and Trust Company Building is an office building located at 612 South Gay Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Built in 1907 for the Mechanics' Bank and Trust Company, the building now houses offices for several law firms and financial agencies. The building's facade was constructed with locally quarried marble, and is designed in the Second Renaissance Revival style. In 1983, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. For the full story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanics%27_Bank_and_Trust_Company...
Federal Post Office Building - Lebanon, TN The old Post Office is located at 203 E. Main St. in Lebanon and is stop #4 on the Historic Lebanon Driving tour. Here is the text from that brochure: Lebanon’s Federal Post Office building’s cornerstone was laid October 30, 1913. Completed eighteen months later in April, 1915, the new post office signified Lebanon’s growing population and business community. By 1908, the town’s receipts had grown enough to qualify for the free delivery of mail. Sidewalks were placed and houses numbered in anticipation of mail delivery. With the assistance of Senator Cordell Hull, funding in the amount of $50,000 was appropriated for the construction by Congress. Oscar Wenderoth, Chief Federal Architect, was in charge of the building’s design. The interior was furnished with classical motifs and materials including pink and gray East Tennessee marble for the floors and wainscoting. The Post Office would operate in this building until 1963 when new, modern quarters were built on East Gay Street. Lebanon’s Federal Post Office building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The Wilson County Election Commission now occupies the building and is proud to be a part of the its adaptive re-use.
Old Stonebridge - Goodlettsville, TN This dual arch stone bridge crosses Mansker's Creek in Goodlettsville, TN, just north of Nashville. It was part of the stagecoach road that connected Nashville to Louisville. I'm not sure when the bridge was built (somewhere between 1837-49), but the stagecoach line became obsolete when the railroad was completed in 1859, so it's older than that. Many parts of that old road are now US Highway 31W, and today's 31W (Dickerson Pk.) runs a few feet from this bridge. This bridge is also on the National Register of Historic Places. Historical marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/... This photo has been used with permission by Stonebridge Family Counseling: stonebridgefamily.weebly.com/
I.W.P. Buchanan House - Lebanon, TN This home is stop #10 on the Historic Lebanon Driving tour. Here is the text from that brochure: 428 W. Main St. The Queen- Anne style Victorian house built by I.W.P. Buchanan is a George Barber design. Barber was a well-known American architect headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1888. Construction began on the home in 1894 and was completed in 1897. Isaac William Pleasant Buchanan (1866-1943) came to Lebanon as a child when his father, Dr. A.H. Buchanan, accepted a teaching position at Cumberland University. Buchanan would receive his bachelor and doctorate degrees from Cumberland and serve as professor of mathematics at the school in 1894-1898. Buchanan was a natural at mathematical and mechanical applications. He held several patents and in addition to founding the Castle Heights School in 1901, also designed its Main Administration building. Buchanan married Willie Conn Elkins in 1892. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Westwood - Knoxville, TN From Wikipedia: Westwood is an historic home located at 3425 Kingston Pike at the edge of the Sequoyah Hills area of Knoxville, Tennessee. Also known as the Adelia Armstrong Lutz House, the house was built in 1890 by John Lutz and his wife, artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz, on land given to them by Adelia's father, Robert H. Armstrong. In 1984, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westwood_(Knoxville,_Tennessee) Today, the home is owned by Knox Heritage. knoxheritage.org/westwood/
United Church, The Chapel on the Hill - Oak Ridge, TN Text from Wikipedia: The United Church, Chapel on the Hill in Oak Ridge, Tennessee was the city's main church during World War II. Dedicated on September 30, 1943 and completed late in October 1943, it was originally a multi-denominational chapel shared by Catholic, Protestant and Jewish congregations. The building design is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 700-series U.S. Army chapel. It is a frame building built on a three-bay rectangular plan with a steepled bell tower and a gable entry porch. It was one of three Army chapels built using the same design in Oak Ridge during World War II. One of the other two chapels, the West Chapel in the city's West Village area, was later torn down, but the East Chapel in the East Village is still in use. The U.S. Army built the chapel to house religious activities, as one of numerous community facilities in the "townsite" area of Oak Ridge. The building was dedicated on September 30, 1943, in a ceremony that included prayers and talks by a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, an Episcopal priest, a Baptist minister, and the minister who was serving the United Church congregation that eventually came to own the chapel. Its name, "The Chapel on the Hill," comes from a reference in a prayer by the Knoxville Baptist minister who participated in the dedication. The United Church congregation that is housed in the Chapel on the Hill traces its history to July 18, 1943, when some 25 to 30 Christians of diverse denominational backgrounds gathered for Sunday worship in Oak Ridge's main cafeteria. Subsequently, several members of the group made plans to establish an interdenominational Protestant church, led by laypersons, to include all denominations. A Presbyterian minister working in Knoxville was engaged to conduct weekly services, and about 150 people representing 13 Protestant denominations became charter members of "the United Church". Governing boards of laypersons elected to lead the new congregation took up their duties on October 24, 1943. When the Chapel-on-the-Hill was completed that same month, the United Church and the local Roman Catholic Church were given control of the building, as the only two churches then officially operating in the Manhattan Project community. During the war, when Oak Ridge's Manhattan Project facilities were operating around the clock, the chapel building was also in use nearly 24 hours a day as a venue for worship services, weddings, and other occasions for local workers of various Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish religious backgrounds. At the peak of wartime activity in Oak Ridge, when the population exceeded 70,000, the United Church employed four ministers and conducted worship services in the Chapel on the Hill, East Village Chapel, and the Jefferson Theater, as well as Sunday school classes in several local schools and a trailer camp. By 1951, the United Church Chapel-on-the-Hill consolidated as a single interdenominational congregation, making its home in the Chapel on the Hill building. The United Church congregation purchased the chapel and 3.72 acres (1.51 ha) of land from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission on May 11, 1955 for a price of $17,116. An adjoining educational building was added in 1956-1957. The facility continues to operate as a nondenominational Protestant church under lay leadership, employing ministers with backgrounds in mainstream Protestant denominations. Since 2007 it has been affiliated with the Center for Progressive Christianity. The church's motto is "Where People from All Denominations Meet in Their Differences, but Are One in Their Search for God." The Chapel-on-the-Hill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 as a contributing property in the Oak Ridge Historic District. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/awkward-moments-tn/ 11 Awkward Moments Every Tennessean Has Endured At Least Once
Giles County Courthouse - Pulaski, Tn The Giles County Courthouse in the center of the town square in Pulaski, TN was completed in 1909. It's a large 3 story brick structure measuring 60' x 150' with a large central cupola. The neoclassical design is marked by tall Corinthian Columns. On the inside, a balcony encircles the third floor while 16 caryatids (female faces) hold up the arched vault of the rotunda with a stained glass skylight. Inside the top of the cupola, a bell forged in 1858 strikes on the hours. located on US 31. The entire district is on the NRHP. Their goal was to have the finest courthouse in the state and they may have succeeded.
Fite-Fessenden House - Lebanon, TN This building is stop #8 on the Historic Lebanon Driving tour. Here is the text from that brochure: The Wilson County Museum is housed in the two-story Federal -style brick house built about 1870 by Dr. James Leonidas Fite who began practicing medicine in Lebanon before the Civil War. In 1862, he was appointed surgeon of the 7th Tennessee Infantry Regiment in Virginia under the command of General Robert Hatton. In 1891 Dr. Fite’s daughter, Margaret Harsh, opened an elementary school in her parents’ home. Mrs. Virginia Wooten continued a school in the house from 1917 to 1920. In 1928, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Fessenden acquired the property for their home. Their daughter, Sallie Barry Fessenden, who died March 6, 1983, directed in her will that the house be used as a museum. It is operated by the History Associates of Wilson County to preserve and educate about Wilson County’s heritage. This site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Lillard's Mill Hydroelectric Station This historic mill on the Duck River is in rural Marshall County, TN and the unincorporated community that was built nearby was known as Milltown. This dam was completed in 1928 and is historically significant as one of three dams on the Duck River to predate TVA. You can read it's entry on the National Register of Historic Places here: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/89002370 Today, the area is considered a park and popular with the locals. To get here, follow there is a gravel driveway that leads off of Milltown Rd. This driveway leads to a parking lot, and you can then walk the gravel to the Duck River. This is a calm spot in the river 1000 ft past the dam, and it is popular for swimming and rafting. To the east, you can walk along the rocky terrain to get a closer view of the dam. If you take a close look, there are some adventurous teens that have climbed onto it.
LV Woodlee House Altamont, TN - faces the old town square. Listed on the Nat'l register of Historic Places. Built in 1885 and is now a Bed & Breakfast.
The Manor aka Moffit Manor aka HB Northcutt House Altamont, TN, built in 1885, and is on highway TN56. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is now run as a Bed & Breakfast.
Davidson Co. Courthouse (old) 1 The 1937 Davidson County Courthouse was the 5th (of 6) to be used in Nashville. In 1935, the Courthouse of 1857 burned, and the county decided to make the replacement building in the public square the County Courthouse and Nashville City Hall. A Competition was held to design the new building, and the winning Architects were Emmons H. Woolwine of Nashville and Fredrich C. Hirons of New York with their PWA-influenced Art Deco design. The Cornerstone was placed on Aug. 10, 1936 and was dedicated on Dec. 8, 1937. The building cost $2,000,000 and was the first building in the city with air conditioning. The building is eight stories high and measures 260 feet by 96 feet. The official title of the building was Davidson County Public Building and Court House. After several decades of use, updates were needed. Starting in 2003, the Courthouse began an extensive renovation. (When I was summoned for jury duty, courts were held in MetroCenter.) For additional space, a newer courthouse was built nearby with similar design themes. Also, the surface parking lot in front of the courthouse was replaced by an underground lot, and a small public park. The park has an observation deck, large lawn, small reflecting pool and picnic tables. The quality of the Architecture placed the building on the National Register of Historic Places. As a significant Public Works Administration project, it is an example of Government Art Deco. The symbolism and Classical Columns are typical of a public building. The excellent craftsmanship is seen in the decorative work: Bronze castings, terra cotta and carvings. This photo was taken in late fall, which means the water in the fountains and the reflecting pool is not there. However the marble, makes for a good reflective surface, plus a city employee had just pressure-washed the leaves, lettimg me have a calm reflection. There are a total of 13 photos in this batch and the thumbnails of alternate views and building detail are given below.
Alexander Inn - Oak Ridge, TN According to the Historic Marker: The Guest House provided accommodations for visitors to the Clinton Engineering Works (Oak Ridge) during the time of the Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the Atomic bomb. The Guest House hosted such dignitaries as physicists J. Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi and Secretary of War Henry Stimson. from Wikipedia: The Guest House was built in 1943. A wood-framed building, similar to many other World War II period “H-plan” buildings, it served as guest quarters to a number of dignitaries during the top-secret Manhattan Project, including Enrico Fermi, Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves. In 1949, a 44-room addition was completed. The name was changed to the Alexander Inn in September 1950. The hotel was sold by the government to Mr. W. W. Faw for $34,000 in 1958. At that time, private bathrooms and a ballroom were added, and the kitchen was expanded. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 as a contributing property in the Oak Ridge Historic District. The Alexander Inn ceased operating as a hotel in the mid-1990s. Since that time the building had fallen into serious disrepair. On December 18, 2009, the Oak Ridge Revitalization Effort, a local nonprofit organization, announced that it had purchased the historic property. In March 2010, the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance listed the inn at the top of its first East Tennessee’s Endangered Heritage list of endangered historic buildings and places in a 16-county region of East Tennessee. The previous, no-interest mortgage of $353,700 expired on June 30, 2011, after that date the property was to revert to its former owner. The Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association (ORHPA), a group concerned with protecting the city's history, then began working with ORRE to develop a new non-profit organization that would focus entirely on restoring the Inn. The Alexander was for a while on the endangered list by East Tennessee Preservation Alliance. The Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board endorsed, and the Oak Ridge City Council approved, a 90 percent, 10-year tax break for the project to convert the hotel into Senior Living by a private developer. In November 2015 the building re-opened as a senior living center, after an $8 million renovation via Dover Development. The facility offers memory-care and assisted-living housing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Inn
Nashville National Cemetery en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_National_Cemetery
Gov. John C. Brown House Pulaski, TN From the historical marker: Built between 1853 and 1860 by Dr. William Battle, this house is a significant example of Greek Revival architecture. As the home of Dr. Elihu Edmondson, it was occupied by Union troops during the civil war. The house was owned by John C. Brown after his term as Governor of Tennessee. In 1927, the residence was sold to Dr. and Mrs. James Knox Polk Blackburn, who modernized the dwelling known as "Colonial Hall." Martin Methodist College purchased the house in 1994. Two years later, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Bleak House - Knoxville, TN From Wikipedia: Bleak House is an antebellum Classical Revival style house in Knoxville, TN. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was first occupied by Robert Houston Armstrong and his wife, Louisa Franklin. It was built for the couple as a wedding gift by the bride's father, Major Lawson D. Franklin. Robert Armstrong's father, Drury Armstrong, gave them the land. The Armstrongs named the house after Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" novel of the same name. The bricks in the house were molded on-site using slave labor. The home was used by Confederate Generals James Longstreet and Lafayette McLaws as their headquarters during the 1863 Battle of Knoxville. Three Confederate sharpshooters who were stationed in the house's tower were killed by Union cannonballs. Two of the cannonballs are still embedded in the walls, and Civil War-era sketches of the slain soldiers are displayed on the walls of the tower. The home now belongs to local Chapter 89 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and is commonly called Confederate Memorial Hall.
Cumberland Co. Courthouse 1 Located in Crossville, TN, this courthouse was built in 1905 to replace the older courthouse located across the street. The older courthouse was damaged but not completely destroyed by a fire. The damage was severe enough that a new courthouse was needed, but the old courthouse was repaired and is now used as a military museum. The building, like many in the area, is construced using the distinctive local Crab Orchard Stone.. This stone is a rare sandstone from nearby Crab Orcahrd Mountain and is noted for it's color streaks and differing shades of brown. The courthouse cost $23,000 to build in 1905. It's two stories and has a monumental entrance consisting of dual arches, large 2nd story windows and a stepped gable. Around the rest of the exterior on the first floor is a strongly articulated horizontal stone course, whereas the second floor has a smooth aslar finish. Atop the courthouse is an elaborate clock tower in the center of the roof. At each corner of the building are slightly lowered projecting octagonal bays. Although there are several unusual features, this courthouse is similar to the now gone Lawrence County Courthouse which was also built in 1905. The courthouses are also listed on the National register of Historic Places. About a year ago, in April 2008, the lawn of the courthouse was newsworthy. The county had established this area as a free speech zone, which prompted people leaving permanent displays there. The county was fine with this until they received many complaints of a statue of the Flying Spagetti Monster, and they announced that all displays had to be taken down. The full story is here.
Southern Railway Freight Depot (street side) - Knoxville, TN Southern Railway was formed in the 1890s at the merging of two railroad companies. In 1902, Southern hired architect Frank Pierce Milburn to design new train stations at several of their major terminals. Two years later, the Southern Terminal opened in Knoxville. Many warehouses and factories surrounded this area because of its important shipping routes. The station looks today much the same as it did in 1904, except a large clock tower was removed in 1945 wen deemed structurally unsafe. The last passenger train came through in 1970. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places as the integral part of The Southern Terminal and Warehouse District, an area which is today known as Old City. This passenger station and the freight depot next door are designed in a similar style with Classical Revival influence. Most notable is the corbel-stepped gabled roof. On the track side of the building is a collection of rolling stock known as the Old Smoky Railway Museum.
Ravenswood Mansion - Brentwood, TN Ravenswood is the 1825 mansion of James and Emeline Wilson featuring Greek Revival and Federal Architecture. The home gets it's name from 'The Raven' Sam Houston who was the Best Man at Wilson's wedding. It was the manor house of the third largest plantation in Williamson County as it was over 1,000 acres. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2010, the city of Brentwood purchased the mansion and outbuildings with 325 acres. Today, the area is open to the public as Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, named after the 1960's property owner. Preserved features of the park include the spring house, cistern and root cellar, tree-lined driveway, and spring-fed pond. The entrance to the park is along highway TN252 (aka Wilson Pike or Harpeth Turnpike) and includes a new bridge over the 1914 train tracks. For more history: www.ravenswoodmansion.com/history www.brentwoodtn.gov/departments/parks-recreation/parks-tr...
All Saints Church - Nashville, TN Formerly known as St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, this building in Nashville's Sylvan Park neighborhood is the national headquarters of the Southern Episcopal Church denomination. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Park-Elkins Historic District.
Old Customs House - Knoxville, TN From Wikipedia: The Old Customs House, also called the Old Post Office, is a historic building located at the corner of Clinch Avenue and Market Street in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Completed in 1874, it was the city's first federal building. It housed the federal courts, excise offices and post office until 1933. From 1936 to 1976, it was used by the Tennessee Valley Authority for offices. Expanded in 2004, the building is currently home to the East Tennessee History Center, which includes the Lawson McGhee Library's Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, the Knox County Archives, and the East Tennessee Historical Society's headquarters and museum. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Customs_House_(Knoxville,_Tennessee)
York Institute After returning home from World War I, Sgt. Alvin York in the late 1920's raised the funds to establish a school for the boys and girls in Fentress County. As the building started to deteriorate, a newer adjacent building was opened, and the original building has been abandoned since 1980. In 2005, the Tennessee Historic Preservation trust listed this building, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places, as one of the most endangered historic sites in the state. It was scheduled for demolition in early 2008, but instead the Sgt. York Patriotic Foundation negotiated to take over the building in an effort to Preserve the building. For more info, look here: www.sgtyork.org/restoration.html Update, in Jan. 2015, the Institute was purchased by a group who will try to rehabilitate it. www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org/ten-in-tn/2005-ten-in-...
Moye-Green Boarding House - Portland, TN The Moye-Green Boarding House is one of the earliest residential properties in Portland dating back to 1878. It is located near the the site of the L&N railroad depot, and operated as a boarding house from about 1890 to 1945. The house features decorative Folk Victorian detailing on the front porch. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. At the same time, the house sat vacant for many years and was subject to deterioration and decay. The house was added to the Tennessee Preservation Trust's 2013 Ten in Tenn list of endangered properties. Since then, it appears to have undergone some renovation.
Richland Hall - Nashville This historic building is located along Charlotte Pk (US70) near the Sylvan Park area of Nashville. From wikipedia: The three-story red brick building was completed in 1894. It was built by James A. Bowling, whose money came from the recent sale of prison farmland. The West Nashville Masonic Lodge was founded here in 1898. The building was used by the Freemasons from 1901 to 1915. In the 1920s, rooms on the third floor was rented as the Richland Hall Hotel. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since September 1, 1983.
Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Mission - Alto, TN The Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Mission in Alto, TN was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 2017. It is located on the Old Alto Hwy (Old TN50) in Franklin County. Here is the write-up from the TN Historic Commission: Situated in the northeast part of Franklin County along the Old Alto Highway, the Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Mission was constructed in 1938. The one-story, gable roof building is constructed of rusticated and coursed “Franklin County sandstone”, which is similar to the popular Crab Orchard sandstone seen throughout the state. Stone buttresses and stained glass windows delineate the sides of the Gothic Revival chapel. Important architectural features inside include the wood ceiling supported by wood bracing, wood floors and pews, solid stone walls, and brick quoins surrounding window and door openings. The church was operated by the Paulists, who’s mission to promote their religion resulted in them being known in the early 20th century for innovative outreach ideas. At the Mission they used radio, film screening, print media, and even had a “motor chapel” – a trailer with a sleeping room in the front and an altar at the back.
Old Lawrence County Jail Built in 1893 and used until 1973. It is now used as a museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Trinity Church This old brick church is located on TN252 (Wilson Pike) and back at the time was the Harpeth Turnpike. It's in Eastern Williamson County. From the historical marker: This United Methodist Church was an outgrowth of Mt. Zion Methodist Church, established about 1840 in Burke Hollow near the Tom Page house. Mt. Zion was destroyed in 1863 by Union Soldiers who used its materials for a signal station on Daddy's Knob. Trinity Church was organized in 1865 with most of its founders being former Confederate soldiers. On this site in 1869, a two-story brick building was completed with a school and Masonic lodge located above the church sanctuary. After damage by a tornado in 1897, the church was rebuilt on the same stone foundation with original handmade bricks. The second floor was not rebuilt. In 1909, the bell tower and the north and east walls were damaged by a tornado. If you look at the front door, the window above that is stained glass with TRINITY and the dates of 1865, 1897 and 1909. The church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is a picture of the historical marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House Restaurant Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Bobo Hotel", this former place to stay the night is now one of the most popular places to eat in Tennessee. They're so popular that you need to make reservations in advance, such as two weeks early. I've never eaten here, but my parents have a couple of times. It is now managed by the Jack Daniels people.
Nashville National Cemetery entrance archway The Nashville Military Cemetery began in 1867 where most of the interments were Civil War soldiers. The cemetery is located along Gallatin Rd (US31E) in the Madison area of Nashville. Originally visitors entered the cemetery through the 1870 limestone arch gateway, but now cars go along either side of the arch. The Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.tngenweb.org/
Jack Daniel's Office the small building that Jack Daniels conducted his business from. Now, the offices are in a bigger brick building and this is part of the tour. By the front door is the plaque designating the distillery on the National register of Historic Places.
Anna Russell Cole Auditorium - Nashville The Anna Russell Cole Auditorium is a historic building on the campus of the Tennessee Preparatory School in Nashville, TN. It was built in 1894. It was named in honor of the wife of Colonel Edmund W. Cole, who founded the Randall Cole Industrial School in 1885. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April 17, 1980.
War Memorial Building - Dickson, TN From the historical marker: In 1929, the Tennessee State Legislature authorized a memorial building to honor sons and daughters of Dickson County who served in World War I and other wars. A colonail Revival style structure designed by architect E.H. Woolwine and built by the Cowan Lumber Company, it was completed in 1933 at a cost of $32,945.39. Funding came from state, county and city resources. It provided a meeting place for American Legion Lucien Berry Post No. 115 and the public. The city owns the building with offices on the main floor. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places This photo now appears in print as part of the TN Trails and Byways brochure "Screaming Eagle Trail" which you can see here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/9522319352/
United States Custom House, Court House and Post Office - Memphis Located along Front St. in Downtown Memphis, this massive building originated in 1876. At the time when it was just a Customs House, it included two clock towers. In 1929, the building was expanded to become the post office at the towers were removed and it became the massive wall of granite. As of 2010, the building serves as the University of Memphis School of Law. The name of the building in the title of the photo comes from the name engraved in the top center of the building. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places as U.S. Post Office - Front Street Station.
Polk Sisters' House - Columbia, TN The Polk Sisters' House is a historic house in Columbia, TN, that was the home of two sisters of U.S. President James K. Polk (Maria Polk Walker 1798-1876 & Ophelia Polk Hayes 1812-1851). The Polk Sisters' House was built in 1818. It is next door to the James K. Polk House and houses its visitors' center, a museum, and a gift shop. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Savannah, TN Historic District: E.W. Ross House Built in 1908 and located along Main St. (US64) The Savannah Historic District is a group of 17 homes that form together to become an entry on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Office Crossville, TN - Built in 1936 - This bungalow was made of Crab Orchard Stone, like so many of the buildings in Crossville - located on Main St. next door to the Cumberland County Courthouse - Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Collinwood, TN L&N Depot This well maintained former L&N (and Tennessee Western) Depot is in the town of Collinwood, in southern Wayne County. The Railroad first came to Collinwood in 1913, and this depot was built in 1916, and expanded in 1918. Railroad operations here ceased in 1939 and the tracks were removed over the next two years. Over the next two decades, the building was used as a house, a warehouse and a grist mill. It served as city hall for 15 years and then a senior citizens center afterwards. The Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 and the grounds went through and extensive renovation in 2001. On the day of my visit, there was a sign by the entrance that they were opened. Today, the depot serves as a library, and you won't find anything train related on the inside. For a more thorough history and some vintage photos, check the page on Collinwood's website: www.cityofcollinwood.org/collinwood_train_depot.asp
Allardt Presbyterian Church Located on TN52 - Allardt, TN in Fentress County. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Leming House - Manchester, TN This house was build by John Leming in Manchester, TN. Today, it operates as a Bed & Breakfast and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tanner's Sundries General Store - Wartburg, TN In August of 2017, Tanner's Sundries General Store in Wartburg was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the press release from the Tennessee.gov write-up: Located near the courthouse square in Wartburg, the Tanner Store is a multi-use building that began as the Citizens Bank and Trust in 1906. In 1923, the building was enlarged to add a general store. Architecturally, the prominent features of the building on the exterior include the large windows, corner entry, ornamental brackets, and expanse of porches. The interior contains historic wood cabinets and seating. The general store has served as an important commercial and social resource in the community since its opening, while the former bank section has had several uses. John and Maud Tanner ran the general store, which included a pharmacy and restaurant until the first half of the 20th century, when other family members took over. Today, the Tanner Store is the longest run family-owned general store in continuous operation in the county.
The "Old" Cumberland County, TN Courthouse Crossville, TN The "New" Courthouse (inasmuch as you can call a 1905 building new) is across Main Street from this building. This was built in 1886 and much of the inside was destroyed by fire in 1905. It was restored and used as a school for a while. Now it is home to the Military Memorial Museum of Upper Cumberland. Like most every other building in the area, the courthouse exterior is made of Crab Orchard stone. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Grand Ole Opry House From Wikipedia: The Ryman Auditorium was home to the Opry until 1974. By the late 1960s, National Life & Accident desired a new, larger and more modern home for the long-running radio show. Ryman Auditorium, already 51 years old at the time the Opry moved there, was beginning to suffer from disrepair as the downtown neighborhood around it fell victim to increasing urban decay. Despite these shortcomings, the show's popularity was increasing and its weekly crowds were outgrowing the 3,000-seat venue. The Opry's operators were seeking to build a new air-conditioned theatre with a greater capacity, ample parking, and the ability to easily serve as a television production facility. The ideal location would be in a less urbanized area of town, providing visitors a more controlled, safer, and more enjoyable experience. National Life & Accident purchased farmland owned by a local sausage manufacturer (Rudy's Farm) in the Pennington Bend area of Nashville, nine miles east of downtown, and adjacent to the newly constructed Briley Parkway. The new Opry venue was to be the centerpiece of a grand entertainment complex at that location, which would later come to include Opryland USA Theme Park and Opryland Hotel. The theme park opened to the public on June 30, 1972, well ahead of the 4,000-seat Opry House, which debuted nearly two years later, on Saturday, March 16, 1974. Opening night was attended by sitting U.S. President Richard Nixon, who played a few songs on the piano. To carry on the tradition of the show's run at the Ryman, a six-foot circle of oak was cut from the corner of the Ryman's stage and inlaid into center stage at the new venue. The artists on stage usually stand on the circle as they perform. While the theme park was closed and demolished following the 1997 season, the Grand Ole Opry House remains in use. The immediate area around it was left intact through the construction of Opry Mills, which opened in May 2000. The Opry continues to be performed every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at the Grand Ole Opry House from March through November each year. The Grand Ole Opry House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 2015. In May 2010, the Opry House was flooded, along with much of Nashville, due to the Cumberland River overflowing its banks. While repairs were made, the Opry itself remained uninterrupted. Over the course of the summer of 2010, the broadcast temporarily originated from alternate venues in Nashville, with Ryman Auditorium hosting the majority of the shows. Other venues included the TPAC War Memorial Auditorium, another former Opry home; TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall; Nashville Municipal Auditorium; Allen Arena at Lipscomb University; and the Two Rivers Baptist Church. Much of the auditorium's main floor seating, the backstage areas and the entire stage (including the inlaid circle of wood from the Ryman's stage) was underwater during the flood. While the Grand Ole Opry House's stage was replaced thereafter, the Ryman circle was restored and again placed at center stage in the Grand Ole Opry House before shows resumed. The remediation following the flood also resulted in a renovated backstage area, including the construction of more dressing rooms and a performer's lounge.
Sperry-Smith House Now that's one cool old house! Sparta, TN on Maple St. (I think this street used to be an alignment of US70, TN1 and the Memphis-to-Bristol Highway) Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/unique-tn-houses/ These 10 Unique Houses In Tennessee Will Make You Look Twice… And Want To Go In
Sparta Electric Building Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Period of Significance: 1917-1933
The Rock House This is an old Toll House built in the 1830's. It's Located on the old road out of Sparta up the hills toward Crossville. Current US70 now runs just a few feet behind the Rock House. It is listed on the Nat'l Register of Historic Places.
Dr. Ross House - Pikeville, TN This is the Dr. James A. Ross House and Medical office and was built circa 1872. It is now the Museum of Bledsoe County History. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Bledsoe County Courthouse - Pikeville, TN I had been to the Bledsoe County Courthouse before. It was almost two years earlier. Since that time, the city has tried to revitalize the area with thing such as a newly paved main street, new sidewalks, and new plants and trees. This is the county's 4th courthouse, and the original section (minus the large additions on both sides which was added in the early 80's) was built in 1910. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The design is similar to the Seqautchie County courthouse, a few miles down the road in Dunlap, as that courthouse was built the next year. The building is two stories with a brick exterior atop a stone foundation. It has a stylized classical projecting entry portico with 4 tan colored brick columns.
Old Factory Store - Franklin, TN From the historic marker: In 1799 Franklin founder Abram Maury sold Lot 20 to Joseph McBride. By 1825 Dyer Pearl, Thomas Parkes, and Joseph L. Campbell operated a steam-powered cotton & grist mill on East Margin and owned Lot 20 upon which was built a brick store in the Greek Revival style, complete with four distinctive Doric columns supporting a Grecian pediment. Other antebellum owners included Anderson & Baldwin (1833), Plunkett & Parkes (1843), M.G.L. Claiborne (1855), Spencer & McCoy (1858). On December 12, 1862 U.S. Brig. Gen. David Stanley ordered the machinery at the cotton factory and the stones of the grist mill destroyed but he spared the factory store after taking four wagon loads of flour and a wagon full of whiskey. Like other public buildings and homes in Franklin, this local landmark served as a hospital for the wounded after the horrible conflict on November 30, 1864. In 1869 Enoch Brown purchased the building on Lot 20 from M.G.L. Claiborne for $1,300 separating its economic connection with the mill on East Margin. Jeremiah Shea purchased the Factory Store in 1884, which remained in the family until 1940. During the 20th century, the building housed Shea's Grocery, A.J. Edwards Antiques & Furniture Repair, Elva Givens Antiques, Dotson's Restaurant (1954-1978), and First Citizens' Bank. The Factory Store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Sun Studio - Memphis, TN According to the marker: In the early 1950's Sun Records was a small recording studio located here at 706 Union. Owned and operated by Sam C. Phillips, Sun Records became nationally known for giving many local area artists, both black and white, their start in the recording industry. These included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, Howlin' Wolf and others. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Studio Based on its prominent role in the history of several genres of American Music, the studio has been added to the National Historic Landmarks and National Register of Historic Places.
Sequatchie County Courthouse This Colonial Revival style two story brick structure was built in 1911. It has a design similar to the Bledsoe County Courthouse (before their expansion) just up the road in Pikeville, which was built a year prior. Most notable is the two story projecting portico with four white columns made of bricks. The structure is covered by a hipped roof and the principal elevation features six plain two story pilasters. The front double doors have a half circle window above it. Functionally, the door that gets used is on the left side.
Providence Primitive Baptist Church Walter Hill, TN - Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1867.
James K. Polk Ancestral Home - Columbia, TN From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K._Polk_Ancestral_Home The James K. Polk Ancestral Home is a historic house museum at 301 West 7th Street in Columbia, Tennessee. Built in 1816, it is the only surviving private residence of United States President James K. Polk. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The James K. Polk House is located just west of the commercial central downtown area of Columbia, at the southwest corner of West 7th and South High Streets. It is an L-shaped brick building, two stories in height, with a gabled roof. The front facade, facing West 7th Street, is three bays wide, with the main entrance in the rightmost bay, recessed in a segmented-arch opening. The door is flanked by sidelight windows and topped by a semi-oval transom window with tracery, and the interior walls of the recess are paneled. The other bays house windows, which are topped by lintels of brick and a stone keystone. The interior retains finishes period to its construction, but has otherwise been adapted for museum displays. The property includes a reproduction of the kitchen outbuilding that would have been present during Polk's residency; none of the outbuildings from his time survive. The house was built in 1816 by Samuel Polk, and was the home of his son, U.S. President James K. Polk, for several years as a young adult. It is the only surviving private residence associated with President Polk to survive. James lived in the house until 1819, when he left to read law in Nashville, and for a time after his return to Columbia, where he opened his law practice. The house remained in the Polk family for many years, and passed through several owners before its acquisition by the state of Tennessee in 1929. The museum is operated by the James K. Polk Association. The fountain on the site was moved here in 1893 after Polk Place, the president's later home, was demolished. On March 27, 2017, the Tennessee Senate voted 20-6 to relocate the remains of President Polk and his wife Sarah Childress Polk from the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville to the house.
Sparta, TN NC&StL Depot Built in 1917 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now is a business.
Mayes-Hutton House - Columbia, TN From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayes-Hutton_House The house was built in 1854 for Samuel Mayes, who sold his slaves as he believed slavery would come to an end, and re-invested his money in this house. The original portion of the house has a large 54 foot by 58 foot section with an 18 by 18 foot attached wing on the west of the back side. The brown brick house sits on a stucco-covered limestone foundation. The front of the house, probably heavily modified in the 1870s, includes four fluted Corinthian columns supporting a pediment, and a parapet, presenting a massive front facade. The interior is less ostentatious. but well designed, with a central hall that continues through the house, a free-standing stair, and balcony. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural qualities on July 8, 1970.
Tulip Grove - Nashville, TN Tulip Grove is the 1836 house of Andrew Jackson Donelson, nephew of President Andrew Jackson. The home was designed by Joseph Reiff who also built the Hermitage. Donelson was a West Point graduate, foreign minister to Prussia, and unsuccessful candidate for Vice President in 1856. The home is close enough to President Jackson's Hermitage that it is part of the Hermitage grounds. You can see it as part of your Hermitage visit, although it is a bit of a walk. From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_Grove While Andrew Jackson was still President in 1834, Andrew Jackson Donelson decided to build Tulip Grove in land close-by to the Hermitage. The house was completed in 1836 with the original name of "Poplar Grove." President Martin Van Buren suggested he rename it to Tulip Grove in 1841. In 1858, Donelson sold the property to the parents of painter Mayna Treanor Avent (1868–1959), who grew up at Tulip Grove. Later, it passed through successive owners until 1964 when it was acquired by the Ladies' Hermitage Association. Tulip Grove is representative of the antebellum Greek Revival style that was popular before the American Civil War. It consists of two main stories, a basement, and attic. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Hancock County Courthouse - Hawesville, KY From Wikipedia: The Hancock County Courthouse in Hawesville, Kentucky is an 1859-built courthouse which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is a two-and-a-half-story building, designed by a Robert Boyd of Boston, Massachusetts. It has an octagonal cupola. Normally, I focus on Tennessee Courthouses. See my Tennessee Courthouses Collection. Each Courthouse is available as an individual post card, or you can buy a poster of all Middle Tennessee Courthouses.
Coffee County Courthouse at Christmas This Courthouse in Manchester, TN was built in 1871 in an Italianate Style A tree in front of the courthouse has been cut down since I was here last www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/2080129824/in/set-7...
Glenmore Mansion Located in Jefferson City, TN (In Jefferson County, the town used to be called Mossy Creek) the Glenmore Mansion was built in 1869 to be the home of John Roper Branner. John Branner died before the house was completed, and for a few years his brother Joseph ran the Branner Institute for Young Ladies here. In 1882, the home was sold to the Jarnagin family. Glenmore was the name of Milton Jarnagin's first son, who died as a baby. In 1970, the mansion was aquired by a local historical preservation group. The mansion is located along the old Andrew Johnson Highway. The fine example of Victorian Architecture in a Second Empire style was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. www.glenmoremansion.org/
Read House Dr. John T. Read built and opened the original Read House in 1872, and sold it to his son Samuel Read in 1879. Eventually that building was demolished and this replacement Read House was built in 1926 at a cost of over $2 Million. Samuel sold the hotel to the Noe family in 1943 until the mid 60s when it was bought by the Provident Life and Accident Company. Later it became a Radisson and is now a Sheraton. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places because of its Georgian Architecture and since it is a significant example of the opulent hotels for railroad passengers in the early twentieth century (NCSt.L's Union Depot was across the street until 1972). The hotel is a ten story red brick building with the main story limestone base and storefront windows. Terra Cotta detail work decorates the exterior as quoining, window surrounds and pediments, beltcourses, and cornices.
Waynesboro Cumberland Presbyterian Church Just off the town square and up a small hill in Waynesboro, TN. The congregation first organized in 1846 and built this building in 1854. thr local Masons used the second floor from the time the building was built until 1977. This was the first brick building in Wayne County, as well as the oldest building in the county that is still in use. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Camden, TN Post Office Located along the town square. listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Smotherman House - Tullahoma, TN The Smotherman House was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the write-up from the Tennessee Historical Commission press release. Smotherman House (Tullahoma - Coffee County) The Smotherman house was designed by Nashville architect George Waller and built in Tullahoma between 1932 and 1934. Landscape architect John Byars Holder designed the gardens at the same time. Fletcher Smotherman, a wholesale grocery businessman, moved from Murfreesboro to Tullahoma when he became part owner of the wholesale grocery and moved the company headquarters to Tullahoma. Smotherman directed Waller to design his new house to look like his former home in Murfreesboro. Both Georgian Revival Houses are two stories, red brick with classical entries, and flanked by one story extensions. The Smotherman House exhibits characteristic details of the Georgian Revival style in its symmetrical design, molded woodwork, and classical columns. In addition to being a well-known architect of residences in the South, Waller designed many school buildings, commercial buildings and churches. www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=191951697477985...
Denmark Presbyterian Church - Denmark, TN More info from the local historic association: www.bigblackcreekhistorical.com/17denmark_presbyterian_ch... Text of the Civil War Trails marker: This church, built by slaves in 1854, played a significant role in Madison County’s Civil War experiences. In April 1861, days after the firing on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, 104 local men formed a company called The Danes, later part of the 6th Tennessee Infantry (CSA). The community gathered here at the church to watch the new soldiers muster before they left for Camp Beauregard in nearby Jackson. At the ceremony, Emma Cobb presented a silk flag with the company’s name to Capt. John Ingram. On the eve of the Battle of Britton Lane on August 31, 1862, the 20th and 30th Illinois Infantry Regiments commanded by Col. Elias S. Dennis camped in a grove of mulberry trees near the church. After the battle, Confederate Gen. Frank C. Armstrong’s cavalry brigade spent the night in Denmark on its return south. The Confederates kept their prisoners on the church’s second floor, which was a Masonic Lodge. Inscriptions believed to have been written by these Federal soldiers can still be seen along the bottoms of the walls. By 1863, the Union army controlled much of West Tennessee. Local Confederates returning to Denmark on leave had to be careful. During one Sunday service here, a Federal patrol burst into the church and two visiting Confederates had to hide under their girlfriends’ hoop skirts to avoid capture. Near the church is its historic cemetery, where three Confederate veterans, including Capt. Ingram, are buried. The Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Old Mill - Pigeon Forge (version 1) In the early 1800s, this gristmill was built on the Little Pigeon river in what was then a small mountain community of Pigeon Forge. The mill, which was built to make meal and flour for the locals still does that today. The Old Mill even furnished electricity for the town until 1935. In 1830, William Love dammed the Little Pigeon and started construction on the mill usung 40' long yellow Poplar logs. In those days, the mill was the hub of local activity and now, 180 years later is one of the most popular tourist spots around the Smoky Mountains. The adjoining restaraunt is also one of the most popular in Pigeon Forge. The Old Mill is also on the National Register of Historic Places
Gray-Lemke House Located along Old Hillsboro Rd. (TN46) near the intersection with Boyd's Mill Rd, just a bit north of Lieper's Fork in an area that used to be the community of Bingham. On the National Register of Historic Places, it is listed as the Henry P. Gray House who was the store owner of the community store in Bingham. The house was built in 1856 in a Greek Revival style. This is stop #6 on the TNTrailsandByways.com Old TN Trail.
Hillsboro United Methodist Church Lieper's Fork used to be named Hillsboro and this church predates the name switch. It is located on old Highway 96. The front original portion of the church building hasn't changed much in over 100 years. Originally, the building was jointly owned by Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians and Church of Christ who all used the building on a rotating basis. This is stop #12 on the TNTrailsandByways.com Old TN Trail. Here is the historical marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/... This building is also on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Liepers Fork Historic District. Here is the writeup: Circa 1911. Hillsboro Methodist Church. A red brick Gothic Revival influenced church of a cross gable plan has a square tower, asphalt shingle roof and is built on a rough cut stone foundation. Tower is two-thirds brick separated from a top section of weatherboard siding by a wood belt course. The top one-third includes framed vents with scalloped edge louvers on all four sides and an asphalt shingle pyramidal roof with overhanging eaves and finial caps the tower. A six-over- six panel paired entryway is located at the tower's façade and has a stained glass transom covered by a hanging wooden pediment. Three concrete steps lead to the doors. Pedimented front gable end has overhanging eaves and a belt separating an asphalt shingled gable field from a running bond brick façade, and includes a centrally located tripled stained glass window crowned by a tracery styled pediment with glass panes capped by heavy molding. A rear extension was added in 1990.
Shelburne-Smithson House aka the Nathaniel Smithson House Peytonsville, TN The house was built in 1832 in a Greek Revival style with the front porch added in 1870 by Nathaniel Smithson. The house was then sold to the McGee family in 1922. Today the home is on the National Register of Historic Places ...and I'm not use to seeing a bunch of cows in front of old mansions.
SRNB: Cannons and Artillery Monument The Stones River National Battlefield is a park in Murfreesboro, TN along the Stones River in Rutherford County, TN. The park commemorates the Civil War battle that took place here on Dec. 31, 1862 and Jan. 2, 1863. The park was established using public and private funds, with significant help from the NCStL railway, and is now under the oversight of the U.S. National Park Service. To see all of my Stones River Battlefield pictures, Look Here. Since this civil war battle was fought over positioning for a major rail lines, in the early 20th century the NCStL Railway listed the battlefield as a stop and point of interest. In 1906, the company erected a 31-foot obelisk to commemorate the January 2, 1863, position of massed Union artillery used to repel a Confederate assault on Union troops across the river.
Lotz House - Franklin, TN The Lotz House is across the street from the Carter House in Franklin, TN and was an important location in the Battle of Franklin during the Civil War. Today the house is opened as a Civil War museum. German immigrant Johann Lotz was a carpenter who finished his house in 1958 and also used it as a "show house" to potential clients. The inside of the house has an engineering impressive black walnut wraparound handrail that starts on the ground floor and wraps all the way to the second floor, as well as outdoor handcarved acorn finials, millwork and cartouches that were constructed by Lotz. On Nov. 30, 1864, the epicenter of the battle of Franklin was right at the Carter and Lotz propery. The lotz family feared they would not survive inside their wooden home and accepted an invitation to hide in the brick basement with the Carter's in their basement for 17 hours while the battle raged. Historians note that the hand-to-hand fighting that happened right in this yard was some of the most severe during the civil war. When the dust had settled, the house was used as a hospital and there are numerous blood stains still visible in every room of the house. Today, you can visit the house, which is located on Columbia Pike (US 31) just south of Five Points in Downtown Franklin. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the historical marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/... and the civil war marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
The Dome Building - Chattanooga This building in downtown Chattanooga, TN was built in 1892 and at the time was the tallest structure in town. It was built by Adolph Ochs to be the home of his newspaper, the Chattanooga Times, and the building was named at the time the Ochs Building. Many people called it the "Times Building" as a large neon "Times" used to hang from the dome. Adolph Ochs went on to purchase and run the New York Times. Later, in 1947 the Chattanooga Times moved out of this location at the corner of East 8th St. and Georgia Ave. The new owners changed the name to The Dome Building. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is named a Tennessee Antiquity by the APTA.
Crystal Shrine Grotto: Cave Entrance See the entire photo set here. Crystal Shrine Grotto is a historic artistic tribute to the life of Jesus at Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, TN. Cemetery founder E. Clovis Hinds wanted a tribute to Jesus to uplift the mourning visitors to the cemetery. The Grotto features many years of work by Dionicio Rodriguez, but many of the sculptures inside the cave were added decades later by David Day, Luther Hampton and Marie Craig. The area was added to the National Register of Historic Places as "Sculptures of Dionicio Rodriguez at Memorial Park Cemetery." Here is the description from Wikipedia: In 1935 Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez was hired to beautify the park with sculptures. Annie Laurie’s Wishing Chair, Broken Tree Bench, Abrahams Oak, Pool of Hebron and Cave of Machpelah are some of the most important sculptures that can be found in different locations throughout the cemetery. In 1938, construction of the Crystal Shrine Grotto began. The grotto is a 60 ft deep, hand-built cave in a hillside near the center of the cemetery, filled with 5 tons of quartz crystal, hence the name Crystal Shrine Grotto. The grotto was completed after Rodriguez' death in 1955. The shrines in the grotto illustrate the stages of "Christ's Journey on the Earth from Birth to Resurrection". Here is my video tour: youtu.be/gjmBQRq4mUk Here's the writeup from Roadside America: www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11606 "The Secrets of Crystal Shrine Grotto" by Memphis Magazine: memphismagazine.com/culture/the-secrets-of-crystal-shrine... Photos uploaded on Easter Day 2019.
Crystal Shrine Grotto: Cave of Machpelah See the entire photo set here. Crystal Shrine Grotto is a historic artistic tribute to the life of Jesus at Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, TN. Cemetery founder E. Clovis Hinds wanted a tribute to Jesus to uplift the mourning visitors to the cemetery. The Grotto features many years of work by Dionicio Rodriguez, but many of the sculptures inside the cave were added decades later by David Day, Luther Hampton and Marie Craig. The area was added to the National Register of Historic Places as "Sculptures of Dionicio Rodriguez at Memorial Park Cemetery." Here is the description from Wikipedia: In 1935 Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez was hired to beautify the park with sculptures. Annie Laurie’s Wishing Chair, Broken Tree Bench, Abrahams Oak, Pool of Hebron and Cave of Machpelah are some of the most important sculptures that can be found in different locations throughout the cemetery. In 1938, construction of the Crystal Shrine Grotto began. The grotto is a 60 ft deep, hand-built cave in a hillside near the center of the cemetery, filled with 5 tons of quartz crystal, hence the name Crystal Shrine Grotto. The grotto was completed after Rodriguez' death in 1955. The shrines in the grotto illustrate the stages of "Christ's Journey on the Earth from Birth to Resurrection". Here is my video tour: youtu.be/gjmBQRq4mUk Here's the writeup from Roadside America: www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11606 "The Secrets of Crystal Shrine Grotto" by Memphis Magazine: memphismagazine.com/culture/the-secrets-of-crystal-shrine... Photos uploaded on Easter Day 2019.
Falls Mill Falls Mill was built in 1873 near the town of Belvidere, TN on the western side of Franklin County. The Mill was built in this location because of the two small waterfalls along factory creek could be harnessed. upstream from the first waterfall is an 8 foot high dam which routes water into a millrace to supply water to the waterwheel. The 32 foot tall and 4 foot wide wheel from the Fits Waterwheel company of Hanover, PA was installed in 1906 and is believed to be the tallest overshot waterwheel still in productive service in the U.S. Today, the mill produces stone ground grits, cornmeal and flour. At one time, this was a cotton mill and many of the looms are on display on the third floor. Much of the mill is open as a museum which visitors can see. The mill is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Edgefield Baptist Church The Edgefield Baptist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Edgefield Historic district. It is a late nineteenth-century buildings of red brick with stone trim. The building's plan has towers at each corner and a gabled bay with a large window at the center of each street facade. The detailing is Gothic. Door and window openings have pointed arches. The large stained glass windows at the center of each street facade have simple Gothic tracery. There are stone capped buttresses at the corners of the towers and to each side of each of the large windows. The towers, which have an entrance at the base, are topped by octagonal spires. The taller tower is distinguished by a pair of slender lancet windows on each side above the doors. At the top level of each tower are belfry openings filled with wooden louvers. These have been bricked-ln on the taller tower.
Ferguson Hall - Spring Hill, TN This Antebellum home dates back to 1853 and was the home of Martin Cheairs. During the Civil War, it was the headquarters of Confederate General Earl Van Dorn in April and May of 1963. On May 7, 1864, local physician and politician Dr. George B. Peters visited Van Dorn here to discuss allegations that Van Dorn had an affair with his wife. Dr. Peters shot and killed Van Dorn in the back of the head with a pistol. After the war, this became the Branham-Hughes Military Academy and today is part of Tennessee Childrens Home. The home is located on highway US 31 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. For More info: www.tennesseechildrenshome.org/fergusonhall.htm This photo has been used without permission, violating the crative commons license here: backgroundchecks.org/25-safest-cities-in-tennessee-2016.html The Safest Cities in Tennessee 2016 Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/best-raise-family/ Here Are The 10 Best Cities In Tennessee To Raise A Family
Crystal Shrine Grotto: Abraham's Oak See the entire photo set here. Crystal Shrine Grotto is a historic artistic tribute to the life of Jesus at Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, TN. Cemetery founder E. Clovis Hinds wanted a tribute to Jesus to uplift the mourning visitors to the cemetery. The Grotto features many years of work by Dionicio Rodriguez, but many of the sculptures inside the cave were added decades later by David Day, Luther Hampton and Marie Craig. The area was added to the National Register of Historic Places as "Sculptures of Dionicio Rodriguez at Memorial Park Cemetery." Here is the description from Wikipedia: In 1935 Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez was hired to beautify the park with sculptures. Annie Laurie’s Wishing Chair, Broken Tree Bench, Abrahams Oak, Pool of Hebron and Cave of Machpelah are some of the most important sculptures that can be found in different locations throughout the cemetery. In 1938, construction of the Crystal Shrine Grotto began. The grotto is a 60 ft deep, hand-built cave in a hillside near the center of the cemetery, filled with 5 tons of quartz crystal, hence the name Crystal Shrine Grotto. The grotto was completed after Rodriguez' death in 1955. The shrines in the grotto illustrate the stages of "Christ's Journey on the Earth from Birth to Resurrection". Here is my video tour: youtu.be/gjmBQRq4mUk Here's the writeup from Roadside America: www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11606 "The Secrets of Crystal Shrine Grotto" by Memphis Magazine: memphismagazine.com/culture/the-secrets-of-crystal-shrine... Photos uploaded on Easter Day 2019.
Nicholas Gotten House - Bartlett, TN Text from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Gotten_House The Nicholas Gotten House is located on 2969 Court Street in Bartlett, TN. It houses the Bartlett Museum, a local history museum operated by the Bartlett Historical Society. The white frame structure was built by Nicholas Gotten in 1871 in the New England saltbox style. A saltbox is a wooden frame house with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back. Nicholas Gotten immigrated from Germany at the age of 22 in 1854. He was a blacksmith and served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. In the years following the war, Gotton made a living as a miller and ginner. He and his wife Julia Coleman raised three children in the house. Until the late 1970s, the Gotten House was owned by the City of Bartlett and used as the Bartlett Police Station. In the early 1980s, the house was leased by the City of Bartlett to the Bartlett Historic Society in a 50-year contract for $1 per year, to save the house from planned demolition and to refurbish the property. The structure became the seat of the Bartlett Historic Society, and since 1990 it has housed the Bartlett Museum. Exhibits on display at the museum are of relevance to local history: the collection includes photographs, written documents on the history of Bartlett, artifacts, and period furniture. The museum is open to the public every first and third Sunday of the month from 2-4 pm. Admission to the museum is free. On March 20, 2002, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After a $100,000 renovation in 2007, which included authentic new windows, doors and fixtures, the Gotten house was declared a Bartlett Historic Landmark by the Bartlett Historic Preservation Commission in 2008.
Chattanooga Municipal Building Built in 1908 to be the city hall. It is located on East 11th street downtown. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Hurricane Mills, TN This is the mill of Hurricane Mills. Today, this area is much better known as being part of the Loretta Lynn Dude Ranch, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state. This mill, and other historic spots nearby are on the National Register of Historic Places listed as the "Hurricane Mills Rural Historic District." According to a plaque across the river from the mill, this mill and dam were built by James T. Anderson in 1896. "Though wool was carded here, grain processing predominated, corn meal and flour were shipped through the south." In the mid 60's, Loretta and Mooney Lynn purchased the 1876 mansion across the street from the river. Over the next few years, they preserved many of the nearby buildings and commercially opened the area as the dude ranch. Today, you can take a tour of the area, or just walk around some of the places, like I did. The mill's water wheel was removed and placed nearby. Today, the mill serves two purposes. First, it is one of three gift shops on the ranch. Second, it is opened as the "Loretta Lynn Doll and Fan Museum" Unfortunately, the Middle Tennessee May floods were not kind to Hurricane Mills. Just a few feet downstream from the mill (and would have been viewable in this picture), there was an iron bridge built in 1911 that used to carry highway TN13 (but had been replaced by a newer bridge) was completely washed away. I can't find any confirmation of this, but I suspect the mill suffered much damage as well as it looks like the exterior is almost completely rebuilt with new wood. (If you find any pre-flood picture, the mill is painted a deep red.) The area was closed for a couple of months after the flood and just reopened July 3.
Hamblen County Courthouse Not many counties can say they still have their very first courthouse still in use, but Hamblrn County can. The county was formed in 1870 and for a few years court met in a Morristown store. The courthouse was designed by architect A.C. Bruce of Knoxville. He drew up three plans, costing from $10,000 to $18,000, and county leaders chose the most expensive plan. The final construction cost came in at $21,750 and was finished in 1874. The original main entrance faces south and includes a double balcony for speakers at rallies. The courtroom is on the second floor. Originally, there were two ground floor rooms without windows called "The Dungeons." The building is three stories, but since it is built on a slope, today's entrance on the north side makes it appear two stories. it is built with a tall central pavilion with slightly lower wings flanking the center, all of which are embellished with corner quoins. A tall, mansard-roofed cupola is atop the center of the roof. The rest of the roof is a combination of low hip and gable construction with mansard roof components. An expansion was made in the early 1950's as matching wings were added to either side, matching the original design. An interior redesign was complete in 1968. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. For all of my Hamblen County Courthouse photos, look here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/tags/hamblencountyc... Hello to anyone who found this on the Cupola blog: blog.cupolacatalog.com/cool-roof-cupola-images-9/
Frederick Stump Tavern-Inn - Nashville From the historic marker: Frederick Stump (1724-1822), an early settler in the Fort Nashborough area, came from Pennsylvania by way of Georgia. He was a revolutionary war soldier and noted Indian fighter. He owned a large plantation along White’s Creek where he operated a mill and inn and rented land to other settlers. This log house is reputed to have been his home where he operated the inn. From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Stump_House The Frederick Stump Tavern-Inn is a historic house in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. It was built by Colonel Frederick Stump, an early settler of Nashville who arrived in the region as part of the first group of white settlers at Fort Nashboro in 1779. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April 2, 1973. The two-story building is constructed of red cedar logs and has eight rooms, including three sleeping rooms on the upper floor. It originally sat closer to the road, but was moved back approximately 100 feet when Buena Vista Pike was widened. The structure is directly down the street from the Alexander Ewing House, another listed historic building constructed in 1821 that sits approximately 850 feet to the north of the Stump House. Frederick Stump was born circa 1724. In Pennsylvania by the 1760s he was known to be aggressive in Native American territory. In January 1768, he killed or helped to kill ten native people, including four women, two children and an infant, in an incident later called "Stump's Massacre," "Stumps Run Massacre," or "The Frederick Stump Affair." After bragging about this event to others, Stump was arrested. He initially claimed self-defense, but then managed to escape prison with the help of an armed mob who supported his deeds. Stump ended up fleeing to Georgia and never received any consequences for his crime. After serving in the American Revolutionary War under Francis Marion, he was arrested, escaped prison again, and fled to Tennessee. He arrived at White's Creek on Christmas Day 1779, and is a signer of the Cumberland Compact, along with his son Jacob Stump who was killed by Native Americans in 1780. Colonel Frederick Stump also built a log cabin home on the east side of White's Creek where he and wife Anna Snavely resided.
Hank Snow's Rainbow Ranch - Nashville, TN This is the long-time estate of Country Music star Hank Snow. He lived in this house in the Madison neighborhood for 44 years until his death in 1999. While the house is called Rainbow Ranch, there is also a barn in the back yard which was used as a recording studio and has the words Rainbow Ranch painted on it. I took the picture at this angle, which is the only way it can barely be seen from the street, along with a tour bus. You might need to view the picture at full size to see it on the right. This home is now available as a vacation rental: hanksnowsranch.com/index.html The Rainbow Ranch was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. I was inspired to upload this photo today because of the Ken Burns Country Music documentary.
New Salem Baptist Church – Sevierville, TN The New Salem Baptist Church was built in 1886 by Isaac Dockery, noted African American builder, and is Sevierville’s oldest surviving building, Sevier County’s oldest brick church building, and the only historic African American church in the county. The Gothic-revival church served the thriving African American community until the 1950s when the last services were held by the original congregation. Since that time, the church has been used by other congregations and denominations, and the historic integrity has slowly been chipped away. The original bell tower and pulpit furniture have been removed and the overall interior has been altered significantly. Even with these changes, the church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, and a Tennessee Historical marker was placed on the grounds in 2006. knoxheritage.org/etpa/east-tennessee-endangered-heritage/
Douglas-Wyatt House - Fayetteville, TN Located in Fayetteville, this house was built for Hugh Bright Douglas circa 1893. The house was designed by Rickman & Bills in a Steamboat Gothic architecture style with Queen Anne & Victorian elements. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as the Hugh Bright Douglas House.
Miles House - Nashville, TN "The Pearl of Woodland Street" From Wikipedia: The Miles House is a historic building located at 631 Woodland Street in Nashville, Tennessee It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 8, 1978. Since 1978 the Miles House has been cared for by Phillip Miller and is currently home to the Miller Law Offices. The Miles House has withstood Nashville's Great Fire of 1916 and a tornado in 1998. When first built prior to the civil war the building was a private residence, but was converted to a private girls school to serve the wealthy neighborhood of Edgefield. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_House
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage (Back entrance) thehermitage.com/ When I was younger, I thought this was the front. My 3rd grade class came here on a field trip, and there is a class picture of us back here. I've seen that picture more often than I saw the actual front
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage - Nashville thehermitage.com/ This is about the best view you can get from the front with two large evergreen trees in front of the mansion.
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage (Entrance) thehermitage.com/ Here is the historic entrance path to the Hermitage mansion. The 1998 Nashville tornado uprooted many of the trees which lined this, so this is what the new trees look like 20 years later.
Dickson-Williams Mansion - Greeneville, TN According to the historic marker: Designed and constructed (1815-21) by Irish craftsmen Thomas Battersby and John Hoy, this house was built by Greeneville's first postmaster, William Dickson, for his daughter, Catharine (Mrs. Alexander Williams). Marquis de LaFayette, Presidents Jackson and Polk, Henry Clay, David Crockett, and Frances Hodgsen Burnett were visitors. It served as headquarters for both Confederate and Union officers. Confederate General John Hunt Morgan spent his last night here before being killed in the garden on September 4, 1864. This is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Greeneville Historic District.
American Baptist College Library The The T.L. Holcomb and Susie McClure Library was built in 1954. This building is a contributing building to the American Baptist Theological Seminary Historic District listing on the National Register of Historic Places. For more info, check this detailed listing on the NRHP website: www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/13000399.pdf
American Baptist College - Griggs Hall Griggs Hall was the first building constructed on the campus in 1923. It was named to honor the legacy of the Griggs family: Dr. Sutton E. Griggs was the first president of American Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) and his father, Dr. A.R. Griggs, served as the secretary of the National Baptist Education Board. In 1948, a fifty-foot addition to the structure was completed. The school's first cafeteria was originally housed in the basement of the hall, along with modest laundry facilities. This building is a contributing building to the American Baptist Theological Seminary Historic District listing on the National Register of Historic Places. For more info, check this detailed listing on the NRHP website: www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/13000399.pdf
Graham-Kivett House - Tazewell, TN This historic house is apparently under renovation, probably to restore it as it was when first built. The front porch and an addition in the back has been removed. (However, the stone fireplace from the back addition is still standing.) From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham-Kivett_House The Graham-Kivett House is a historic house in Tazewell, Tennessee. It was built of limestone around 1800 by William Graham, an immigrant from Ireland who co-founded of Tazewell. The house was designed in the Federal architectural style. By the turn of the 20th century, it belonged to William Yoakum, who sold it to James Kivett, a lawyer. It was inherited by his son, J. K. Kivett, who served as the county judge of Claiborne County until he was "convicted in December 1956 of taking four $1,000 county bonds to a Knoxville bank in June 1954 to obtain a personal loan of $5,400." The house remained in the Kivett family in the 1970s. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 29, 1975. See the historic marker here: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers%2...
Joel W. Solomon Building Located in downtown Chattanooga, the official name is the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Etched along the top of the front of the building is United States Post Office and Court House but is no longer a post office. The building is made out of white marble in an Art Moderne style. It was designed by prominent local architect Reuben Harrison Hunt and was opened in 1933. In 1938, it was named as one of the 150 best buildings built in the previous 20 years by the American Institute of Architects. In 1964, it was home of the Jimmy Hoffa jury tampering trial. In 1981, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Estill-Fite House This home has recently been repainted white. Other pictures I've seen of this house from 2015 or earlier have chipping white paint exposing the red bricks below. From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estill-Fite_House The Estill-Fite House is a historic house in Winchester, TN. It was built in 1860 for Francis Thomas Estill, an attorney. Estill, a graduate of the University of Nashville, was elected as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1847, and as the secretary of the board of directors of the Winchester and Alabama Railroad Company in 1857. He died in 1878, and the house remained in the Estill family until 1920. The house was purchased by the Fite family in 1950. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since March 23, 1979.
The Home for Aged Masons - Nashville, TN From the Nashville Scene in Dec. 2019: The state controls the fate of some other endangered sites, such as The Home for Aged Masons (R.S. Gass Boulevard off Hart Lane in Inglewood), a three-story Colonial Revival-style building constructed in 1913-1915. It and the nearby Boys' School, built around 1915, are the only surviving buildings from a larger complex dating to the early 20th century. The Tennessee Masons provided the campus as a home for widows, orphans and the aged, according to Historic Nashville, which placed these properties on its list. Designed by the Nashville architectural firm of Asmus & Norton, who designed the Cathedral of the Incarnation on West End, the columned limestone building is listed n the National Register of Historic Places. It sits now on an office-building campus that houses the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other state agencies. Purchased by the State of Tennessee in 1941 for use as a tuberculosis hospital, the property was vacated in the 1990s From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_for_Aged_Masons The Home for Aged Masons, formerly known as the Masonic Widows' and Orphans' Home and the Middle Tennessee Tuberculosis Hospital, is a historic building in Nashville, TN. The land was given to the Grand Lodge of Tennessee Free and Accepted Masons by Jere Baxter, the founder of the Tennessee Central Railroad. The building was designed by Nashville architects Asmus and Norton in Colonial Revival style, and was completed in 1913–1915. It housed older Freemasons and families of lower means. It was co-founded by William H. Bumpas and Marcus B. Toney, who served as its founding president. Toney was a Confederate veteran, Klansman, and Edward Bushrod Stahlman's brother-in-law. Stahlman was one of the charter members. The building was acquired by the state of Tennessee and repurposed as the Middle Tennessee Tuberculosis Hospital in 1941. It was used as offices for the Tennessee Department of Health in the 1970s and 1980s. The property was unoccupied from 1999 to 2009, when the state of Tennessee suggested demolishing it to save money. However, by 2016 state officials were "attempting" to preserve it. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 19, 2008.
Blair-Moore House - Jonesborough, TN Originally built in the early 19th Century. Was purchased in 1993 and restored. Is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Jonesborough Historic District.
The Fitzpatrick Hotel (Maybe haunted) - Washington, GA The Fitzpatrick Hotel on the Washington, GA town square dates back to 1898. It closed in the 1950s but reopened in 2004 after thorough refurbishment. The National Register of Historic Places property features Queen Anne architecture style with fantastic details inside and out. My wife and I loved the look of it and decided to spend the night here on a whim. After we got settled in, a family member write to tell me it is haunted. I had an opportunity to walk around and explore and photograph much of the building. I turned these photos into a narrated slideshow which you can view on Youtube here: youtu.be/ifmUWKl0zok If you just wanted to see photos without narration: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=Outside_Tennessee/G... In the Narration, I tell the story of how we decided to stay here, what's different because of Social distancing, and how I learned it was haunted. I tell the popular ghost legends associated with the hotel. Then I show off our room 100 and the experience of staying here. Finally, I show off building details outside and in.
Avondale Station - Gallatin, TN Located south of Gallatin along US31E, this old building is now a Bed and Breakfast. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 as the "Mary Felice Ferrell House." Here is the history from their website: The Hancock House is a spacious fifteen room colonial revival log inn located in the rolling hills of middle Tennessee. Beautiful farm land lies in full view across the road and a horse farm adjoins our property. Even though we are "out in the country" we are only a few minutes outside of Gallatin and Hendersonville and just 25 miles northeast of Nashville. Prior to our purchase of the inn, Felice Ferrell was the owner and proprietor of a nationally known antique establishment for over 60 years in the main part of the inn. Historically, the inn is a pre-1851 stage coach stop and toll gate house known as Avondale Station on the famous Avery Trace. www.bbonline.com/united-states/tennessee/gallatin/hancock... Learn more here: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/92000348
Big Springs Union Church en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Spring_Union_Church Big Spring Union Church, also known as Big Springs Primitive Baptist Church, is a historic church in Springdale, Claiborne County, Tennessee. The church was built circa 1795 or 1796, and was known at first as Big Spring Meetinghouse. A Baptist church was organized at the site in 1800. During the Civil War, it served as a hospital for both Confederate and Union Army troops. It is one of the oldest church buildings in Tennessee that is still in active use as a church. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The church is on Lone Mountain Road, off Tennessee State Route 32.
800 Russel St. - Nashville Located in the Edgefield Historic District, this home was built in 1899. It is one and one half story tall made of brick with terra cotta and stone in a Queen Anne style.
Olde Grainger County Jail - Rutledge, TN built in 1848
The Donoho Hotel Along with The Armour and The Cloyd (now the Thomas House) it is one of the big three old fashioned resort hotels of Red Boiling Springs. Of the three, I think this one looks most Majestic, as the entire building is more than twice as wide as what you can see here. This goes back to the days, for instance the 1920's, when people couldn't travel as far as they to today, plus people believed in the mystical healing powers of bathing in mineral water which bubbles up from the ground. Today, this hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Jenkins Lutheran Chapel This congregation was established in 1849. The church building was completed in 1886. Around 1976 it ceased being used as a church and was renamed "Jenkins Chapel." It is now maintained by a nonprofit religious organization that was established to preserve the building and grounds. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. There is a church cemetery to the right of the building. Governor Prentice Cooper is the most famous person buried here.
Smith-Trahern Mansion - Clarksville, TN This 1859 mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic places as the Christopher H. Smith House and is also known as the Queen of the Cumberland. The house remained in the Smith family until 1919.The house was acquired by the city of Clarskville and repurposed as a community center in 1986. From the historic marker: This mansion was built by Christopher H. Smith noted tobacco exporter and businessman. The home reflects the style between Greek Revival and Italianate popular in the 1850's. It is believed that architect Adolphus Heiman designed the building. The mansion is significant because of its association with the pre-Civil War tobacco industry in Clarksville.
Robertson County Courthouse (2020) - Springfield, TN The Robertson County Courthouse in Springfield, TN dates from 1879. The building's south wing (left), north wing (right), and central clock tower were added in 1929–30. The architect was W.C. Smith and the building contractor was the firm of Patton & McInturff. The architects for the expansion were Edward E. Dougherty and Thomas W. Gardner of Nashville. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. For their info, check this link: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/78002627
Blair's Ferry Storehouse - Loudon, TN Also known as Pathkiller's Storehouse. It was built in 1835. If you've ever wanted to purchase a property on the National Register of Historic Places, this one's for Sale. For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blair's_Ferry_Storehouse?oldid=0 for way more info: memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/tn/tn0000/tn0096/data/tn0096.pdf
Lenoir City Company Office Lenoir City Company was a real estate compamy from the 1880s selling lots to the planned commuity of Lenoir City. Today, this building is the town museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Customs House at Night - Clarksville, TN From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_House_Museum_and_Cultural_C... The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is Tennessee's second largest general interest museum. It features fine art, history, and children's exhibits. It is located in Clarksville, TN's Downtown District on 200 South 2nd Street. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 as Clarksville Federal Building. It was established in 1984 as the Clarksville Montgomery County Museum. The 1898 portion of the Museum was originally designed for use as a Federal post office and custom house to handle the large volume of foreign mail created by the city's international tobacco business. It is built on the site of a former boarding house. The structure was designed by the Supervising Architect of the Treasury, William Martin Aiken, in the eclectic style popular to Victorian America. Aiken incorporated many architectural styles including Stick, Queen Anne, Italianate, Romanesque, Flemish and Gothic. Its highly pitched roof with large eagles on the four corners, steep gabled windows and elaborate terra cotta ornamentation combine to give importance to a relatively small building. Contrary to popular myth, the design was not inspired by the architect's visit to China. The building was constructed by Charles A. Moses of Chicago.
William McMurry House - Springfield, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._McMurry_House The William M. McMurry House is a historic mansion in Springfield, TN. It was built in 1896 for William M. McMurry, "the founder of McMurry Loose Leaf Tobacco Company." It became a bed and breakfast in 2016, but was sold to be a private residence in 2017.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Asia (TN) Community School This building certainly needs repair. After it was no longer a school, it was converted to a basketball gym. Portions of the roof and the floor have fallen in. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia_School Asia School is a former segregated school for African Americans in the Asia community of Franklin County, TN. For many years, the Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church operated a black school on the Asia School site. In 1940, the church transferred the property to Franklin County, which assumed responsibility for the school. The current school building is a concrete-block structure that was completed around 1952. It was operated as a county public school for African-American children until 1961, when the county closed the school and returned the property to the church. Four years after Asia School closed, Franklin County integrated its public schools. Asia School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 for its significance as an example of a 20th-century African-American school in rural Tennessee. For more info: web.archive.org/web/20111015093515/http://www.tn.gov/envi...
Dwight and Kate Wade House - Sevierville, TN The Dwight and Kate Wade House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The house was built in 1940 as a replica of a demonstration home at the Town of Tomorrow exhibit from that year's New York World's Fair. It was deigned by Verna Cook Salomonsky with a Colonial Revival exterior and Art Moderne interior. Exterior features include a slate covered gambrel roof and Parapet side pierced by a window. Learn more here: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/97001502
Idler's Retreat - Smyrna, TN From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idler%27s_Retreat Idler's Retreat, also known as the Dillon-Tucker-Cheney House, is a historic house in Smyrna, TN. It was built circa 1865 by J. D. Dillon. In 1882, it was purchased by John F. Tucker, and renamed Tucker Place. It was designed in the Greek Revival and Italianate architectural styles. By the 1940s, it was inherited by novelist Brainard Cheney's wife. The couple entertained other writers like Robert Penn Warren, Caroline Gordon, Flannery O'Connor and Allen Tate. The house was later inherited by Roy Neel, who served as the chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 19, 2004. Other notes: Original owner Joseph Dillon was a local attorney and Pro-Union legislator. The home was briefly used as a USO headquarters. Before the addition of Central Heat in 1957, the home was nicknamed "Cold Chimney's." The name Idler's Retreat is based on a George Bernard Shaw quote, “A learned man is an idler who kills time by study.” Learn more: rutherfordtnhistory.org/harbers-history-idlers-retreat-se...
Bear Springs Iron Furnace This historic iron furnace on the National Register of Historic Places is located about 5 miles east of Dover, TN along highway TN49. Here is the text of the historic marker: Joseph and Robert Woods and Thomas Yeatman built the first charcoal cold-blast furnace here in 1830. It used brown hematite ore from local deposits. Destroyed by Union forces in 1862, the present stack was built in 1873, with a railroad to Tennessee Ridge, on the route of the present highway. Operations here were discontinued in 1901.
Noah "Bud" Ogle Place - Barn en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah_Ogle_Place The Noah "Bud" Ogle Place was a homestead located in the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, TN. The homestead presently consists of a cabin, barn, and tub mill built by mountain farmer Noah "Bud" Ogle (1863–1913) in the late 19th century. In 1977, the homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is currently maintained by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The surviving structures at the Noah Ogle Place are characteristic of a typical 19th-century Southern Appalachian mountain farm. Ogle's cabin is a type known as a "saddlebag" cabin (two single-pen cabins joined by a common chimney), which was a relatively rare design in the region. Ogle's barn is an excellent example of a four-pen barn, a design once common in the area, although this barn is the last remaining four-pen barn in the park. Ogle's tub mill is the park's last surviving operational tub mill and one of the few operational tub mills in the region. A later owner of the Ogle farm renamed the farm "Junglebrook," and the farm is thus sometimes referred to as the "Junglebrook Historic District." The Noah Ogle Place is situated near LeConte Creek (formerly known as Mill Creek) in the upper drainage of the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River. Gatlinburg lies opposite the park boundary to the north, Roaring Fork lies opposite the hills to the east, the Sugarlands lies opposite the hills to the west, and Mount Le Conte rises to the south. Cherokee Orchard Road (still occasionally referred to as Airport Road) connects the Noah Ogle Place to U.S. Route 441 in downtown Gatlinburg to the north and to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail to the south. The site's tub mill is situated on the banks of LeConte Creek, approximately 0.5 miles from the cabin and barn. Noah Ogle's great-grandparents, William Ogle (1756–1803) and his wife Martha Huskey (1756–1826), were the first Euro-American settlers in the Gatlinburg area, arriving in the early 19th century (their cabin still stands in downtown Gatlinburg). The Ogles' descendants quickly spread out into the adjacent river and creek valleys. Noah Ogle's farm originally consisted of 400 acres, although by the early 20th century he had subdivided his land among his children, and retained only 150 acres. These last 150 acres comprise the bulk of the Bud Ogle Farm historic district. Ogle's cabin and outbuildings were built in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The land was poor and rocky (the National Park Service later claimed it was "unsuitable" for farming), and Ogle mostly grew corn. The land did include a sizeable apple orchard which grew multiple types of apples. Ogle's relatives were allowed free use of his tub mill, while others were charged a small percentage of meal. Excess corn and apples were shipped to markets in Knoxville. Ogle's wife, Lucinda Bradley Ogle, was a local midwife. In the 1920s, several investors established a 796-acre (322 ha) commercial apple orchard and ornamental nursery known as "Cherokee Orchard" just south of the Ogle homestead. When the Tennessee Park Commission began buying up property for the creation of the national park in the late 1920s, the owners of Cherokee Orchard threatened to fight a major appropriations for bill for the park's funding if their land was condemned. The orchard's owners dropped their opposition in 1931 in exchange for a long lease on the property. Noah Ogle cabin The Noah Ogle cabin consists of two cabins sharing a single chimney, known as a "saddlebag" cabin. The cabins were built approximately five years apart, the second cabin being added as Ogle's family grew. Both cabins measure 18 feet by 20 feet, and each consists of one story and a loft. The cabin's walls consist of hewn logs connected by half-dovetail notches, with six doors (one on the front and back wall of each cabin, and two next to the chimney to allow quick passage between the two buildings). Each cabin has a split-oak shingled roof, a sawn board floor, and hearths made of rubble. The cabin's windows were initially shuttered, but eventually replaced with glass. One cabin has a small window near the floor that allowed chickens to enter to escape predators. A covered porch spans both the front and back walls of both cabins. Ogle barn The Ogle barn is the last remaining four-pen barn in the park. It consists of four 11-square-foot pens, each one story with a loft, covered by a split-shingled roof. Like the cabin, the barn's walls are constructed of hewn logs connected by half-dovetail notches. The park service made numerous repairs to the barn in the 1960s.
Noah "Bud" Ogle Place - House (View A) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah_Ogle_Place The Noah "Bud" Ogle Place was a homestead located in the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, TN. The homestead presently consists of a cabin, barn, and tub mill built by mountain farmer Noah "Bud" Ogle (1863–1913) in the late 19th century. In 1977, the homestead was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is currently maintained by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The surviving structures at the Noah Ogle Place are characteristic of a typical 19th-century Southern Appalachian mountain farm. Ogle's cabin is a type known as a "saddlebag" cabin (two single-pen cabins joined by a common chimney), which was a relatively rare design in the region. Ogle's barn is an excellent example of a four-pen barn, a design once common in the area, although this barn is the last remaining four-pen barn in the park. Ogle's tub mill is the park's last surviving operational tub mill and one of the few operational tub mills in the region. A later owner of the Ogle farm renamed the farm "Junglebrook," and the farm is thus sometimes referred to as the "Junglebrook Historic District." The Noah Ogle Place is situated near LeConte Creek (formerly known as Mill Creek) in the upper drainage of the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River. Gatlinburg lies opposite the park boundary to the north, Roaring Fork lies opposite the hills to the east, the Sugarlands lies opposite the hills to the west, and Mount Le Conte rises to the south. Cherokee Orchard Road (still occasionally referred to as Airport Road) connects the Noah Ogle Place to U.S. Route 441 in downtown Gatlinburg to the north and to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail to the south. The site's tub mill is situated on the banks of LeConte Creek, approximately 0.5 miles from the cabin and barn. Noah Ogle's great-grandparents, William Ogle (1756–1803) and his wife Martha Huskey (1756–1826), were the first Euro-American settlers in the Gatlinburg area, arriving in the early 19th century (their cabin still stands in downtown Gatlinburg). The Ogles' descendants quickly spread out into the adjacent river and creek valleys. Noah Ogle's farm originally consisted of 400 acres, although by the early 20th century he had subdivided his land among his children, and retained only 150 acres. These last 150 acres comprise the bulk of the Bud Ogle Farm historic district. Ogle's cabin and outbuildings were built in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The land was poor and rocky (the National Park Service later claimed it was "unsuitable" for farming), and Ogle mostly grew corn. The land did include a sizeable apple orchard which grew multiple types of apples. Ogle's relatives were allowed free use of his tub mill, while others were charged a small percentage of meal. Excess corn and apples were shipped to markets in Knoxville. Ogle's wife, Lucinda Bradley Ogle, was a local midwife. In the 1920s, several investors established a 796-acre (322 ha) commercial apple orchard and ornamental nursery known as "Cherokee Orchard" just south of the Ogle homestead. When the Tennessee Park Commission began buying up property for the creation of the national park in the late 1920s, the owners of Cherokee Orchard threatened to fight a major appropriations for bill for the park's funding if their land was condemned. The orchard's owners dropped their opposition in 1931 in exchange for a long lease on the property. Noah Ogle cabin The Noah Ogle cabin consists of two cabins sharing a single chimney, known as a "saddlebag" cabin. The cabins were built approximately five years apart, the second cabin being added as Ogle's family grew. Both cabins measure 18 feet by 20 feet, and each consists of one story and a loft. The cabin's walls consist of hewn logs connected by half-dovetail notches, with six doors (one on the front and back wall of each cabin, and two next to the chimney to allow quick passage between the two buildings). Each cabin has a split-oak shingled roof, a sawn board floor, and hearths made of rubble. The cabin's windows were initially shuttered, but eventually replaced with glass. One cabin has a small window near the floor that allowed chickens to enter to escape predators. A covered porch spans both the front and back walls of both cabins. Ogle barn The Ogle barn is the last remaining four-pen barn in the park. It consists of four 11-square-foot pens, each one story with a loft, covered by a split-shingled roof. Like the cabin, the barn's walls are constructed of hewn logs connected by half-dovetail notches. The park service made numerous repairs to the barn in the 1960s.
Clarksville Methodist Church/Cox's Boarding House - Clarksville, TN From the National Register of Historic Places listing in 1982: Description: The Clarksville Methodist Church is a two-story brick building with a square shape plan which stands on a brick foundation. It has a full basement and a low gable roof covered with metal roofing material. A bracketed, boxed cornice is found on all four elevations The façade has three bays and a porch, with round columns and brick balustrade, which was added during the early 20th century. The windows flanking the entrance have large flat lintels and appear original. Those of the second story have arched apertures with radiating voussiors which were probably added during the 1880's remodeling. The central bay entrance features a heavily ornamented architrave, and a diamond-shaped attic vent is found in the gable above. In the attic, the original roof structure exposed when the building was used as a church may be seen. Significance: The Clarksville Methodist Church is the oldest building, which has been a church, in the city. It housed religious congregations for more than fifty years. Moreover, it is one of the earliest brick buildings in Clarksville. The function of the building changed in the late-19th century, and it has been used as a residence or boarding house for more than ninety years. Built by the Methodist congregation who occupied the building until 1841 when they sold it to the Cumberland Presbyterians who occupied it until 1883. In 1883 it was sold and remodeled, and became known as Cox's Boarding House and Dining Room. Subsequent owners have continued to rent rooms. npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/82004033
514 Russel St. - Nashville, TN The home at 514 Russel St. is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Edgefield Historic District. Here is the relevant portion of the district's nomination form: The Edgefield area contains a number of large city houses, built for the wealthy in the late nineteenth century, which display the variety and eclecticism of the nineteenth-century Victorian domestic architecture. Among these houses are two examples of the Dutch Renaissance style, one at 514 Russell Street and the other at 714 Russell. Both are built of red brick with contrasting stone trim and both have a projecting bay at the left side of the façade topped by a stepped Dutch gable. The house at 514 Russell Street is the more ornate and less formal of the two, with its free gable and chimney treatment and its fanciful stone trim and veranda woodwork.
Montgomery Co. Courthouse at Dusk This is the 4th Courthouse to be built in Clarksville. It was constructed in 1879 for $100,000, and was placed in a location that was away from the town square. It was designed with Italianate and Victorian elements in a classical style and is topped with a tall clock tower. This courthouse was built after a devastating fire turned the previous courthouse and much of the city was turned to rubble. On April 13, 1878, the fire started, which was aided by wind as well as the town's only fire engine broke down early. This fire wasn't fully out until another fire engine was sent by train from Nashville. On March 12, 1900 another fire almost destroyed this courthouse. It was believed to have started in the southeast section of a flue in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. By now, the town had learned its lesson and had better fire-fighting practices in place, which saved the building. Steel girders and beams in the ceiling were anchored in cement keeping the lower floor intact, although the roof and tower collapsed. After inspection, the remnants were deemed structurally sound and the building was rebuilt with a new clock and the soaring bronze eagle was reinstated in his aerie on the top. On March 20, 1976, heavy winds caused the eagle on top to be blown off and it was feared to be lost but eventually found and reattached. Disaster struck again on Jan. 22, 1999, when an F4 tornado struck downtown, crippling the courthouse and causing $74 million damage to the city. Sections of the roof and spires were ripped away, the clock tower was leveled and the east wall was collapsed. The eagle was never found. After considering building a new courthouse, city leaders decided to rebuild this one again. The exterior was rebuilt to look just like it had been and the interior was redesigned. A replicated tower and eagle was again placed on top. All repairs were completed in the fall of 2002. How long will it last this time? Clarksville has a very storied past of disasters with fires, tornadoes and floods. At least the May 2010 flood couldn't reach it. Here is the courthouse marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Rose Mont - Gallatin, TN From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Mont Rose Mont was built by Judge Josephus Conn Guild (1802–1883) for his family. It was begun in 1836 and completed in 1842. All of the materials for its construction were obtained on the property. Rose Mont's architecture is a blend of Greek Revival and Palladian styles. These architectural styles not commonly seen in Middle Tennessee homes of the era, which is typified by Federal or Georgian-style houses with a front entry hall containing a staircase to the second floor. Judge Guild's departure from the local architectural fashions was due to his favorable impression of the Creole-style houses he had seen on frequent trips to Louisiana. Creole elements in Rose Mont include the use of loggias and galleries to connect separate wings, wide porches, open-air halls and staircases, large windows, a raised basement, and an over-hanging roof. The house's main façade employed a classic Italian design by Andrea Palladio, whose influence is seen in the design of many mid-19th century plantation houses in the southern United States. Rose Mont faces the east, so hot summer sun never falls on the main parlor, keeping it cooler. The name of the house derived from a large rose garden that Judge Guild's wife, Catherine Blackmore Guild (1803–1875), maintained on the north side of the house. In its early years, the house was the center for a 500-acre working farm that raised thoroughbred horses and longhorn cattle. In 1978, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name "Rosemont". It was occupied by members of the Guild family from its construction until 1993, when it was acquired by the City of Gallatin and the Rose Mont Restoration Foundation. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays for guided tours from April 15 through October 31. The mansion and its reception hall are available for rental to the public.
Yeoman's in the Fork - Lieper's Fork, TN This house, originally built by Dr. J.W. Allen is 1881 is now known as Yeoman's in the Fork bookstore. The beautifully restored home has quite the collection of rare books and documents, including a document or letter signed by every U.S. President. When I originally shared this photo with my facebook friends, one of my high school classmates wrote me and said she used to live here. I was perplexed and asked her to share more information. In the early 80's, my friend's parents bought this house when it was a fixer-upper and Lieper's Fork wasn't the tourist destination that it is today. At one time, the house belonged to someone who was related to or friends with Jesse James. When they would work on renovating the house, the townspeople would come out and watch in case large piles of cash were ever discovered. (They never were.) Here is the writeup of the Liepers Fork Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places: Circa 1890. Originally built by Dr. Alien in 1890, this Georgian Revival house served as Hillsboro Academy's female dormitory, the building was moved to its present site in 1931, without its two-story original 1890 porch. A two-story three bay frame l-house rests on a concrete foundation, has weatherboard siding, asphalt shingle roof and an integral full height Neo-classical porch supported by paneled Doric columns and pilasters with simple capitals. These columns were original to the Pettway House in Franklin. The central six-panel entry door has framed sidelights of three glass panes over wood panels. Five, nine-over- nine double hung sash windows with louvered shutters complete the facade. The rear elevation retains its second story porch and a rear addition. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-daytrips/ 15 Unique Tennessee Day Trips That You Absolutely Must Take 8) Leiper’s Fork Historic Leiper's Fork is precisely where you want to go when you're looking for a small town with all the charm Tennessee can muster. You'll enjoy a gorgeous drive out into the country, then will be able to fill up on some down-home food at Puckett's. We call that a win. Or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-best-small-town/ Why This One Little Town Is Tennessee’s Best Kept Secret
Andrew Johnson's Early Home Andrew Johnson and his family lived in this house from some time in the 1830's until 1851. Johnson was born and raised in Greeneville, TN. Before entering politics, he was a tailor, and his tailor shop is across the street from this house, although preserved inside of a brick building now. While living here, his life changed drastically becoming a local alderman and then mayor of Greeneville, continuing on to state represenative and state senator. He was elected U.S. Representative 5 times but moved from this house during that time. The house that President Johnson moved into in 1851 is just a few blocks away. Today, this home is part of the Andrew Johnson Visitors Complex, which is part of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Granville Babb Sprouse House - Greenbrier, TN When this home was completed circa 1895, it represented a stylish Late Victorian era home in the small community in Greenbrier. Mr. Sprouse was a prominent tobacco businessman in Robertson County. Today, the house is operated as a local history museum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more info and vintage pictures, check the NRHP link below: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/81ab1016-57da-481a-8d15-770...
Jesse James house in Nashville I knew Jesse James lived in the Nashville area because of this historic marker in White's Creek. I figured if his house was still around, more people would know about it. Then I found this link: https://rs.locationshub.com/Home/LocationDetail?rsLocationId=052-10001560 (Link doesn't work for some reason) This home is located at 711 Fatherland St. in the Edgefield neighborhood. Jesse James lived here under the alias J.D. Howard from late 1876 to March 25, 1881. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Edgefield Historic District. The house was then abandoned in the 1970s, then condemned and scheduled for demolition in 1983. Thankfully, it was purchased and restored. The Jesse James aspect of the house was not mentioned in the National Register listing, so there must be some doubt if the James family actually lived here. Here is the text from the listing: Among the oldest buildings in Edgefield is the house at 711 Fatherland Street. Built before 1850 in a simple vernacular style, its red brick two-story main block is topped by a simple pitched roof. On the lower floor are a door and two six over six light window above which are three windows on the second floor. A hip roofed veranda with simple supports runs the width of the façade. Cinder-block additions have been built on the rear of the house but do not affect the façade.
Old Walland Bridge Here is an unused bridge near the small Blount County town of Walland, The bridge is easily accessible and can be walked on. It is located next to a Marathon gas station along US321 (TN73). It was replaced by the bridge on Miller's Cove Rd and crosses the Little River. Here is the description from the National Register of historic Places nominating form: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/89000915 The Walland Bridge is an abandoned concrete arch bridge which spans the Little River at Walland. Erected ca. 1918, this bridge contains three concrete filled arch spans 65', 69' and 64' in length. The curb to curb width is 15.4' and the out-to-out width is 18'. The parapet railing contains incised rectangular and star designs. Each pier has a nosing which terminates at the spring line above which is a pilaster. The bridge is presently abandoned and is located at the Little River at the small community of Walland. The Walland Bridge is significant under criterion C as a notable example of an early 20th century concrete vehicular span bridge built by the Luten Bridge Company. This bridge company was based in Indianapolis, Indiana and constructed bridges throughout East Tennessee. This bridge is regarded by the Tennessee Department of Transportation as one of their finest designs and has been determined eligible for the National Register. The bridge is presently abandoned and is no longer utilized for vehicular traffic. Daniel B. Luten was a civil engineer who taught engineering at Purdue in the late 19th century. In 1901, Luten moved to Indianapolis to specialize in the design and construction of concrete arch bridges and formed the National Bridge Company. The company was later known as the Luten Engineering Company and Luten Bridge Company and was in existence until 1941. During the early 20th century the company specialized in the construction of concrete arch bridges and pioneered new concrete arch designs. The company received a number of patents for their designs and by 1914 were building bridges throughout Tennessee. By 1920, the company had designed and erected over 4,000 concrete arch bridges across the country. By 1915, the company had an office in Knoxville and was listed in the city directories until 1946. Their work in East Tennessee included the construction of this concrete arch bridge at Walland which was built ca. 1918. The bridge was located on the Old Walland Highway and connected the communities of Walland, Townsend and Maryville. The bridge was used for over fifty years until the bridge was deemed too narrow for present use and abandoned. The bridge is the only concrete arch design which has been identified as eligible in Blount County by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and one of only ten concrete arch bridges surveyed in the East Tennessee Development District considered potentially eligible by TDOT and the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Hamilton-Toliver Log House This log home is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hamilton-Toliver Complex. The log home is the central part of the registry listing which also includes a smokehouse, a 1950s general store and milk storage house, and the site of a cannery. Here is the text of the nomination form: npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/fab4e446-29b2-435a-b1b9-c2ae89... The Hamilton-Tolliver Log House is a one and one-half story and one story saddlebag log house built ca.1830 and still on its original site. Facing north, the house exhibits two discontinuous, slightly dimensionally asymmetrical pens located to the east and west of a central chimney, each covered with a separate gable roof. Whether these pens were built at the same time is not known with certainty, but they are likely to have been built within a few years of each other. The east pen measures 21' x 22', the west pen 24' x 22'. The logs, largely original yellow poplar (though with a few replacement members) exhibit half-dovetail corner joinery. The gable ends of the upper half-story are clad in unfinished wood siding. The primary roof, as well as those of the front and rear porches, is sheathed in standing seam tin. The current porches uniting the pens on the front and rear elevations were added in the 1920s. The foundation of the house displays a combination of early twentieth century form-poured concrete and more contemporary concrete block and sandstone veneer. The central chimney features a tripartite materials composition, including a poured-concrete foundation, a limestone base/hearth mid-section, and an upper flue section built of brick (partially replaced in 1988 with salvaged bricks from a neighboring structure). Fenestration in the single story (with attic) west pen includes a centrally placed single, wood paneled door entry on the north (front) elevation; a single six-over-six double-hung window on the west elevation; a single six-over-six double-hung window and single door entry on the south (rear) elevation. Additionally, the west pen features a hand-dug root cellar accessible from the east side just south of the chimney foundation, added in 1933. Fenestration in the one and one-half story east pen includes a single offset door in the north (front) elevation with two six-over-six double-hung windows flanking the door to the east. The upper half-story displays a single, fixed, three light window on the north elevation. The east elevation of the east pen features a single, symmetrically placed, double-hung twelve light window on the ground level (possibly replacing an earlier door), and a door entry inaccessible from the exterior on the upper half-story (likely for lifting furniture into the upper story). The south (rear) elevation of the east pen features a single, symmetrically placed simple wood paneled door entry. The windows and doors of both pens of the log house date at least to the 1920s, according to oral testimony of Irene Tolliver Hamilton, who was born in the house in 1918. The Hamilton-Tolliver log house retains a simple and unadorned interior. Both pens feature wood flooring (original in the west pen, with replacement tongue and groove added to the east pen in the 1920s), plain log interior walls (which have never been covered in paneling or plaster), exposed rafter ceilings, large limestone segmental arched fireplace/hearths emanating from the common central chimney, and continuous open single-room floor plans. The east pen includes a boxed stair with partial hand-hewn rail in the southeast corner providing access to the upper half-story room. The east pen's upper half-story features ceilings sloping sharply from the ridge. All surfaces in this upper room are covered in light colored wallpaper, a practice common in the early to mid-twentieth century to brighten interiors of otherwise dark, unfinished wood walls. The west pen appears to have functioned primarily as the kitchen pen, while the east pen was utilized as the primary living space. The cellar, hand dug beneath the west pen in 1933, served as a clandestine distillery as well as a general cold storage area. While the Hamilton-Tolliver House exhibits some minor alterations to the historic fabric and design executed in 1988, these are all sympathetic to the original structure and necessary to the building's continued preservation. Exterior changes include the stabilization of the west elevation's (west pen) crumbling foundation with new stone veneer, concrete block foundation, and the replacement of the first-course log with an equivalent replacement number. Likewise, some deteriorated siding and window trim was replaced in the west gable. The east foundation was stabilized in a similar manner. Deteriorated siding and trim were also replaced on the east pen, but only as needed. The structural integrity of the east pen roof was rehabilitated with the installation of new support rafters. However, the original rafters were left in place. The top third of the chimney was reconstructed using salvaged bricks to its appearance in photographs from 1979 (before the chimney collapsed). The rotting floor and upright posts of the front porch were also replaced and the roofing replaced with in kind, material (tin). Much of the exterior chinking was replaced in 1928. Interior changes include spot repairs to the chinking, and the replacement of broken window panes. The deteriorated ceiling of the east pen was also replaced with wood approximating the original. Likewise, wallpaper was replaced with approximate replica material, All of these changes were necessary to stabilize the house. Their execution was done with attention to detail and care in replicating historic materials as closely as possible. As the founding building and domestic epicenter of the larger complex, the house adequately conveys the historical continuity of the site when considered collectively.
Castle Heights Mildred Armstrong Hospital - Lebanon, TN This old hospital is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Castle Heights Academy Historic District. Here is the text of the nominating form regarding this structure, written in 1995: Mildred Armstrong Hospital (circa 1905) was named for school President Col. H.L. Armstrong's wife, Mildred. Located west of the library, the two-story red brick hospital has a brick foundation and its roof is in the process of being replaced in the summer of 1995. The Collegiate Gothic style building features corner turrets, blond brick pilasters between the three bays, and decorative blond brickwork around each rectangular one-over-one double hung windows. The windows are original, however, new anodized metal storm windows cover the original wood windows. The primary entrance, or façade, of the building was at the north gable-end of the building. A small stoop provided access to double wooden doors, each with a large, single window in the top half of the door. npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/95001507
Russell Street Church of Christ - Nashville The Russell Street Church of Christ is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Edgefield Historic District. Originally when constructed in 1904 it was a Cumberland Presbyterian church. Today, the building has been converted into a boutique hotel called "The Russell." Below, I have it's information from the NRHP nominating form. npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/c496c045-2ef5-4f6b-8726-ce24c6... (on Page 5) The Russell Street Church of Christ is Richardsonian Romanesque in style. Most of its door and window openings feature round-arches, with a few having lintels. This building has two towers rather than three, both on the Russell Street side. As with the Baptist Church, the taller tower is at the right-hand corner. Both are topped by octagonal spires and have a single entrance at the base. Stained glass in the lunettes above the doors spell out "Faith, Hope and Charity" over the left door and "Jehovah — is in His Holy Temple" over the right. The large rose windows at each street façade also are filled with stained glass of fine quality. Decorative bands of stone run around the building at different levels forming the imposts from which spring the arches over the several doors and the arches of the large rose windows as well as forming lintels for smaller rectangular windows. Contrasting stone is also used in the apex of the two street façade gables, to cap buttresses on the taller tower, and to form decorative oversize keystones for many of the arched openings. The description mentions two towers, but the taller one which would have been atop the closest corner was destroyed in the April 16, 1998 Tornado. "Jehovah is in his Holy Temple" has been replaced above the front door with the street address number of 819. At the last step before the front door, they have painted "Welcome Friends" and a fence in the back has a floral message of "You Belong."
Church Street UMC Along Henley St. in Downtown Knoxville. For what it's worth, the congregation used to meet at a building on Church St., but that building burned down and this one was built in 1930. Apparently, FDR once remarked, "That is the most beautiful church I have ever seen." Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bell Buckle Cumberland Presbyterian Church This church building is on the National Register of historic places as part of the Bell Buckle Historic District. At the same time, the building appears to have been abandoned for decades. From the Google street view, the entire yard in front was full of vegetation overgrowth, so I wasn't sure what I would find when I got here. As it turns out, most of the overgrowth had been cleared but someone also had parked some vehicles here. Here's the notes from the National Register's nominating form: 24. Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Cumberland and High Streets): 1883, brick, Greek Revival Temple form with Gothic lancet windows and doors, dripstone lintels, corbelled cornice, pedimented gable with cornice returns, brick pilaster, two stage wood steeple, standing seam metal roof.
Martha Jane Ogle Cabin - Gatlinburg There is a marker by the door, but I'm not sure when it was placed. This cabin moved circa 2016. At the time, it was US441 at Cherokee Orchard Rd. while Arrowmont School owner the property. Today, the spot is the parking lot next to Anakeesta. It's new location is where US321 (East Parkway) and US441 split. According to the marker: This cabin is the first house built in what is now Gatlinburg. About 1802, William Ogle selected a building site near here, in what he called "the Land of Paradise." Ogle cut and hewed the logs for the house and then retuned to South Carolina to bring his family of five sons, two daughters and his wife, Martha Jane. Unfortunately, he fell ill and died in 1803. In 1807, Martha Jane returned with her family and brother, Peter Husky and his family, and built the cabin you now see. The farm was sold to Pi Beta Phi as the settlement school expanded in 1921. The cabin was utilized as a hospital and then as a museum of mountain artifacts gathered by the school staff. As the Arrowmont School expanded again n 1969, the cabin was moved and then later moved to its present site (originally the site of the first church building in the community). The cabin has been listed on the National Register of Historic Sites since 1986.
Sunsphere View: Old City Hall This is actually a complex of several buildings that started in 1848 as the Tennessee School for the Deaf. Then it became the City Hall in 1924 until the City-County building was built in 1980. In 2009 it became the Lincoln Memorial University School of Law The Sunsphere was built for the 1982 Knoxville World's Fair. Not too long ago, it reopened as an observation deck. The views are a little blurred in places and off-color due to the windows that we look through, but still it makes for a great vantage point of the city. On my website is a gallery of other landmarks you can see from the Sunsphere. If that interests you, check it out here: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=knoxville/views-fro...
Hamilton Crossroads Store From Wikipedia: The Hamilton–Lay Store, also known as the Hamilton Crossroads Store, is a historic country general store at Hamilton Crossroads (the intersection of Mill Pond Hollow Road and Walkers Ford Road) in Union County, Tennessee, near Maynardville. The two-story wooden building was built in the 1840s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011
Bell Buckle Methodist Church This church building in Bedford County is located on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Bell Buckle Historic District. Here are the notes from this listing: 1878, Romanesque style, brick, round-arched windows, vents, and doors, recessed façade entranceways, stained glass windows, two staged towers with pyramid roof, round brick chimney, steeply pitched roof.
Rutherford Health Department This Colonial Revival building from 1931 is on the National Register of Historic Places. This west side is considered the rear entrance, but is almost identical to the front, except for the design of the door. The front faces the street but this side faces the parking lot, making it the most used entrance. The wings are original to the building which has not undergone many changes over the years. Read much more at the NRHP form: npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/eaf63897-6e1c-4fe4-9a2a-10bca8...
War Memorial Auditorium - Nashville, TN I like the way the sunlight bounces off the many glass buildings in downtown Nashville to illuminate the building on this day. From Wikipedia: The War Memorial Auditorium is a 2,000-seat performance hall located in Nashville, Tennessee. Built in 1925, it served as home of the Grand Ole Opry during 1939-43. It is also known as the War Memorial Building, the Tennessee War Memorial, or simply the War Memorial. It is located across the street from, and is governed by, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and is also adjacent to the Tennessee State Capitol. It received an architectural award at the time of its construction, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Little Greenbrier School en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Greenbrier_School The Little Greenbrier School is a former schoolhouse and church in the ghost town of Little Greenbrier in Sevier County, TN. Located near Gatlinburg in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it was built in 1882, and was used as a school and church almost continuously until 1936. When the residents of Little Greenbrier asked Sevier County to provide it with a teacher, the county replied that if the community would build a proper schoolhouse, the county would pay the teacher's salary. The land on which the school was built was donated by Gilbert Abbott, and the logs were provided by Ephraim Ogle and hauled to the site by oxen teams. Dozens of Little Greenbrier residents, among them John Walker, father of the Walker Sisters, gathered on an agreed-upon day in January 1882 and raised the schoolhouse. Classes were first held at the Little Greenbrier School in Fall 1882. Richard Perryman was the first of 39 teachers who would teach at the school until its closure in 1936. Students throughout the Little River Valley attended the school, some making a 9-mile (14 km) daily journey from the Meigs Mountain community. The school was also used for church services by a local Primitive Baptist congregation, which established a cemetery on the other side of the road. The schoolhouse, located near what was once the center of the Little Greenbrier community, is one story with an attic, and measures approximately 20 feet by 30 feet. The walls are built of hewn yellow poplar logs resting on a stone foundation. The interior consists of a sawn oak board floor and a sawn chestnut ceiling, and was accessed by a white pine door on iron hinges. The school's gabled roof is covered with rived oak shingles. The chimney, located in the center of the building, was built of bricks, and fitted with an iron pipe and cook stove.
Lieper's Fork Church of Christ This is stop #13 on the Old Tennessee Trail. According to the Williamson County Historical Comission marker: The Union Meeting House was built on this site in 1821. With the Restoration movement and the preaching of Andrew Craig and Joel Anderson, Lieper's Fork became the first Church of Christ south of Nashville. In 1831, Seth and Rebecca Sparkman were the first members to be baptized for the remission of sins. David Lipscomb led a convention of Christians, who met here in 1862, to adopt positions of non-combatants in the Civil War. Their petition to Military Governor Andrew Johnson was rejected. Lieper's Fork sponsored the Boston Church in 1854 and the Berea Church at Southall in 1876. The present building was built in 1877. For a more in depth history, check this page on their website. The building is part of the Lieper's Fork Historic District listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the writeup: Circa 1877. Church of Christ of Leipers Fork. Gable front building rests on a roughhewn stone foundation with weatherboard siding and has a metal roof topped by a square cupola at the front gable. A metal outlet ventilator is located in the front gable. The pyramidal metal roof cupola has overhanging eaves supported by paired brackets and includes outlet vents with scalloped edge louvers on all four sides. A half-hip roof addition on the façade includes a six paned transom light over a recessed entrance of paired six paneled doors flanked by exterior restrooms. A one story extension on the east elevation has an asphalt shingle pyramidal roof and is fronted by a six panel door with a metal awning. The east and west elevations contain opaque one-over- one double hung Queen Anne sash windows. The upper sash has a large pane surrounded by smaller stained glass panes
Rock House - Sparta, TN The roadgeek part of me wants to point out a note before reading below. the original road passed in front of this house. When the new highway was built which runs behind the house, the original road was then routed to the left. From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta_Rock_House The Sparta Rock House State Historic Site is a stone building near Sparta, Tennessee, United States, that once served as a rest stop and tollhouse. Built in the late 1830s, the Rock House catered to traffic along an important wagon road between Knoxville and Nashville, offering badly needed lodging and supplies to travelers who had just crossed (or were about to cross, depending on their direction) the rugged Cumberland Plateau. The Rock House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 for its architecture and its historical role as an important rest stop. The Rock House was probably built by either Samuel Denton or brothers Barlow and Madison Fiske, and initially operated by the latter two. Early guests at the Rock House included presidents Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, and Governor Sam Houston. It was home to a tollhouse and supply store until at least the 1850s, and was used as a school at various times between 1880 and 1921. Due primarily to the efforts of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the state purchased and began restoring the Rock House in the 1940s. The Rock House is currently operated as a State Historic Site under an agreement with the Tennessee Historical Commission. Location: The Sparta Rock House is located at the junction of U.S. Route 70 and White County Highway 2220 (Country Club Road). The Rock House property sits on a shelf-like slope that lies along the physiographic boundary between the Cumberland Plateau to the east and the Highland Rim to west. The elevation of US-70 is approximately 900 feet at Sparta (on the Highland Rim), 1,300 feet as it passes the Rock House, and just over 1,800 feet as it tops out at the edge of the Cumberland Plateau. The Rock House State Historic Site property includes a large plot of woodland that extends east from the Rock House to Old Bon Air Road. History: The Walton Road, an early wagon road connecting Knoxville and Nashville, forked at Crossville atop the Cumberland Plateau. The main branch (roughly following the modern US-70N) continued northwestward to what is now Monterey, while a second branch (roughly following the modern US-70) proceeded westward to what is now Sparta. To provide a rest stop for travelers along the latter branch, the Rock House was built on the property of local farmer Samuel Denton sometime between 1835 and 1839. While sources are unclear as to whether Denton or the Fiske brothers, Barlow and Madison, built the Rock House, the Fiske brothers were nevertheless in possession of the structure by 1839. There is no definitive evidence that Barlow and Madison Fiske were brothers. Along with providing a nightly stopover, the Rock House was used as a tollhouse until the late 1850s, as wagon roads during this period were often contracted out to local operators. The construction of the Bon Air Hotel atop the Plateau a few miles to the east in the 1840s no doubt brought increased traffic to the Rock House, although the hotel was destroyed during the U.S. Civil War. In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, the Rock House was used variously as a residence and a school, known simply as the "Rock House School." In 1941, the Daughters of the American Revolution obtained appropriations from the Tennessee state government to purchase and restore the Rock House, which it operated as a public museum and meeting place for its local chapter. A local craftsman named Clifton Broyle completed numerous renovations at the Rock House in the 1960s. Design: The Rock House was originally a rectangular structure built of native sandstone quarried in the vicinity. A partition once divided the structure into two rooms, but that partition has been removed, and the original section of the structure now consists of one large room. A 1909 photograph shows a partially enclosed front porch spanning the front wall, but by the 1940s the porch had been torn down. In the mid-20th century, a new rear section was added to the structure, built of the same type of stone, but containing modern conveniences. The interior of the Rock House has large fireplaces at both ends of the original structure, and the wooden doors, window frames, ceiling, floor, and mantels are all original.
East Branch Carnegie Library - Nashville library.nashville.org/locations/east-branch The fourth of the original Carnegie libraries in Nashville, East was praised as an architectural gem when it opened on May 8, 1919. Having survived floods and tornadoes, East was beautifully restored in 2000 to reverse modern renovations made in the 1960s. The building features a limestone exterior, a marble foyer, large chandeliers, oak tables and chairs. East Branch Library is a Metro Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. North Branch Library is the only other surviving Carnegie public library building in Nashville. Brent's note: There is also a former Carnegie Library building on the Fisk University campus. This one is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the East Nashville Historic District. Here is their writeup: The East Branch Library was designed by New York architect Albert Randolph Ross and built in 1919. Mr. Ross had designed a number of other Carnegie libraries, and this one is typical of the type. The rectangular building sits on a high basement which is completely above grade at the rear. A projecting pedimented entrance pavilion at the center of the north façade has an engaged pier and Tuscan column at each corner. The door is set a half flight up from grade, between the basement and main floor levels, interrupting the water table which rings the building atop the rusticated basement. The original front door has been replaced by an aluminum and glass door of recent vintage. Rusticated pilasters at all corners rise to an entablature with a projecting cornice which also rings the building. A parapet sits above the cornice almost hiding the hip roof. The parapet stairsteps over the entrance pediment, and an urn is set atop it at either corner of the projecting pavilion.
Patten House - Chattanooga Z.C. Patten was wealthy and his family lived in this 1893 home in Chattanooga. Their daughter Dorothy Patten became a noted theater actress and producer. upon the death of her parents, Dorothy donated the home on Oak St. to the adjacent University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Today, UTC uses the home for Alumni Affairs Department. Also of note are two Civil War cannons in the yard. (Only one is seen here.) This home is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fort Wood Historic District. Here is the listing from the nomination form: irregular in shape, 2-1/2 stories, brick, hipped roof with gables, entrance area has arcaded recessed porch formed with bricks resting on coupled stone columns, stone balusters; above this 1-story porch is a parapet. On the façade at the first floor level and around the entire house on the second level and around the dormers and gables is a cornice with varying sizes of identical brackets. Above most of the windows are arches made of radiating bricks. The roof is slate and has tiles placed along the ridge lines.
Colonel A. M. Shook House - Tracy City, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_A._M._Shook_House The Colonel A. M. Shook House (also known as Boyd House) is a historic residence in Tracy City, TN. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1987. The house, located at the junction of Railroad Avenue and Montgomery Streets, was built in 1890 for Colonel Alfred Montgomery Shook, prominent in the coal industry in Grundy County. The 2 1⁄2-story frame house was designed in the Second Empire architectural style.
Rock Martin House The Rock Martin House, Circa 1820, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Martin-Miller Farm. This area of Warren County used to be known as Rowland Station. This house and farm are located along Old Rock Island Road, which is part of the original alignment of the Memphis-to-Bristol Highway and TN1, but the modern US70S is 1000 ft. to the east. Learn more here: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/05000727
Dover Hotel (Surrender House) Built around 1851, this inn on the banks of the Cumberland River accomidated riverboat travelers before and after the Civil War. However, the hotel is best known for an important event to end the Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson. Confederate General Simon Buckner used this location as his headquarters during the battle. Despite the Confederates having a strong hold on the area after a couple of days of intense fighting, they were in a difficult position. Buckner sent a note to his friend, Union General Ulysses S. Grant requesting a cease-fire and generous term of surrender. Grant responded with a letter stating he would have nothing short of "Unconditional Surrender" which is a phrase that then became synonomus with Grant. Grant came here to meet Buckner on Feb. 16, 1862 to negotiate that surrender. For the full story, read the rest here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Donelson#Surrender_.... On a personal note, I am reminded of a time I spent with my grandmother who likes shopping at garage sales. I was in the 4th grade at the time, and at a sale I found a medallion commemorating this place, and I got my grandmother to buy it for me. At the time, I knew nothing about Fort Donelson, but just thought it looked neat. A couple of years later as a sixth grader, our cless took a field trip to Fort Donelson, and we saw this place. It was some time after that that I put two and two together and realized the building we visited on the class trip was the same place on the medallion. Have you ever had a feeling where you revisited something you saw as a kid, and now that you're bigger the place looks a whole lot smaller than the way you remember it? That's the way I feel on the day I took this picture. I could have sworn this place was much bigger. I's still noit completely certain this is the same place, and it's been a couple of house moves since I've seen the medallion, so I can't be certain.
Doe River Covered Bridge Built in 1882, this is the oldest covered bridge in Tennessee. Constructed at a cost of $3,000 by contractor Dr. E.E. Hunter, George Lindamood and three carpenters, it spans the Doe River for 134 feet, resting on earth and limestone abutments. Hunter hired Colonel Thomas Matson, who had engineered the narrow gauge Tweetsie Railroad, to design the bridge and serve as construction chief. Hunter made a profit of $5 on the bridge, so one of its names is the "Five Dollar Bridge" The original structure was made almost entirely of wood; mainly mountain oak and white pine beams that were hauled down the steep slopes of the mountains by draft horses and mules, weatherboard of mountain poplar, and shingles cleaved by mallet and fro from chestnut. Hand forged steel spikes and hand threaded bolts fastened together the massive pieces of oak flooring. Termed an engineering feat, and listed in the Historic Engineering Record, the Covered Bridge survived numerous floods, including the great May flood of 1901, which destroyed all the other bridges in the county that crossed the Doe River. It is one of two bridges in Tennessee identified by a Tennessee Historical marker and is included on the National Registry of Historic Sites. The Covered Bridge remains the most photographed and most admired historical structure in Carter County. The bridge contains one span and is of Howe Truss design. Inside the bridge is one lane of vehicle traffic, plus a pedestrian walkway, although the bridge is now closed to motor vehicles. Each end of the bridge features a projecting truncated gabled roofline. Two other nicknames of this bridge are "Queen of the South" and "The Kissing Bridge." Every year in June, Elizabethton has a festival called the Covered Bridge Celebration. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-festivals/ 20 Tennessee Summer Festivals You Can’t Miss 5) Elizabethton Covered Bridge Celebration or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/covered-bridge-tn/ There’s A Covered Bridge Trail In Tennessee And It’s Everything You’ve Ever Dreamed Of or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/best-tn-road-trips/ 12 Unforgettable Road Trips To Take In Tennessee Before You Die
Trousdale-Baskerville House - Gallatin, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trousdale-Baskerville_House The Trousdale-Baskerville House, also known as Baskerville House and Maywood, is a historic house in Gallatin, TN. The house was built in 1838 for Richard H. May, the owner of plantations near Natchez, Mississippi who sold it to Benjamin Franklin Simpson in 1839. It was owned by Colonel George Elliott, a veteran of the War of 1812 and the First Seminole War who owned Wall Spring, from 1842 to 1846, when it was purchased by Dr. John Washington Franklin. During the American Civil War of 1861–1865, Franklin joined the Confederate States Army as a surgeon. From 1869 to 1900, the house belonged to Charles Trousdale, a Confederate veteran who was the son of Tennessee Governor William Trousdale. It belonged to Rebecca Donelson Dismukes from 1901 to 1911, when it was purchased by J.T. Baskerville. The house was designed in the Federal architectural style. It was later redesigned in the Late Victorian and Colonial Revival architectural styles. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since July 30, 2009.
Ransome-Morgan House - Bell Buckle, TN This house next door to the Webb School is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Bell Buckle Historic District. From that entry: Marked by five-bay symmetry with a projecting windows at the center bay on the façade, this clapboard/frame house also has carved gingerbread ornaments at each gable end.
Carnegie Library - Chattanooga Today, this is called Carnegie Building and is home to Cumberland Title & Guaranty Co. From Wikipedia: The Old Library Building at 200 E. 8th St. in Chattanooga, TN is a Carnegie library building which was built in 1904. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It was designed by architect Reuben Harrison Hunt in Classical Revival style. It was the first building specifically designed as a library in Chattanooga, although there has been a library in the city since 1867. It was built with a $50,000 Carnegie grant. It was part of the Chattanooga Public Library system.
Miller-Steiner House - Bell Buckle, TN The Miller-Steiner House along Cumberland St. is entry #21 on the Bell Buckle Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the text of the entry: Large, clapboard/frame, 2 & a half story, Victorian residence, asymmetric plan, hip roof, L shape veranda, shingle-clad gables. Dormer features a Palladian style window. Includes an independent cellar with brick entranceway. (Note: the cellar is seen on the far right and Earth is built around it sloping halfway tall in the back.)
Riley H. Andes House - Sevierville, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riley_H._Andes_House The house was built in 1867 for Riley H. Andes, his wife, Rebecca Rimel, and their daughter Sallie. The Italianate and Queen Anne woodcarving was designed by Lewis Buckner, an African-American carpenter, in 1890. After Riley Andes's death in 1917, their daughter Sallie, who was married to J. W. Trotter, rented the house, until she sold it to John Denton in 1942. It is now home to the Robert A. Tino Gallery, named after a local painter. The house has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since July 8, 1980.
Oak Grove Rosenwald School - Sharps Chapel, TN This school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. Here is the text of the Register listing. Constructed in 1935, the Oak Grove School is located at the intersection of Oak Grove Road and Brantley Road, in Sharps Chapel, Union County, Tennessee. The school is surrounded by rural agricultural land, featuring wooded areas, rolling hills, and large swaths of cleared farmland. The two-room school building was constructed from the 1924 Community School Plans issued by the Julius Rosenwald Fund, out of Nashville. Reflecting “Plan Number 20,” the school is a one-story, rectangular-plan building, constructed of wood frame on a continuous brick foundation. The building has an exterior of wood weatherboard siding with a side-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles. Some modest Craftsman details are visible in the overhanging eaves and exposed rafter ends. The school retains a high degree of integrity. Notable features include the meticulously preserved double-hung wood sash windows, and the interior wood partition door. The single alteration since its 1935 construction dates to the mid-1960s, with the addition of an ADA-accessible door and wood ramp on the rear elevation. Setting: The Oak Grove School is located in a rural agricultural area in the Sharps Chapel vicinity, in Union County, Tennessee. Following recommendations from the Community School Plans, the school is oriented towards the east/west, with the façade as the southwest elevation, set back approximately 175 feet from present-day Brantley Road. The school is surrounded by cleared agricultural and wooded land. Located to the southwest of the school building is a small waste collection site owned by Union County, featuring several moveable dumpsters and a graveled parking lot. This site was historically used as an outdoor athletic facility for the students, featuring a baseball field and playground equipment. The field and playground are no longer extant. Exterior Oak Grove School demonstrates a standardized plan for a two-teacher school with an industrial room. The school is a one-story building with a cross-gable metal roof, clad in wood weatherboard siding, resting on a continuous brick foundation. In keeping with the standardized plans, the school lacks elaborate detailing, showing Craftsman influences only in the exposed rafter tails and widely-overhanging eaves. The façade (southwest elevation) is five bays wide and features a projecting center room with four adjoining, nine-over-nine, double-hung wood sash windows and a front-gable roof. On either side of the centrally located room are two entrances, covered with simple metal shed-roof awnings with diagonal wood bracings. The entrances are recessed into the primary structure, located in small vestibules accessible by two concrete steps. Within the vestibules are original five-panel wood doors, topped by three-light wood transoms. The first and last bays feature paired six-over-six, double-hung wood sash windows. The northwest elevation is a solid wood weatherboard wall, with one rectangular vent cut into the brick foundation and a triangular, louvered gable end vent. The northeast elevation features two long bands of windows, with one for each classroom. Each band contains six adjoining nine-over-nine, double-hung wood sash windows surrounded by simple wood trim. The only modification to the original structure is visible on this elevation, with a secondary entry centrally located between the two bands of windows. This entry, featuring a non-historic six-panel door surrounded by simple wood trim, was added in the mid-1960s and is accessible via a long ramp that extends along the building toward the north elevation. The ramp is wood and features simple square wood balusters. The ramp and rear entryway provides access to the building for people with physical disabilities. The southeast elevation is similar to the northwest elevation, featuring a solid wood weatherboard wall with one rectangular vent cut into the brick foundation. A small square entry is also cut into the brick foundation to provide access to the crawl space. Historic integrity Integrity of design is immaculately preserved in the Oak Grove School; the original Plan # 20 documented in the Community School Plans remains the same, with modern alterations (a bathroom replacing one cloakroom) adhering to the original plan. A rear entryway, added in the mid-1960s to allow access for people with disabilities, is unobtrusive to the original plan. The school building also retains its original materials on both the exterior and interior, including the wood double-hung sash windows, weatherboard siding, wood flooring, wood beadboard interior wall covering, and interior doors. The most notable of the original materials are the wood partition doors that were installed to divide the two classrooms. Despite decades of neglect, a clear integrity of workmanship is evident in the schoolhouse as the materials and underlying structure of the building have been rehabilitated instead of replaced. Drawing from the retention of all original materials and complimented by the surrounding rural agricultural area, the Oak Grove School retains integrity of feeling and association that reflect the slow spread of early-twentieth century educational practices and plan book architecture through Tennessee’s rural areas.
Claiborne County Jail - Tazewell, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claiborne_County_Jail The Claiborne County Jail in Tazewell, TN, is a historic jail that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The two-story limestone and brick jail was built in 1819. It replaced Claiborne County's first jail, a crude structure built on the same site in 1804. The 1819 jail was used until 1931.
Ruskin Cave College The story of this place is better than my photo, But I've never had good access. Ruskin, TN began as a Socialist Utopia in the late 1890s when they bought land around a cave in Dickson County (now Ruskin Cave). When the Ruskin Co-operative disbanded, the primary building (seen here) had many uses over the next few decades, including as a college and a resort. It's an interesting story you can read on the National Register of Historic Places website here: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/74001911 When I took this picture in 2014, the Ruskin property (especially the cave) was a campground. It was closed in the winter, so I had to look through the trees along highway TN46. At the time, it was owned by the Dickson Renaissance Center, which was soon after purchased by Freed-Hardeman University which didn't need it and sold it. Today, it is a wedding venue where you can't tour the property. They say they are restoring the exterior of the building to look as it did back when it was a college.
Highland Chapel Union Church - Ridgetop, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Chapel_Union_Church Highland Chapel Union Church is a historic nondenominational Protestant church on Highland Avenue in Ridgetop, TN. In the 19th century, before the church was established, children in the community attended Sunday school in their school building. Preachers of various different denominations conducted worship services from time to time, establishing a local pattern wherein congregants were unconcerned with denominational identity. In 1890 this led to construction of the community's first church building, called Oak Dell Church. That church was destroyed by a fire in 1904 and replaced by the current church, which was built in 1906. In 1920 its name was changed from Oak Dell to Highland Chapel Union Church. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Borden Milk Plant - Fayetteville, TN If you look at the full resolution version of this photo, you can see Elsie the cow (Borden's Mascot) painted on a door under the awning. From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borden_Milk_Plant The Borden Milk Plant, now the home of the Fayetteville-Lincoln County Museum, is a historic dairy processing plant in Fayetteville, TN. History: The Borden Milk Plant was built by the Borden Company in 1927 to process raw milk into butter and powdered milk. It was among the earliest industrial facilities to be established by a major U.S. company in the former Confederacy in the years after the Civil War. The facility was important to the economy of Lincoln County and the surrounding region, particularly during the Great Depression, when it provided the only source of cash income for the area's farmers. In its first month of business, it paid $25,000 to the farmers who supplied raw milk. At its peak of operation, it had 75 employees and obtained milk from over 1,200 dairy farmers in the area. Local hog farmers used whey from the plant (a byproduct of milk processing) as a supplementary feed for their hogs. In its later years, the plant produced cottage cheese from skimmed milk. During World War II, it supplied dried eggs and dried milk to the U.S. military. The milk processing plant closed in 1962. In 1988 the facility was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Borden Powdered Milk Plant". Museum The Fayetteville-Lincoln County Museum, which is housed in the former milk plant, has 33,000 square feet of exhibit space. The history of agriculture in the local area is a major focus of the museum. Other exhibits include a large collection of Native American artifacts, an electric train display, and items related to the military career of U.S. Admiral Frank Kelso, a native of Fayetteville.
Hancock County Old Jail - Sneedville, TN The Old Jail is on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the text from its entry: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/73001784 The "Old Jail," built circa 1860, is on Jail Street, one block west of the main street in Sneedville. It is a two-story brick structure painted red with a tin roof and a chimney on each side. Each of the seven openings on the front side is surmounted by a plain lintel painted white [Brent's note: white paint removed since 2009] The only attempt at any decoration is the brick corbeling across the front. The porch, which is a later addition and which covers the entrance floor, projects to the edge of the sidewalk. At present, there are three exterior entrances on the first floor. The center door appears not to be used now, but it leads into the center hall. It is flanked by two doors, each leading into the side rooms. On either side of these doors is a window, while there are three windows on the second floor. Although there is now a small clapboard wing, the house was originally only one room deep with a center hall having a stairway and with a room on each side. The two mantels on the first floor include a simple wood one and a small simple Victorian marble mantel. The "Old Jail" continues to be used for its original purpose. [Brent's note: this was written in 1973. Today it is a museum, library and genealogical society.] First floor rooms serve as the county sheriff's residence and the second floor is used for prisoners. Male prisoners are kept in a large steel cage in the open area. Female prisoners are placed in the smaller, enclosed room where the original sheathing can be detected. Located in the very rough and mountainous northeast section of Tennessee, Hancock County has always been one of the most sparsely populated and poorest counties in the state. The area, around which is now Sneedville, was settled in the first quarter of the nineteenth century and was originally called the Greasy Rock area. Hancock County was formed in 1844 from portions of Hawkins and Claiborne counties. Because of various constitutional disputes, however, Hancock County did not begin to conduct any business until 1848. In 1850, a small but substantial brick courthouse was erected as well as a log jail.- The latter was replaced in 1860 by the present brick building which continues to serve as the county jail. The courthouse burned shortly before 1887 according to the Goodspeed History of Tennessee. Some people claim the "Old Jail" to be the oldest building in Sneedville, which is quite possible. Certainly, it is the oldest public building, and the only one left having historical connections with the early years of the county. It is the major landmark in the area. Citizens have discussed the desirability of converting the "Old Jail" into a museum of local history after constructing a new jail, which they feel is desperately needed. In an area where buildings of architectural or historical significance are lacking, the Old Jail does possess significance for Hancock County.
Lenoir Cotton Mill Ruins - Lenoir City, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenoir_Cotton_Mill The Lenoir Cotton Mill was a 19th-century cotton mill located in Lenoir City, TN. One of the earliest examples of industrial architecture in Tennessee, the mill operated variously from its construction around 1830 until the 1950s. The mill was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s. Efforts to restore the mill began in 1980, but before the restoration could be completed, the mill was destroyed by arson in 1991 (and removed from the Register). The Lenoir Cotton Mill was one of several enterprises established by early settler and entrepreneur William Ballard Lenoir (1775–1852). Lenoir moved to the area in 1810 after his father, General William Lenoir, deeded to him the 5,000-acre tract of land comprising what is now Lenoir City. The younger Lenoir established the Lenoir Manufacturing Company in 1817, which engaged in multiple agricultural and industrial enterprises throughout the 19th century. The cotton mill was completed in the early 1830s and gradually expanded in subsequent decades. During the U.S. Civil War, Union soldiers destroyed parts of the estate of the Confederate-leaning Lenoir family, but spared the mill due to William Ballard Lenoir's son Benjamin's Mason affiliations. After the Lenoir family sold the mill in the 1890s, it operated variously as a hosiery mill and later as a flour mill. The Lenoir Cotton Mill site is located near the corner of Depot Street and South Hill Street, just off U.S. Route 11 in downtown Lenoir City. Town Creek, which flows along the eastern base of the mill site, empties into the Tennessee River about a half-mile to the south. The William Ballard Lenoir house, built in 1821, still stands across the street from the mill site, although it has been drastically modified as a residential apartment complex. Another structure related to the mill, the Lenoir Cotton Mill Warehouse, stands about a half-mile to the southeast, and has recently been restored and currently serves as a residence.
Adcock House This home from 1890 is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Bell Buckle Historic District. Not long ago, it was also the Walker Inn Bed and Breakfast. Historic District listing: 8. Adcock House (Webb Highway): Late 19th century, Victorian residence. Two story, clapboard/frame, irregular plan, hip roof, two-story bays feature corner bracketing at eaves, veranda features turned posts, balustrade and vergeboards.
Sevier Station Perhaps the oldest building I have come across in Middle Tennessee is Sevier Station, built by Col. Valentine Sevier, a defender from the Cherokee Indians of the early settlers of the area. Located in Clarksville, TN on Red Paint Hill. The Marker on the right was placed there by the D.A.R. in 1936 Historical Marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Buffalo Valley School Buffalo Valley is a small community on the west side of Putnam County along highway TN96. The 1929 school has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Learn more on the nomination form: npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/ffa8f707-90f0-4f2f-925c-e...
NCStL Section House - DeRossett, TN This 1904 house is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway Section House. A section house is a residence provided by the company for employees who were building the railroad in this area. Very few of these houses remain today. It is located along US70(TN1) in the small White county town of DeRossett and is today known as the Bon Air Coal Miner Railroad Mountain Museum. It's also stop #79 of the Promised Land Trail of the Tennessee Trails and Byways program.
The Athenaeum - Columbia, TN from Wikipedia: The Athenaeum Rectory is a historic building in Columbia, Tennessee that features both Gothic and Moorish architectural elements. Completed in 1837, the building originally served as the rectory for The Columbia Female Institute and as the residence of the school's first president, the Reverend Franklin Gillette Smith. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The structure, later to be known as the Athenaeum Rectory, was originally intended to be the residence of Samuel Polk Walker, nephew of President James K. Polk. Construction commenced in 1835. By the time construction was completed in 1837, the intended resident had been changed to the Reverend Franklin Gillette Smith who came to Tennessee to serve as the president of The Columbia Female Institute, an Episcopal school for female students. In 1851, the Rev. Smith resigned from the Columbia Female Institute due to alleged improprieties with a student. The authority who asked for his resignation was the Institute's co-founder, Rt. Rev. James Hervey Otey, the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee. Stung by a general backlash from Smith's local supporters, Bishop Otey moved his family and his administrative base to Memphis, Tennessee, which continued as the seat of Tennessee's bishops, informally and formally, until 1982, when the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee was created. Still committed to his educational mission, Rev. Smith soon founded the Columbia Athenaeum School on property adjacent to the Columbia Female Institute. The Athenaeum Rectory continued to serve as the residence for the Smith family and housed reception areas for the newly founded school. The Columbia Athenaeum continued to operate until 1903. During its 52 years of operation, the school developed a national reputation for the breadth and quality of its curriculum. Reverend Smith believed that the intelligence level of women was equivalent to that of men and offered courses that were traditionally available to only men such as calculus, physics, and marine biology. The main school complex consisted of twelve buildings. Once the school had ceased operation, the property was sold by the Smith heirs. The facilities housed a local high school until 1914. In 1915, the City of Columbia constructed a new high school on the property. Members of the Smith family continued to occupy the Athenaeum Rectory until 1973 when it was donated to the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities for use by the residents of Maury County. Today, the rectory is operated as a historic house museum. In addition, a small cottage that Reverend Smith used as a study survives to this day. Events are held twice annually which recreate the educational experiences of young women at the female institute. The Athenaeum Rectory features elements from a variety of architectural styles: Gothic, Moorish, Greek Revival, Italianate, and others. The structure was designed by Adolphus Heiman, an architect of the early 19th century who designed many buildings in the Middle Tennessee area. Nathan Vaught, a master builder from Maury County, was responsible for construction of the building. Today, it is open for tours: www.athenaeumrectory.com/ Update: the Tennessee Preservation Trust added this to the 2014 Ten in Tennessee: a yearly list of threatened historic sites. www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org/ten-in-tn/2014-ten-in-...
Zion Presbyterian Church Between 1805 and 1808, Scottish-Irish settlers arrived in Maury County from South Carolina. Among them were descendants of John Knox, who organized and built a log church in 1807 before building homes for their families. That log church stood near the center of a tract of land purchased from the heirs of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, who received 25,000 acres in Maury County for his service during the Revolutionary War. The present building was completed in 1849 and was built my members and slaves who cut the wood and crafted the bricks at the site. Measuring 80 by 50 feet, it is three stories tall with a recessed porch and built in a Greek Revival style. An old cemetery with 1500 graves surrounds the building. Among those buried here amid the shrubs and trees are fifteen Revolutionary War soldiers, three from the War of 1812, one from the Seminole War of 1836 and sixty Confederate soldiers. Today, it is the oldest active congregation in the county and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historical Marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Sulfur Fork Bridge - Port Royal, TN Port Royal State Historic Park is important as a stop for the early days of travel in Tennessee. This bridge in the park was built in 1887 to accommodate an old route of the Clarksville-Springfield Highway across Sulfur Fork Creek. Today, the bridge is only available to pedestrian traffic. The bridge is a Pratt through truss design and made by the Converse Bridge Co. The main span is 114 ft. long and 14.5 ft. wide. The entire bridge is 231 ft. long. This creek is also a border between counties, so I am standing in Montgomery County and the other side is in Robertson County. 2020 Update: This bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. See article: www.mainstreetclarksville.com/news/sulphur-fork-bridge-ea... Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/port-royal-state-histor... This Entire Town In Tennessee Was Turned Into A State Park You Can’t Pass Up
James County Courthouse - Ooltewah, TN Many Tennesseans are not familiar with James County. Soon after the civil war, portions of Hamilton County (Chattanooga) and Bradley County (Cleveland) voted to form their own county and named it after Jesse James. (not that Jesse James! A local state senator, Elbert James, wanted it named after his dad.) Ooltewah, TN was the county seat and this, the third court house was built in 1913. The county went bankrupt in 1919 and the county was absorbed by Hamilton County. Today, this is the Mountain Oaks Wedding Chapel: www.wedd4love.com/
Montgomery County Courthouse at Night - Clarksville, TN This is the 4th Courthouse to be built in Clarksville. It was constructed in 1879 for $100,000, and was placed in a location that was away from the town square. It was designed with Italianate and Victorian elements in a classical style and is topped with a tall clock tower. This courthouse was built after a devastating fire turned the previous courthouse and much of the city was turned to rubble. On April 13, 1878, the fire started, which was aided by wind as well as the town's only fire engine broke down early. This fire wasn't fully out until another fire engine was sent by train from Nashville. On March 12, 1900 another fire almost destroyed this courthouse. It was believed to have started in the southeast section of a flue in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. By now, the town had learned its lesson and had better fire-fighting practices in place, which saved the building. Steel girders and beams in the ceiling were anchored in cement keeping the lower floor intact, although the roof and tower collapsed. After inspection, the remnants were deemed structurally sound and the building was rebuilt with a new clock and the soaring bronze eagle was reinstated in his aerie on the top. On March 20, 1976, heavy winds caused the eagle on top to be blown off and it was feared to be lost but eventually found and reattached. Disaster struck again on Jan. 22, 1999, when an F4 tornado struck downtown, crippling the courthouse and causing $74 million damage to the city. Sections of the roof and spires were ripped away, the clock tower was leveled and the east wall was collapsed. The eagle was never found. After considering building a new courthouse, city leaders decided to rebuild this one again. The exterior was rebuilt to look just like it had been and the interior was redesigned. A replicated tower and eagle was again placed on top. All repairs were completed in the fall of 2002. How long will it last this time? Clarksville has a very storied past of disasters with fires, tornados and floods. This view was taken from the top of a parking garage.
Cane Ridge Cumberland Presbyterian Church - Antioch, TN Cane Ridge Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a historic church in Antioch, TN added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Here is the text of the historic marker: Cane Ridge Cumberland Presbyterian Church, built in 1859, replaced a log building which occupied land donated by Edwin Austin & Thomas Boaz in 1826. One of the best known pastors was Hugh Bone Hill who also preached at the Jerusalem Church in Rutherford County. Isaac Johnson, a Revolutionary War soldier, died 1839 & is buried in the church cemetery.
Rhea-Mims Hotel - Newport, TN Rhea-Mims Hotel, constructed in 1925 and placed on the NRHP in 1998. In 2000, the hotel was refurnished as a home for senior citizens. In Newport, it is located along Broadway (US25/70) across the street from the County Courthouse
Bridal House - Cottontown, TN Text of the nearby historic marker: In 1795, Thomas Cotton founded Cottontown. He had been a captain of Hertford County, North Carolina Militia during the revolution. In 1819 Moore Cotton, son of Thomas, built Bridal House for his only daughter, Elizabeth. The House is architecturally significant and recognized primarily for its construction with unusually large logs, measuring about three feet in width. National Register of Historic Places entry: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/82004059
Webb School Alumni Building Now known as the Admissions office, the central building on the Webb School campus is listed on the National Register of historic places as part of the Bell Buckle Historic District. It is located along Webb Highway (TN82) 1/4 Mi. E of the middle of town. Here is the listing on the nominating form: 13. Webb School Alumni Building (Webb Highway): 1928, one story, brick, hipped roof covered with tile shingles, rectangular plan, two stage corner set tower with buttresses and leaded windows. Horizontal unity and texture established by contrasting masonry detail, drip course, lintels, water table string course, and raised foundation walls. Diamond shaped window lights in upper sashes.
Princess Theater at night - Harriman, TN The neon is new. Here is a picture before it was added: flic.kr/p/eaRT3Z Note: There were people in costume in front of the theater. The had a showing of Princess Bride on this night. The Princess Theater opened in Harriman in 1926 and was notable for being a large 900-seat theater for a small town. The theater was destroyed by a fire in 1939 but reopened later that year. The theater thrived for several decades but in 1987 the company that owned it wanted to close it. Theater manager Cecil Johnson leased the building and continued to operate it until he retired in 1999. Starting in 2001, several local organizations began to raise money to restore the theater. The goal was to get the Princess back to its Art Deco grandeur. For the full story: www.princessharriman.org/history/ The theater is located right in the heart of Harriman's business district along Roane St. (US27). It is included on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Roane Street Commercial Historic District.
Caleb Isbester House - Chattanooga, TN Full description at the National Register of Historic Places nominating form: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/82003975 Highlights: Built 1896. Queen Anne style with Chateauesque influence. Foundation made from local rusticated limestone. Two story wraparound porch. Features mock turrets, fish-scale shingles Caleb Isbester, born in Scotland, came to US at a young age, local industrial leader who formed Chattanooga Foundry and Pipe Works. Died two years after home built. Daughter Ginny married businessman William Crabtree, the two lived here. He became mayor 1907. In the 1930s, sold to UT Chattanooga, became dormitory for school athletes. In the early 1980s, was owned by Bill Chapin, who ran, and was a descendent of the founders of Rock City. It is again owned by UTC as the Alumni House.
Vardy Presbyterian Church Vardy Presbyterian Church is located in Vardy Valley of Hancock County, TN. The area was settled in the early 1800s by several Melungeons, led by Vardeman "Vardy" Collins. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Vardy School Community Historic District. While the school itself has collapsed, several nearby historic buildings make up this historic district. From Wikipedia: Vardy Presbyterian Church, a one-story structure built in 1899 by Morgan Osborne and Miles Watson of nearby Blackwater, Virginia. The church has white frame walls, a pitched tin roof, and a two-story side-gabled roof bell tower. The entrance to the church is via double-leaf door at the base of the bell tower. The church has pointed arch windows on its sides and a tripartite pointed-arch tracery window on its front façade. Heavy swinging double-doors divide the vestibule and sanctuary. Services continued at the Church until 1980. By 1984, when the Vardy school, church, and ancillary structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places, Vardy had just eight residents. With a $10,000 grant from the Tennessee Humanities Council, the Vardy Community Historical Society began restoring the Vardy Community School's surviving structures. In 2000, the group restored the Mahala Mullins Cabin (flic.kr/p/2ocGauc) and moved it from atop Newman's Ridge to Vardy Blackwater Road, opposite the church. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vardy_Community_School
Fort Wood Historic District - Chattanooga This is property #87 on the Fort Wood Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The listing includes these notes: Built 1922. rectangular, 2 stories, brick, tile hipped roof, 2 story central portico with fluted Ionic columns, multi-lighted transom with keystone and sidelights at door, second floor has a modified Palladian opening and a balcony, exposed rafters.
Melton Hill Dam Melton Hill Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Clinch River just south of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam from 1960-64 to extend the Tennessee Valley's continuous navigation channel up the Clinch as far as Clinton and to increase TVA's overall power-generating capacity. The dam impounds the 5,470-acre Melton Hill Lake, and is the only TVA tributary dam serviced by a navigation lock. The dam and associated infrastructure were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. Melton Hill Dam was named for a knob atop nearby Copper Ridge where the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey installed a triangulation station in 1884 Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melton_Hill_Dam For this photo, I am on the southern side of the river in Loudon County. The other side of the river is Roane County as the county line goes down the river here.
St. Elmo Church of Christ This Gothic church building with Byzantine and Tudor influences was completed in 1923. It is two stories of brick, with gabled roof and parapet, arched windows and stone keystones. It is located in the St. Elmo neighborhood of Chattanooga with Lookout Mountain in the background. It is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the St. Elmo Historic District. This is also the church my Father-in-law attended as a child. He always thought fondly of this congregation and in his office had a framed newspaper advertisement of one of their gospel meetings.
Marathon Motor Works - Nashville, TN From Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_Motor_Works Marathon Motor Works was a brass era automobile manufacturer based in Tennessee. Southern Engine and Boiler Works founded in 1889, which made industrial engines and boilers in Jackson, TN, established the factory in 1907. From 1909 to 1914, the company manufactured the Marathon automobile in Nashville, TN. Southern Engine and Boiler Works engineer, William Henry Collier, developed a gasoline engine and prototype automobile in 1906. Southern Engine built a few automobiles to Collier's design before expanding to a plant in Nashville. The Marathon Motor Works were established from a cotton mill complex. Southern Engine decided to engineer and build every part of its automobile in-house. The vehicles had been marketed as Southerns at first, but another firm was using that name. In 1910, Marathon Motor Works was created to produce the Marathon automobile, named out of the enthusiasm for things Greek which had grown out of the 1904 Olympics. 1909 saw a two-model lineup, roadster and touring car, powered by 35 HP 4-cylinder engines. Both were open bodies (tops were optional) and sold for about $1,500. By 1912 production reached 200 cars monthly. Marathons acquired a good reputation for quality and durability due to the factory controlling all parts, engineering and manufacturing. Demand exceeded supply, but financial improprieties were alleged and receivership soon followed. H. H. Brooks, General Sales Manager, arranged for Marathon sales to be handled by the Herff Brothers in 1913. The Herff-Brooks Corporation purchased the Marathon machinery and moved production and many workers to Richmond, Indiana. On the National Register of Historic Places, the preserved building has a museum and shops. Although only nine Marathons are known to have survived, five of these are currently in the Marathon building's museum.
Northcutt Cove Chapel Mormon Church Northcutt Cove is a small area just northwest of Altamont down the Cumberland Plateau. The Mormon church building here is the oldest Mormon church building remaining in Tennessee, and one of the oldest in the Southeast. Mormon missionaries first came to the area around 1896. As their numbers grew, a building was soon needed and this chapel was ready in 1909. The first event here was in October of 1909, a debate between the regional Mormon president and a local Church of Christ preacher. As the congregation grew, and members moved closer to Altamont, This building was built. Today, the Northcutt Cove Chapel is on the National Register of Historic Places. There is a cemetery behind the building where local Mormons still get buried. Here is their historic marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Chuckey, TN Train Depot Chuckey is a small unincorporated community in Greene County, TN. This depot was built in 1906 for use by Southern Railway. There was an AP story written in the last month that some preservationists in nearby Jonesborough are looking to either partner with the residents of Chuckey to restore the depot or move it to Jonesborough.
Harper Memorial Library Maryville, TN. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Williamson County Courthouse Williamson County's first two courthouses (one log and the second of brick) were located in the center of Franklin's town square. This one is the third, completed in 1858 at a cost of $20,000. There are about 7 antebellum courthouses still in use in Tennessee. The Four iron columns were strip-mined from deposits along the Caney Fork Creek, smelted in nearby Fernvale and cast at a Franklin foundry. The brick walls are 24 inches thick and the doors are of quarter inch sheets of wrought iron. During the Civil War, it served as the federal headquarters. Then, after the Battle of Franklin it served as a hospital. In 1880, a lynch mob hung a man from the railing of the second floor balcony while forcibly restraining the judge and sheriff. The interior was remodeled in 1937, 1964 and 1976. An annex was added in 1976. A photo of the building from the mid 1970's shows the entire exterior was painted white, although I'm not sure when that was first done, or when the original brick was restored. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places. In the center of the town square today is a confederate statue and four cannons, one at each corner.
Medical Arts Building - Knoxville, TN The Medical Arts building was constucted in downtown Knoxville with the style of Gothic Revival wth Art Deco influence. When construction began in 1929, plans were to make it 13 stories tall, but with the great depression, it was reduced to 10 when building was complete in 1932. Today, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shepard's Inn - Dandridge, TN All three of Tennessee's Presidents, Jackson, Polk and Johnson, stayed at this popular resting and eating spot for stagecoach travelers. Originally, it was built as a two story log home in 1814. Shadrach Inman added the frame exterior in ca. 1823. There are stepping blocks for ladies located in the front. Today, it's on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Dandridge Historic District.
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_Peter_and_Paul_Basilica Saints Peter and Paul Basilica is a historic Roman Catholic church at 214 E. 8th Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is one of the oldest continuing parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville. Under the leadership of Father William Walsh, an Irish priest, ground was broken on the current church site on February 1, 1888. The current building was dedicated June 29, 1890.
Overton County Courthouse (2024) - Livingston, TN This was my 4th visit to this courthouse and the first time when it didn't start raining on me. The previous visit was 2013. Since then, they have added "In God We Trust" onto the courthouse, just like in neighboring Putnam County. This courthouse is one of the oldest ones in the state, dating to 1868-69. It was built on the same foundation as the previous courthouse which dates back to 1855 but was destroyed by a fire just over a decade later. The two story building has a gabled roof and pedimented detailing at each end. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Richard Hardy Memorial School - South Pittsburg, TN Richard Hardy was the President of the Dixie Portland Cement Company and this area of town was at one time known as Richard City. It is nicer than a typical public school since the funds were donated by Hardy. The school wasn't named after him until his death in 1927 Text from the National Register of Historic Places 1982 nominating form: Completed In 1926, the Richard Hardy Memorial School is constructed on a "T" shaped plan and is Neo-Classical in design. Constructed of hollow concrete tile with limestone decorative elements, the structure rises to a height of three stories, except for two wings on either side of the main block which are only two stories high. The school is a monumental building in the community, a characteristic which is accentuated visually by its location in the heart of a residential area. Despite the need for some exterior maintenance, the building is in a very good state of preservation with its interior in near original condition. Richard Hardy Memorial School is located at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Marion Avenue on a spacious lot of approximately five acres. The building faces east and the grounds are encompassed by a three-foot high wire fence. Those portions of the lot fronting on streets are surrounded by concrete sidewalks. Hardy Memorial is located in one of South Pittsburg's older residential areas and is the focal point of the neighborhood which surrounds it. Designed by former Chattanooga architect Charles E. Bearden, the structure is purely Neo-Classical in style and was intended to be a structure of beauty and utility for the enjoyment of the community at large as well as by the children who would attend school there. This school was built on a "T" shaped plan with the top of the "T" consisting of a. main block of three stories and two-'adjacent wings of two stories in height. The main block houses classrooms, offices, assembly rooms, the library, and a spacing lobby on the first-floor. A three-story section containing the auditorium and stage form the shank of the "T" plan while the gymnasium forms the base of the "T". Concrete, structural steel, limestone, and terrazzo were employed to a great extent in the construction of the school in an effort to make it one of the most advanced examples of fireproof construction of its day. The only structural use of wood is in the construction of the gymnasium floor. Elements of the Neo-Classical style are readily apparent in the structure's symmetrical design and in the application of its exterior decorative elements. Its most distinguishing exterior feature is the two-story monumental portico executed in cut limestone which has six Doric columns crowned by an elaborate crenelated entablature. The entablature has an ornate frieze with triglyphs and alternating diamond and bulls eye motifs. Cut limestone pilasters flank door and window openings on the front of the main block under the portico, and elaborate stone door surrounds which repeat the elements of the entablature flank the two pairs of front doors. The portico floor is terrazzo and the original globe lanterns are still in place and are functional. Windows are symmetrically placed throughout the building. Six and eight light double hung sash are used alternately on the front, side, and rear elevations. On the façade, second floor windows have twelve-light casement sash. The wings adjacent to the main block as well as the section housing the gymnasium, are ornamented with cut limestone pilasters and topped with crenelated entablatures which carry the same motif as the portico. Pedimented parapets rise above the flat roofs of the-main block and gymnasium sections, and the original chimney rises above the line of the parapets over the gymnasium. A simple frieze carrying the bulls eye motif encompasses the three story sections of the building at the line of the top of the third floor ceiling. With the minor exception of the sheet metal ventilators on the roof, this structure retains its exact original appearance. The interior of the school is reminiscent of that of a fine hotel or theatre, complete with terrazzo floors, decorative plaster walls, cast iron stair rails, marble bases, oak and walnut woodwork, and original wall sconces. Despite over fifty years of continuous use as a public school, the building retains its original interior finishes with the minor exception of periodic repainting; however, original paint schemes are still employed. The two most significant interior spaces are the library and the auditorium. Doors into the library have elaborate walnut door surrounds of pilasters crowned with entablatures. Library ceilings are vaulted and plastered, and windows are complete with walnut window seats. The original shelves, library tables and chairs, and most of the original books are still in use. An elaborately ornamented and equipped auditorium remains today just as it was when constructed. Ornamental plaster was used to decorate the walls, ceilings, and proscenium arch of the stage. Plaster arches with keystones reflecting the Roman arched auditorium windows are employed along the back of the auditorium and on each side of the stage and thus visually balance the interior. The original opera seats, theatrical lighting system, and stage backdrops are still in place. Though it has been painted in recent years, the auditorium retains its original color scheme of soft yellow and blue. Most of the school's interior spaces retain their original equipment and use; however, some minor changes have been made. Only the manual arts and home economics rooms have lost their original use and thus the equipment formerly occupying those spaces has been removed. These rooms do, however, retain their original configuration and building fabric. In most of the classrooms the original desks and chairs are still in use.
White Plains - Algood, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Plains_(Cookeville,_Tennessee) White Plains is an antebellum plantation house located in Algood, Tennessee near the U.S. city of Cookeville. In the 19th century, the plantation provided a key stopover along the Walton Road, an early stagecoach road connecting Knoxville and Nashville, and in 1854 served as a temporary county seat for the newly formed Putnam County. In 2009, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The White Plains plantation was established in 1809 by William Quarles (1752–1814), a Revolutionary War veteran who had migrated to the area from Virginia. Quarles' grandson, Stephan Decatur Burton (1813–1892), built the White Plains house sometime around 1848, and in the late 1950s Harvey Draper bought the house and made numerous renovations. Location: White Plains is located on the eastern Highland Rim, a plateau-like upland between the higher Cumberland Plateau to the east and the lower Nashville Basin to the west. The western escarpments of the Cumberland Plateau, known locally as "Algood Mountain" and "Buck Mountain," rise about a mile to the east. The house stands along Old Walton Road just outside the municipal boundary of Algood. History: What is now White Plains was part of Cherokee lands ceded to the United States with the signing of the Third Treaty of Tellico in 1805. The Walton Road, a stagecoach road completed in 1801 connecting Knoxville and Nashville, brought the earliest permanent legal settlers to the Upper Cumberland region. Around 1804, an early pioneer named Daniel Alexander established an inn along the Walton Road at what is now White Plains. In 1808, Alexander sold the inn and land to William Quarles, a lawyer and Revolutionary War veteran from Bedford County, Virginia. Quarles moved his family, belongings, and thirty slaves to the new land in December 1809. According to family tradition, Quarles named the land "White Plains," as the waves of prairie grass appeared white in the winter sunlight as Quarles looked out over the land from the edge of the Cumberland Plateau. Shortly after his arrival, Quarles built a two-story log house with a detached kitchen and office, and several slave cabins. Within a few years, Quarles had established a general store, blacksmith shop, and post office at White Plains. The Kentucky Stock Road, a cattle drovers' path connecting Huntsville, Alabama and Danville, Kentucky, was developed in subsequent years and intersected the Walton Road at White Plains. The Quarles' inn was a popular stopover for travelers along these two roads, and three U.S. presidents— Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson— are known to have lodged at White Plains. Quarles's youngest son, John Adams Quarles (1802–1876), may have inspired author Mark Twain's story, "The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (John Quarles was married to Twain's aunt, Martha Lampton). Quarles's daughter, Sallie, was married to U.S. Congressman Adam Huntsman, famous in Tennessee history for defeating Davy Crockett in the 1834 election and prompting Crockett's angry departure to Texas. On April 2, 1814, William P. Quarles was murdered by a man named William Phillips. His wife, Ann Hawes Quarles, continued to manage White Plains until her death in 1844, when the land passed to Stephen Decatur Burton (1813–1892), a grandson of William and Ann. Burton built the present house at White Plains in 1848, and built a two-story schoolhouse for the small community's children. Largely through inheritance, Burton was one of the Upper Cumberland's largest slaveholders, owning around 100 slaves at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. During the war, Burton lost the bulk of his fortune when Union forces burned several warehouses in Chattanooga, where Burton had amassed $125,000 worth of cotton. In the latter half of the 19th century, the community around White Plains disintegrated, although the house and farm remained in the hands of the Quarles-Burton family. The family eventually sold the house to Harvey Draper, who remodeled the house in the late 1950s. In 2018, the City of Algood purchased White Plains with plans to turn it into a museum. House: The house at White Plains was originally constructed in 1848 by Stephen Decatur Burton after the loghouse built by his grandfather William Quarles burned. The house originally consisted of a hewn log frame with weatherboard siding, built around a central floor plan. Two 15-foot (4.6 m) by 15-foot (4.6 m) rooms flank both sides of the central hallway on the first floor, and the second floor consists of four 15-foot (4.6 m) by 15-foot (4.6 m). A sitting room was added to the rear of the house in 1925. The 1958 renovations included the addition of a brick exterior, a front portico, and two single-story wings containing a kitchen and several bedrooms. The interior of the house originally consisted of poplar floors, although the poplar floor on the first story was covered with hardwood in 1958. The original rooms all had a fireplace, each with a unique mantel. A "dog-leg" staircase accesses the second story. The first-story hallway has built-in gun cabinets and a 19th-century pier mirror (the latter added in 1958).
First National Bank - South Pittsburg, TN npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/91000826 -listed on the National Register of Historic Places -today is South Pittsburg City Hall -two-story Romanesque building, built in 1887. It is red brick with a brick and stone foundation, rectangular in plan. It has a hipped slate roof with decorative flashing on the ridges. Paired stone belt courses divide the building between the first and second levels and the second level and attic. A pressed metal architrave with pressed dentils, a brick frieze, and a metal cornice form the building entablature which runs along the south and east facades. A circa 1905 addition on the east façade forms the entry to the interior stairwell. The addition has two stories on the east and north facades and one story on the west façade. It almost doubles the width of the south façade, creating a slightly recessed secondary façade.
Brown's Ferry Tavern - Chattanooga, TN Brown's Ferry Tavern was one of the earliest Chattanooga sites added to the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the form: npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/71000822 Looking very impressive as it stands atop a knoll on Brown's Ferry Road, the Brown's Ferry Tavern commands a dramatic view of the surrounding Lookout Valley. John Brown, a half-Indian, had the tavern built in 1803 by Caspar Vaught from Blount County in East Tennessee. Vaught was a carpenter who came to do some work near this location for William Lewis Lovely, sub-agent under Colonel R. J. Meigs for the Cherokee Indians. The two-story log structure originally had two large rooms downstairs, separated by a dog-trot, and three rooms upstairs. A boxed-in winding stairway leads from the south end room to the second floor. The original pine floors still remain in all except one room. The exposed beams in the ceilings of all the rooms help to demonstrate the sturdy construction of the tavern. At each end of the tavern is a huge stone chimney, over eight feet in width. A fireplace in each room with a simple pine mantel provided the heat. A porch extends across almost the entire front of the tavern. Sometime following the Civil War an addition was built across the rear of the building to be used as a kitchen and back porch. Subsequent owners rearranged the addition, converting it into a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. In recent years the open dog-trot has been enclosed and is presently being used as a dining room. One of the oldest buildings in Hamilton County, Brown's Ferry Tavern has played an Important role in more than one phase of the county's history. It was built at a time when there was still much Indian activity in the area, and was built for a half-Indian. John Brown was a man of considerable ability, but is said to have been an eccentric character. He led a company in the Cherokee Wars with the Creek Nation, and thus was known as Captain John Brown. In his later years he was a trader, including trading in slaves, a ferry operator, tavern owner, and river pilot. His brother, William Brown, was supreme court judge of the Cherokee Nation and John Ross was his brother-in-law. Brown had his tavern built on a hill in a wooded area, fronting on an Indian trail linking the Creek Nation with tribes to the north. The trail ran essentially from Pensacola to Detroit. As the white man moved into this country, it. was designated a Post Road in 1820, and this segment of the Post Road ran from Kingston, Tennessee, into Alabama. Brown lived in this house and operated it as a tavern until about 1819 when he moved north of the Tennessee River where he lived for approximately ten years. During this time the tavern was operated by a relative, William Doherty, and it became one of the principal stopping places for travelers on the Old Post Road. About 1830 Brown moved back to the tavern and lived until the removal of the Indians in 1838. After a year or so in the Oklahoma Territory he was very dissatisfied and obtained permission to return to his house where he died in 1843, and was buried in a cedar grove back of the house. In addition to being a very important stopping place for travelers, Brown's Ferry Tavern played a prominent role in the Civil War in the area. Brown operated a ferry on the Tennessee River about a mile from his tavern, and the ferry was a strategic point on the river. In 1862 the Union forces captured Brown's Ferry, and General Joseph Hooker set up headquarters in Lookout Valley near Brown's tavern. The tavern was used as a commissary for Federal soldiers. It had earlier been occupied by Confederate troops. The road on which it is located was a major supply route for the Federal troops besieged in Chattanooga. Thus, Brown's Ferry Tavern has played an important role in the history of the area, and has seen it develop from a small wilderness outpost in Indian country to a thriving city.
Christ Church Cathedral - Nashville, Tennessee On a personal note, my dad was a director of a local Renaissance Music group which performed here multiple times 15-20 years ago. Here's their organ: flic.kr/p/4bzx4d Listed on the National Register of Historical Places. The Gothic Revival main building made of Sandstone was completed in 1894 with the tower added in 1947.
First Presbyterian Church - Cleveland, TN There's a sign on the front of the building which says the building was built 1856. The date in the half-circle near the top gives the date of Oct. 22, 1858. Old US11 & Lee Highway a couple of blocks away the town square on Ocoee St. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Southern Methodist Publishing House - Nashville, TN en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Methodist_Publishing_House The Southern Methodist Publishing House was first established by Reverend Alexander Little Page Green. The five-story plus basement building was completed in 1906. It was built with steel and concrete, with a limestone and brick façade. It was designed in the Commercial architectural style, with Neoclassical finishes. It was built as a publishing house for the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1957, the building was converted into an annex for the University of Tennessee at Nashville. However, the university moved out of the building by the 1970s. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since September 13, 1984.
Southern Terminal - Knoxville This view was taken from the 2006 Gay St. Viaduct. There are 11 tracks here at its widest point. Southern Railway was formed in the 1890s at the merging of two railroad companies. In 1902, Southern hired architect Frank Pierce Milburn to design new train stations at several of their major terminals. Two years later, the Southern Terminal opened in Knoxville. Many warehouses and factories surrounded this area because of its important shipping routes. The station looks today much the same as it did in 1904, except a large clock tower was removed in 1945 wen deemed structurally unsafe. The last passenger train came through in 1970. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places as the integral part of The Southern Terminal and Warehouse District, an area which is today known as Old City. This passenger station and the freight depot next door are designed in a similar style with Classical Revival influence. Most notable is the corbel-stepped gabled roof.
Lilli House - Franklin, TN This neat house in Franklin is located in the Hincheyville historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, but also goes all out for Halloween decorations. The home was built by Joshua Bates Lillie, the founder of Lillie Mills. Here are the details on the National Register of Historic Places form: ca. 1886, Queen Anne influenced, weatherboard, irregular shape, one story, hip and gable roof, circular porch wraps around circular corner turret with conical roof, central single-leaf door with rectangular transom, 1/1 light rectangular windows, decorative bargeboard and gable fish scale ornamentation.
Jasmine Grove - Franklin, TN Text of the Historic Marker: Built as a two-story frame house in 1850 by William Many, Jasmine Grove was occupied by Union forces during the construction of Fort Granger during the Civil War. In 1916, Jasmine Grove was owned by Charles Sidway who hired Chicago architect Marshall Field to redesign the residence, adding the two-story elliptical portico. In 1930, a group of local residents purchased Jasmine Grove and converted it into a golf and country club. In 1935, W.W. Harlin acquired Jasmine Grove and restored it as a residence. Under W.W. Harlin's guiding hand, Jasmine Grove became a well-known showplace. For years it was the Harlin family residence and placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1988. From Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maney-Sidway_House The Maney-Sidway House, also known as Jasmine Grove and as Myles Manor, is a building in Franklin, TN originally built c.1836, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The building served as a hospital for Union wounded following the Battle of Franklin. It was extensively remodeled in 1916 in Neo-Classical style, including adding an elliptical, two-story portico to the main façade of the building. For the 1916 renovations of the property, it is included in a survey of historic resources of Williamson County as one of only a few notable residential structures in the county that were built during 1900–1935. Henry H. Mayberry House was another, as was a remodeling of the Randal McGavock House, both reflecting Neo-Classical style. The National Register listing includes 11.9 acres (4.8 ha) with two contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and two non-contributing structures
Hincheyville House - Franklin, TN This is one of several houses on the National Register of Historic Places in the Hincheyville Historic District in Franklin, TN. Here is the nominating form writeup. #6) 1831, brick, Y-shaped, one story, gable roof, central single-leaf door with round arched transom and wide sidelights between two floor length six-light windows with round arched transoms,three-sided central porch with decorative posts and trim, plain frieze with brackets, molded surround heads over 4/4 light round arched windows of gable end elevations, circular vents, brick foundation.
St. Mark United Primitive Baptist Church - Spring Hill, TN Built ca. 1900, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/00000811
Christ Temple AME Zion Church - Dandridge, TN This church building has a new owner from when it was added to the National Register. It is located along US25W/70 in Dandridge en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Temple_AME_Zion_Church From Wikipedia: Christ Temple AME Zion Church, also known as Belmont Annex Fellowship Hall, is a historic African-American church at 235 E. Meeting Street in Dandridge, Tennessee. The church's building was originally located in southwestern Dandridge, immediately behind the Bethel Presbyterian Church. It was built circa 1888. In 1912 the congregation was rededicated as Christ Temple AME Zion, and the name and date were recorded on a rectangular marble stone installed in the foundation. In 1935 the church was relocated when its site was acquired by the Jefferson County Board of Education to make room for construction of a new white-only segregated school that was to be built through a New Deal program. The school board bought the site at East Meeting Street and Lake Drive from an African-American Missionary Baptist congregation, and traded that property to the Christ Temple AME Zion congregation in exchange for the AME Zion church's site, so the new school could be built on the former AME Zion church property. The church's building was moved to the new site and rebuilt; the rebuilt building included parts of the 1888 building, but likely contained some new materials and elements. It is a single-story gable-front church building on a brick foundation, with weatherboard siding and a metal-covered roof. It has an arched recessed entranced with two-pane square windows on either side. There is a wood ventilation grille above the entrance at the gable point of the façade. The church ended regular operations in 2002, when only five active members remained in the congregation. Its building became an annex of Belmont AME Zion Church, which is located on Swannsylvania Road in Jefferson County. The church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. At the time of the listing, there were plans to remove carpet, fake pine paneling, and a dropped ceiling that had been installed in the church interior around 1970.
Bethsalem Presbyterian Church - Wartrace, TN This church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing part of the Wartrace Historic District. The brick has only been painted white in the last couple of years. From the listing: 42. 205 Knob Creek Road. Bethsalem Presbyterian Church. 1889. Vernacular Gothic. 1 story, brick, rectangular plan, limestone foundation, multi-paneled wooden doors under pointed arches, stained-glass lancet windows, corbelling over entrance, square brick bell tower, front-gabled roof covered with 'French-lap 1 pattern asphalt shingles, brick buttresses with stone weatherings. (C)
Caney Fork Furnace Text from the Williamson County Historical Society Marker on the right: This stone stack marks the eastern-most site of a significant state industry that ran along the Western Highland Rim where 33 iron furnaces were in blast by 1847. Tennessee produced over 50,000 tons of pig iron by 1856, and often led the south in production before 1860. By 1832, Moses Speer was operating this industrial site on 2000 acres near the Caney Fork creek. Skilled and unskilled laborers including enslaved peoples worked under a hierarchy governed by the ironmaster. Speer's operation was economically unsuccessful, and the property soon defaulted to Rev. Thomas L. Douglass. The furnace was not in blast by 1848 or after when the property was sold by the heirs of Nicholas Perkins. The Rocky River Coal & Lumber Company bought the land in the 1920s for timber and the Harrison family farmed here beginning in the 1930s. The furnace stack survives as the county's only remnant of an industry that peaked in the 1850s and it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Hickerson Hotel - Charlotte, TN built ca. 1856 and located in Charlotte's town square. Today it is part of the Charlotte Courthouse Square Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. This photo now appears in print as part of the TN Trails and Byways brochure "Screaming Eagle Trail" which you can see here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/9522319352/
Spring Hill Presbyterian Church This congregations first building was built in 1849. It was replaced with this one in 1888. The frame church was constructed with an eclectic vernacular style and fine craftsmanship. The front remains virtually unchanged, although there are additions in the rear. Today, they are known as New School Presbyterian Church. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Craigmiles Hall - Cleveland, TN Walter Craigmiles built this ornate Opera House on the Cleveland town square in 1878. The Second Empire style hall has a brick veneer exterior, the roof is combination built-up and hip design. The windows are wooden double-hung or fixed. Today, the main floor houses a restaurant and the other floors are offices. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
James Park Home - Downtown Knoxville Apparently this old house on teh National Register of Historic Places in downtown Knoxville was considered so important that when Whittle Communications built their downtown campus (which is now the Baker Federal Courthouse) they acquired the entire block except for this house on the corner.) According to the marker: The Foundation for this house was laid by Governor John Sevier on a block bought from Knoxville founder James White in 1797. Jmaes Park, pioneer merchant and Knoxville's Second mayor, completed the main house in 1812. His son, Dr. James Park occupied the house until 1912. It subsequently housed a War Work Shop and tearoom for the Red Cross, the Reaves-Leach infirmary, and the Knoxville Academy of Medicine. The Gulf & Ohio Railways renovated the house in 2006.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church - Cleveland, TN Peter J. Williamson designed this Victorian Gothic church building in 1873. (He also designed the synagogue in Nashville, Central State Hospital and several buildings in McMinnville and on the Vanderbilt Campus. The tower reminds me of Kirkland Hall at Vandy.) With a squared three story tower, arched lanset windows and doors, a broad gabled roof and brick buttresses, this church is unchanged from its original exterior appearance. The building, plus a parish house and a marble mausoleum occupy an entire city block in the heart of Cleveland, and is surrounded by a crenelated stone wall with iron gates. The most famous thing located here is the "Bleeding" Mausoleum. The church was a gift from John H. Craigmiles of Cleveland in memory of his seven year old daughter, Nina, who was killed in a railroad accident on Saint Luke's Day in 1871. She is buried in the Mausoleum.
Beersheba Springs Hotel In 1833, Beersheba Cain found a mountain spring at the base of a summit along the Cumberland Plateau at the Collins River Valley. Like many other places where a spring was found, it didn't take long for the medicinal properties to be proclaims and a resort town to "Spring up." By 1857, local businessman John Armfield had bought all the surrounding property and had built the hotel seen here. It is quite a massive building and I couldn't step back any further without falling down into the valley. Like most spring resorts, tourists stop coming in the early 1900s and business dried up. In 1941, the Methodists bought the complex and now use it as a retreat. For the full story: www.scribd.com/doc/2370867/A-History-of-Beersheba-Springs...
Cleveland, TN Old Post Office This old post office is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the building also serves as the Bradley County Courthouse Annex.
Chattanooga Choo-Choo Originally known as Chattanooga's Terminal Station, this formerly important Passenger train depot now serves as a popular hotel. The station was built in 1908 and the centerpiece of the building was a large concourse. (Inside is a large dome. In 1970, train service stopped and a few years later it became the Chattanooga Choo-Choo hotel. The large concourse is today the main lobby. On top of the building is the famous sign. Here is the sign at night.
President Andrew Johnson Gravesite President Andrew Johnson is buried at the top of the hill at the place now known as Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. It is under the oversight of the National Park Servce as part of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, TN. Johnson purchased 23 acres around "Signal Hil"l in 1852 because he liked the view. Johnson died in 1875 and was buried here. In 1878, it became "Monument Hill" as the 28-foot marble obelisk was placed here. Other family members were buried here atop the hill. Johnsons daughter suggested that it should be a National Cemetery as soldiers from many wars are also buried here. Atop the monument is an eagle. Johnson also had requested that his burial site contain two things that he loved, and you can see them on the obelisk, th constitution and his hand on the Bible
P.M. Cragmiles House - Cleveland, TN It seems like the neatest things in Cleveland, TN have the Cragmiles name on it, and so it is with this house along Ocoee St., not far from the center of town. Today the house is used as the History and Archives branch of the county Library system, which contains significant records about the Civil War and Reconstruction years in Bradley County and East Tennessee. The home was built in 1866, when business leader P. M. Craigmiles announced the beginning of post-Civil War recovery in Cleveland with the construction of this impressive Italianate-style brick home. Today, the building is on the National Registry of Historic Places
James Buchanan Log House This two story log house was built in 1807-08. It is not only one of the oldest houses in Nashville, but is also one of the oldest two story log houses in Middle Tennessee. The following info is from the historic house's web site: www.buchananloghouse.com/buchanan-log-house-history It has evolved through the years into a unique historic property which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is built of chestnut logs with poplar floors. Original limestone fireplaces provide focal points for the parlor and Lucinda's room. There are fireplaces on each end of Buchanan Log House -- on the original hall and Parlor style. When the 1820 addition was added, the fireplace on the west end was removed from the original log home and placed on the west end of the 1820 addition; so the chimney on the east end has a fireplace in the Nave Room (downstairs) and in the Lucinda Room (upstairs). The chimney on the west end has a fireplace in the 1820 addition (now our dining room). James Buchanan, an early settler in Davidson County, married Lucinda East in 1810. The first log addition to the home was necessitated in 1820, to accommodate their growing family, which eventually numbered 16 children. The next addition to the house occurred in 1900. Two historical prominent residents were Judge Thomas N. Frazier who purchased the home in 1867, and his son, James Beriah Frazier. Judge Frazier was Criminal Court Judge for Rutherford and Davidson Counties, and was impeached during the Reconstruction Days because of his so-called interference in the ratification of the 14th Amendment. (He was later restored to office in 1870). James Beriah Frazier spent his teenage years in this home. He was a popular governor 1903 to 1905, and was a U.S. Senator 1905 to 1911. Here is the historical marker: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Carthage United Methodist Church This church on the National Register of Historic Places is just up main street a couple of blocks from the town square. The Gothic Revival structure was built in 1889. I have two versions uploaded of the church, one of them is a better angle for viewing (in my opinion) but has power lines in the way, the other is more off to the side.
Jefferson County Courthouse - Dandridge, TN This courthouse is one of the oldest in Tennessee, dating back to 1845. Built by the Hickman Brothers with bricks from McQuistion kiln in East Dandridge, it's a Greek Revival structure that replaced a smaller brick courthouse on same grounds. The construction took much longer than planned due to floods. It is a two story building with a recessed two story portico and a tall tower The courthouse was almost lost to the ages as the city was going to be underwater as the result of a New Deal era TVA lake, but after discussion, FDR had the town saved by an earthworks levy. At some point in the 1900's the courthouse was painted white and the roof and the shutters and tower top were red. In the late 70's the courthouse front was restored to its earlier appearance and the tree planters were added in the front. Today, this building is also home to the Jefferson County Historical Museum that proudly displays the 1806 marriage liscense of Davy Crockett and his sweetheart Polly Finley and an eclectic mix of small relics and artifacts of daily life in early East Tennessee. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/small-town-tennessee/ 10 Small Towns In Tennessee Where Everyone Knows Your Name or here: wate.com/2016/04/15/east-tennessee-preservation-alliance-... East Tennessee Preservation Alliance releases 2016 ‘Endangered 8’ Also seen on this pdf on Page 7: knoxheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2016-Endanger...
Trinity United Methodist Church - Athens, TN This building was dedicated in Oct. 1910. It has the name Trinity as three different congregations all merged together. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hawkins County Courthouse - Rogersville, TN The courthouse here claims to be the oldest county courthouse in the state continually in use. They acknowledge the 1830 Dickson County Courthouse in Charlotte is older, but it has additions and a new brick exterior. It is also one of six that predate the civil war. This building was constructed in 1836 with renovations in 1870 and 1929. In 1929, the original cupola build by John Dameron was replaced with a "New England Style" Steeple. Of architectural significance are the handmade brick columns, corpices, Palladian windows and a second story front door. During the first restoration, the staircases were moved outside which led to a porch and the second story door. Then, in th 1929 restoration, stairs were moved back inside and the second story door became inaccessible from the outside. Additions have also been made to the back. I suppose I could say another renovation is going on right now as there is current construction going on, with the building that used to house a retail storefront next door is now part of the courthouse with a new connector with glass paneling connecting the two buildings.
Kingsport's Church Circle: First Baptist Church When the city planners got together to map out and develop the forthcoming city of Kingsport, they envisioned a central business district and a main street with the Passenger train station on one end and Church Circle on the other. Church Circle is comprised of four large brick buidings with tall steeples. On the north end is the First Baptist Church. Today, the Church Circle district is an entry on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cowan, TN Passenger Depot (2011) The Cowan Depot is wood frame and built in 1904 for the NC&StL railway. When in use, it was originally on the other side of the still-in-use-by-CSX tracks but moved further away to its current location in 1976. It's built in a railroad gothic style architecture and has been repainted to the original green and yellow colors. The building is in the process of renovation. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Every year, the town has a Summer Weekend festival called Cowan Depot Days with the goal of raising money to further restore the station. Cowan is located on the historic line that runs from Nashville to Chattanooga and is perhaps best known by railfans as the last stop before ascending Cumberland Mountain and the picturesque but almost inaccessible Cumberland Mountain Tunnel entrance. CSX keeps pusher cars on hand to help trains make the incline to the top. To see my other photos from the Depot Museum, look here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/tags/cowanrailroadm...
Kingsport's Church Circle: First Presbyterian Church When the city planners got together to map out and develop the forthcoming city of Kingsport, they envisioned a central business district and a main street with the Passenger train station on one end and Church Circle on the other. Church Circle is comprised of four large brick buidings with tall steeples. The second spoke of the circle, (Which is really a half circle) is the Presbyterian Church. Today, the Church Circle district is an entry on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hawkins County Courthouse Front - Rogersville, TN The courthouse here claims to be the oldest county courthouse in the state continually in use. They acknowledge the 1830 Dickson County Courthouse in Charlotte is older, but it has additions and a new brick exterior. It is also one of six that predate the civil war. This building was constructed in 1836 with renovations in 1870 and 1929. In 1929, the original cupola build by John Dameron was replaced with a "New England Style" Steeple. Of architectural significance are the handmade brick columns, corpices, Palladian windows and a second story front door. During the first restoration, the staircases were moved outside which led to a porch and the second story door. Then, in th 1929 restoration, stairs were moved back inside and the second story door became inaccessible from the outside. Additions have also been made to the back. I suppose I could say another renovation is going on right now as there is current construction going on, with the building that used to house a retail storefront next door is now part of the courthouse with a new connector with glass paneling connecting the two buildings.
Chockley Hall - Wartrace, TN Also known as Chockley Tavern. It was built in 1852 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Wartrace Railroad Historic District. The best I can tell, today the place operates as a banquet facility. From the listing: Federal influence. 2 story, frame, asbestos shingle siding, two story front porch supported by stone corner posts and wooden square posts, flush board on façade, main entry has side lights and transom, side-gable composition roof.
Chattanooga Old Post Office & Courthouse This building was built to be the city Post Office in 1890 with additions finished in 1909. It is built from Bedford Indiana Limestone and is an example of Richadsonian Romanesque Architecture. The steps and trim are made of Tennessee Marble. A new Post Office was built in the 30's (Now the Solomon Federal Building). So, in 1956, the building switched government hands and it became offices for the TVA. After the TVA built new headquarters, they had less of a need for this building and they leased some of the office space to become space for the US Bankruptcy Court in 1988. The best I can tell, TVA sold this building to the Court in 2003. Now, the building is officially named "Historic US Courthouse" which is a little misleading. It is on the National Register of Historic Places
Giles County Courthouse 2011 ver.A - Pulaski, TN The Giles County Courthouse in the center of the town square in Pulaski, TN was completed in 1909. It's a large 3 story brick structure measuring 60' x 150' with a large central cupola. The neoclassical design is marked by tall Corinthian Columns. On the inside, a balcony encircles the third floor while 16 caryatids (female faces) hold up the arched vault of the rotunda with a stained glass skylight. Inside the top of the cupola, a bell forged in 1858 strikes on the hours. located on US 31. The entire district is on the NRHP. Their goal was to have the finest courthouse in the state and they may have succeeded.
South Pittsburg Primitive Baptist Church There was a historical marker placed here as part of the Southeast Tennessee Religious Heritage Trail. The building was built in the late 1880s with stone quarried from nearby Sewanee. The building originally had a bell tower, but that and the roof were destroyed by a fire in 1959. As membership dwindled, services stopped in 1979. According to the church's charter, if and when services stopped, the building was deeded to the descendants of the guy who originally gave the property for the building. I suppose they had little use for a 100+ year old church building as the Beene family gave it to the city in 2001. Today it is included on the South Pittsburg Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
Andrew Johnson Hotel - Knoxville, TN When it was built in 1930, this 203 ft tall building was the tallest building in Knoxville for about a third off a century. (Now it's the 5th tallest.) It was the premier hotel until it closed in the 1960's. Today, it is called the Andrew Johnson Building and houses county government offices. For many years, the 17th floor was the broadcasting studio and offices for WNOX radio, a station which was an early pioneer for country music. Country Music star Hank Williams spent the last night of his life in this hotel and died on the road the next day. For the hotel's full story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson_Building
Wartburg Presbyterian Church As of 1/21/2014, this is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Smith-Matthews House This home from 1837 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Dr. Benjamin Franklin Smith House. It's along Columbia Pike (US 31) in Old Lynnville (a.k.a. Waco) in northern Giles County. The Brick house is listed on the register for its local significance for architecture, with styles of Mid 19th Century Revival, Exotic Revival, and Victorian: Queen Anne
Maryville, TN Train Depot This old passenger train depot built by Southern is well preserved, and now serves some small businesses, such as a dentist and a CPA. It appeared to me that when the tracks were in use, they stopped here. It also looked like the actual tracks had just recently been pulled up but where they had been is obvious, as the gravel bed on the other side remained.
Church of the Messiah - Pulaski, TN This Episcopal church was built in 1887 with a style similar to a 19th Century English parish church. The cost for building the church was $6,000 and was donated by Governor John C. Brown who lived at Colonial Hall on the same block. Today, the church building is on the National Register of Historic Places, significant for its architecture.
Temperance Hall - Harriman, TN This Romanesque building was built in 1890 to be the office of the East Tennessee Land Company. Soon afterward, it took on a more prominent use as the main building at American Temperance University. I suppose in this day and age it's hard to imagine an entire school and city built around the idea of Alcohol Prohibition. According to the historical marker, Harriman was incorporated to be the ideal industrial city, one where one could expect to find thrift, sobriety, superior intelligence and exalted moral character, where workers would be uncorrupted by Demon Rum. The city is named after Union General (this part of the state leaned pro-Union) Walter Harriman, former governor of New Hampshire. The idea didn't stick and the University ceased 15 years later. (The city remained dry until 1994!) Today, this building serves as City Hall and a local museum. There are stories that this place is haunted, but as you might expect, all the ghosts act in a manner of sobriety and exalted moral character. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the name Harriman City Hall.
Crockett Tavern (replica) - Morristown, TN At this location in the 1790's, Davy Crockett's parents, John and Rebecca Crockett established and operated Crockett Tavern. The tavern also served as Davy's boyhood home for the Tennessee pioneer and political leader. The Hamblen County chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities opened the replica in 1958. UPDATE: As of 1/21/2014, this is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bristol VA / TENN sign (Daytime view) One of only 33 signs to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this landmark was built in 1910 to divide Tennessee and Virginia. In 1915, it was moved to its current location along State Street. In 1921, "A Good Place to Live" was added to the sign. The sign lights up at night. I suppose that's a sun or a starburst under the S in Bristol, plus the red arrows pointing to VA and TENN are chaser lights. This website is using this photo without permission: ustours.biz/carter-barter-music-tour/ Hello to anyone who found the photo here: www.atlasobscura.com/places/state-street
Old Scott County Jail - Huntsville, TN This historic jail built in 1907 is on the National Register of Historic Places and is located on the other side of a parking lot from the county courthouse. The crenelated wall is made by five by four by three foor blocks of local red sandstone. The jailers quarters are on the first floor. Maximum security prisoners are on the third floor, which was added in 1922. A replacement jail was built in 1963. Later after a few prisoners escaped, this building was renovated to be the jail again. No prisoners had ever escaped, which is what you would expect from this place, which has the appearance of an impenetrable fortress. This jail did finally close down in late 2008 with the building of a modern Justice Center a couple of miles away. In the mean time, the city isn't sure what to do with their historic structure. At the time of the closing, it was the second oldest county jail in use (after the Bledsoe Co. Jail in Pikeville). For more info: www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/27/historic-scott-co-jail-... I saw a picture of this jail from the late 70s. Since then, the front awning has been added, but back then they still had a soda machine out front.
Rhea County Courthouse - Dayton, TN In 1925, the small southern town of Dayton became the center of National attention as the county courthouse became the venue for one of the most important trials in American History. In 1890, Rhea County needed to move the county seat from the city of Washington to accomidate the newer growing city on an important rail line. Located in Dayton's town square, the Rhea County Courthouse was built in 1891 as a three story brick structure in a Romanesque Revival-Italian Villa Style. The most noticable feature at the front on the right is a tall square clock tower with an open balcony topped with an octagonal termination. Offsetting this is a lower tower with a pyramidal roof on the other front corner. Between the towers is the main entrance porch behind a double arch. In the 1920's Tennessee passed the Butler Act, which made it a crime to teach evolution in school. The ACLU wanted to challenge the Act and offered to defend anyone accused of violating the law, when local businessman George Rappleyea thought the small town of Dayton could use the publicity. He convinced local high school biology teacher John Scopes. Soon, high profile lawyers wanted to be a part of the trial and the Scopes Monkey Trial became the focus of national attention. Former Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan stepped up to lead the prosecution and Clarence Darrow headed the defense. The trial procedings became the first nationally broadcast radio event. The prosecution argued that Scopes indeed violated the law and the defense responded that the Butler Act was unconstitutional. Scopes was convicted and the punishment was a fine of $100. The conviction was appealed to the state supreme court and eventually overturned on a technicality (since judges couldn't set fines over $50). In the aftermath of the film, the film Inherit the Wind was based on the story. In the late 70's, the courthouse was remodeled with the courtroom to look like it did during the trial and the basement floor to become a museum. Since 1987, every year there is a re-enactment of the trial in the same courtroom. The Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is also a U.S. National Historic Landmark. To see my photos related to the courthouse and the Scopes Trial, look here. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/charming-tn/ Here Are The 10 Most Beautiful, Charming Small Towns In Tennessee or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/welcoming-small-towns-tn/ 15 Welcoming Small Towns In Tennessee Where You’ll Feel Like Family
Cannon County Courthouse at Night (2011) - Woodbury, TN Woodbury is one of those small towns that's close to where I live, so I pass through often. There's been a change since my last visit here: All the big trees have been removed and replaced with small trees. While I like a nice tree, they do get in the way if you are concentrating on the building behind it. Also new is the addition of nice benched, decorative fencing, and a main sidewalk of concrete and brick pattern. This courthouse was completed in 1936, and in my opinion is one of the nicest great depression era courthouses in Tennessee. Designed in a Neo-classical style of brick on a stone foundation, the courthouse features two story stone pilasters and corner quoins on the barely taller central section. The gable roof is topped by a tall clock tower. The courthouse replaced an 1838 courthouse, which burned down in 1934 and was also located at the center of the town square.
The Ledges - Lewisburg, TN The Ledges, also known as the Joe Chase Adams House is on the National Register of Historic places, notable for it's Queen Anne architectural style.
Bethel Springs Presbyterian Church From Wikipedia Bethel Springs Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church on 3rd Avenue in Bethel Springs, Tennessee. The church was established in 1829 and is the oldest church still in operation in McNairy County. The Colonial Revival style church building was constructed in 1893 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. An cemetery located next to the church includes burials of Confederate soldiers.
Gibson County Courthouse - Trenton, TN While the city of Trenton is better known for its teapots, the Gibson County Courthouse is one of the most elaborate in the state. Not that my opinion really matters a whole lot to you, but after careful consideration, I call this the third best courthouse in the state trailing only Giles County and Montgomery County. This courthouse was built from 1899-1901. Walter Chamberlain designed it with a Classical Revival style. The clock tower was destroyed by fire in 1941 but rebuilt with the bell placed back hanging in its rightful place. The elaborately designed three story structure covered in red and blonde bricks is now on the National Register of Historic Places because of the architecture.
Gillespie Stone House According to the historical marker along nearby US 11E/321: This was built in 1792 for George Gillespie by Seth Smith, a Quaker stone mason from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. An early fort originally stood on the site, and was the dividing line between Washington and Green Counties in 1783. The house was purchased in 1842 by Jacob Klepper and has been preserved by his descendants. Today the house is on the National Register of Historic Places as Col George Gillespie House. (The register also lists the address as being on highway US411, but 411 has been decommissioned around here. The road is old TN34.) Also, the county lines must have shifted some as it is now fully in Washington County. The town of Limestone is nearby. For more info: freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~snipper/wau/st...
Hiram Masonic Lodge No. 7 - Franklin, TN Hiram Masonic Lodge No. 7, a Gothic revival building constructed in 1823, is the oldest public building in Franklin, Tennessee. It houses Hiram Lodge No. 7, founded in 1809, and is the oldest Masonic Hall in continuous use in Tennessee. It was the location of the negotiation and signing of the Treaty of Franklin in 1830, in which the Chickasaw Indians sold their lands prior to being moved west to today's Oklahoma. Sitting president Andrew Jackson was a participant, the only time a U.S. President would journey to an Indian council for the purpose of making a treaty. The building was used as a hospital for wounded Union soldiers after the Battle of Franklin, during the American Civil War. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973. The brick building is three stories tall, five bays wide and five bays deep. The front roof line is gabled in the center, battlemented to either side of the center gable, and surmounted by five obelisk pinnacles. The windows of the first two floors at the front are elongated Gothic with 11 lights over eight set in semi-circular indented two-story brick arches. The central windows over the entrance are set in a Gothic indented arch of three stories. The windows of the third floor are rectangular, 4 lights over four. Plain rectangular windows are found along the sides and rear of the building--on the first two floors, 12 lights over 16; on the third floor, 8 lights over 8.
Lauderdale County Courthouse - Ripley, TN The Colorful New Deal era Courthouse of Lauderdale County was built in 1936 at a cost of $120,000, in part paid for by the WPA. It is the fourth courthouse to be built in the town square of Ripley, where the east and south sides are rather level, but the north and west side slopes quite a bit. The brick building is trimmed with stone and features Art Deco detailing. Sometimes Art Deco results in boring, uninspired boxy design, but this building has intricate detailing with well maintained grounds. Today, the courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. See all my photos of this courthouse here: www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/tags/lauderdalecoun...
Fort Donelson #7185 - Dover, TN During the Civil War, the Confederacy was vulnerable to warships coming down the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Kentucky declared neutrality during the war, so the Confederates looked for a place near the the border where they could defend the river. About a mile north of Dover and about 10 miles downstream along the Cumberland River from the Kentucky Border was the site of this fort. At this location, the river has a lengthy strait path before a bend and the bluffs above the river provided a great location for a battery to shoot down any Union boat that would try to come through. In Feb. 1862, Union General Ulysses S. Grant led troops to capture this fort so that the Union could send ships through here. When I was in 6th grade, my class visited this spot on the way to an overnight stay at Land Between the Lakes and it's something that has stuck in my mind over two decades later. Today with a dam upstream, the Cumberland River is also Lake Barkley, but the width of the waterway is about the same as it was during the war. Fort Donelson is under the oversight of the National Park Service and is designated a National Battlefield and on the National Register of Historic Places. The lower batteries have been rebuilt and preserved here. The Upper batteries are also preserved and is located around the bend. The cannon shown here has a date of 1846 etched in the side.
St. James Episcopal Church - Greeneville, TN This white gothic style frame church near the city center of Greeneville opened in 1850. The building, designed by George M. Spencer is typical of Episcopal architecture in Tennessee during this time. The organ here is believed to be the oldest church organ in Tennessee still in use. During the Civil War, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan hid in this church under the floor while being pursued by Union troops. When troops entered the church, he ran out into the nearby grape arbors of the Williams mansion leading to his eventual capture and death. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Greeneville Historic District.
Harriman, TN Post Office The post office is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Roane Street Commercial Historic District. Roane Street is also US 27.
First National Bank of Huntsville, TN The layout of the central business district in Huntsville, TN is unusual for a small southern town. There is a row of older buildings across a sidewalk from the back of the Scott County Courthouse. It looks like something I'd see in Colonial Williamsburg where the "street" goes back to the horse-and-buggy days but you can't widen the street any for cars, so it remains a sidewalk. That's not the case here as I just figure it's not old/historic enough for that. You just can't drive right up to the bank and park. (It's not really that far of a walk either.) I just don't remember seeing anything else like it in these parts. The stone First National Bank of Huntsville (seen here) is the most historically significant of the buildings and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Old City Hall - Dyersburg, TN This interesting building is located at one of the corners of the Dyersburg town square, with the front facing Veteran's Square. City hall has moved a couple of blocks away and this is now an antique store and auction house. I like the look of this two story building with the recessed columns and semicircle windows, albeit while the exterior is crumbling a bit. The word City Hall is affixed over some other letters carved into the concrete, which makes me think it was a buseiness before it was a city hall. This building is probably part of the "Dyersburg Courthouse Square Historic District" on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ripley, TN Post Office Looks like a typical post office from that time with Neo-Georgian architecture. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, perhaps because it contains a famous mural, "Autumn," painted by New Deal era government-commissioned artist Marguerite Zorach.
Marion Memorial Bridge seen from Interstate 24 This bridge was built in 1929 to cross the Tennessee River for a new alignment of the Dixie Highway. Originally, there were toll booths on either side but they were removed in 1947. In the mid 1960's with the building of Nickajack Dam just downstream, which formed Nickajack Lake, the water level rose. The Bridge was rehabilitated and also hydraulically lifted 21 feet so that barge traffic could still pass below. While not the Dixie Highway anymore, it did carry the Cummings Highway, which is US41, US64 and US72. After Interstate 24 was built near the same place, traffic on this bridge shrank. A friend of mine who lived in the area told me how she always hated driving across this bridge because it is narrow and you fell like you could fall off the side. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Recently, the bridge was determined by the state to be structurally deficient. One week ago, on Jan. 9, 2012, the bridge was officially closed. In a couple of years, there will be a new, wider bridge at this location. For the full story, read this article: www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/28/tdot-to-close-mar...
Kingsport, TN Clinchfield Passenger Depot The Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Passenger train station along with the adjacent freight depot were built in 1916. The building's design was a product of new York architect Clinton McKenzie. Access to the railroad instantly gave Kingsport the potential to become an industrial community. Even though passenger service stopped in 1954, the area remained busy thoroughfare. Today, the building is used as a bank and is located on the National register of Historic Places. Looking at Kingsport, I find it interesting how a planned community came to be, and what's changed over neary 100 years. The city was laid out before contruction of anything started. Main street connected this depot on one end and the 4 churches of Church Circle on the other end of the storefront lined street. The city hasn't aged well, but either end of the main street has retianed it's significant architecture.
Clifton First Presbyterian Church During the Civil War, Late in December 1863, the 2nd Tennessee Mounted Infantry (US) occupied Clifton and placed a garrison on Stockade Hill, located right behind this church, which Confederates had used as a hospital. The Federals used it as a livery stable and a blacksmith shop. The damage the building suffered resulted in a claim against the United States, which compensated the congregation with $780 in 1915. The congregation used those funds to construct the steeple seen here. If you look at this picture full sized, you may notice how the bricks around the front door don't seem as uniform like around the rest of the building. Federal Troops enlarged the front door, since they used the building as a stable for their horses. After the war, the original door was replaced. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Market Street Bridge (2012) The Market Street Bridge in Chattanooga, TN just a couple of years after its exstensive renovations were finished. What makes this bridge different that any other bridge I've seen is its a Double-Leaf overhead counterweight Bascule Bridge.
The Gordon House From the marker: "One of the few remaining buildings associated with the old Natchez Trace is the house of ferry operator John Gordon. Built in 1817-18, the Gordon House was one of the first brick homes in this area. "In the early 1800's, Gordon settled here as ferry operator, farmer, and Indian fighter. Because military expeditions kept him away from home, his wife Dorothea supervised the building of this house. Gordon died shortly after it was completed, but Mrs. Gordon lived here until her death in 1859. In 1978 the National Park Service restored the house to is original appearance." The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is in Hickman County - barely. Maury county makes an odd zig-zag here and if I'd stepped back 5 feet, I'd been in that county. A short trail of about a half mile walk from here takes you to a segment of the original trace and to the location of the ferry site at the river. The house is accessible from the Natchez Trace Parkway"
Colonial Hall - Pulaski, TN From the historical marker: Built between 1853 and 1860 by Dr. William Battle, this house is a significant example of Greek Revival architecture. As the home of Dr. Elihu Edmondson, it was occupied by Union troops during the civil war. The house was owned by John C. Brown after his term as Governor of Tennessee. In 1927, the residence was sold to Dr. and Mrs. James Knox Polk Blackburn, who modernized the dwelling known as "Colonial Hall." Martin Methodist College purchased the house in 1994. Two years later, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Capitol Theater - Union City, TN The Capitol Theater opened in 1927 in the central business district in Union City. As on 1999, the Theater is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1994, the theater was used for live action productions under the name Masquerade Theater. The Marquee can still light up at night.
Henry County Courthouse (Vertical) - Paris, TN This Courthouse was built in 1897 and is the county's 4th and it is located in the middle of the Paris town square. It was designed by archutect Reuben H. Hunt of Chattanooga who had also designed a similar courthouse in Cleveland, TN (but is now gone.) It was renovated in 1984 and today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is a two story brick structure trimmed in stone with a large arch over the main entrance. The complex roof design with pyramids and dormers at each corner plus a tall clock tower and bronze-covered cupola above the main entrance.
Fort Donelson Cemetery Lodge This 1877 house served as office and quarters for the cemetery keeper until 1931. The design of the building is Second Empire, which is characterized by gables and a roof consisting of two slopes on all sides. The look of the house is the same as it was in 1877 except for the addition of a kitchen and porch in 1836. Today it serves as park staff quarters. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Faxon-Thomas Mansion This Mansion was built in 1904 with a Classical Revival Edwardian style on a high bluff overlooking the Tennessee River. The house was originally built for Ross Faxon, a wealthy insurance broker. A few years later, it was sold to the widow of Benjamin F. Thomas, on of the founders of the first Coca-Cola bottlers. In 1952, the mansion became the Hunter Museum of American Art, with modern expansions added on to the back of the mansion. The Mansion / Museum is the centerpiece of the Bluff View Arts District near downtown Chattanooga and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the full story: www.huntermuseum.org/about/hunter-history/
Collier General Store - Charlotte, TN This building is located on the town square of Middle Tennessee's oldest courthouse. Christopher Collier's store was built in 1849 and was in business until 1895. This building is part of the district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sullivan County Courthouse - Blountville, TN This courthouse was built in 1920 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Blountville Historic District. (There's a little confusion about whether this courthouse was built from scratch or if the previouse courthouse of 1866, also a rebuild of the courthouse burned in the civil war, was built around.) The most notable feature of the Classical Revival style design is the four two-story pedimented ionic columns forming the portico. In 1920, when this was built, the intact bell tower of the 1866 courthouse was placed atop this one. In 1956, the jail was added onto the rear and the old one was not needed anymore. In the 1970's, the 1866 bell tower was taken down and the bell was placed out front. In 1989 the addition on the right was built. Finally, at some point in the last 15 years a new tower was placed on top.
Spring Creek Presbyterian Church This church is located on highway TN266 about halfway between Lebanon and Cainsville, TN in Wilson County. The rural congregation was established in 1801 and relocated here in 1869. The Colonial Revival style churchhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The frame building is of simple Greek Revival style. The rooms to either side of the front porch were used for storage of horse feed and tack. The church retains many of its original features such as paneled wood doors, chair railing, painted cedar columns and twenty-seven hand-hewn wooden pews.
Thankful Baptist Church - Johnson City, TN The following text is from a brochure entitled "A Historic Tour of Johnson City" Thankful Baptist Church was the originator of this structure which was built in 1912. Prior to its construction, a small white chapel in which the congregation worshiped was located on this site. In 1975, Thankful Baptist Church relocated to Watauga Avenue and, in 1977, sold the Water Street property to Princeton Free Will Baptist Church. The facility is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/charming-tn-town/ This Charming Tennessee Town Is Picture Perfect For An Autumn Day Trip
Carter House - Franklin, TN The Carter House is a historic house along Columbia Avenue (US31) in Franklin, Tennessee. In that house, the Carter family along with neighbors and servants hid in the basement waiting for the second Battle of Franklin to end. It is a Tennessee state historic site, and it is a contributing property and centerpiece of the Franklin Battlefield, a U.S. National Historic Landmark historic district. Fountain Branch Carter completed construction of the house in 1830. The federal style brick farm house was accompanied by several other outbuildings such as the farm office, smokehouse, and kitchen. The house and the other three buildings are still intact and illustrate the horror of the Civil War battle with over a thousand bullet holes still visible, making it perhaps the most fired upon building during the war. The Carter House played a very important role in the Second Battle of Franklin. Prior to the fight, the house was used as Federal headquarters. After the battle it was used as field hospital aiding both Federal and Confederate wounded. The middle son of Fountain Branch Carter, Tod Carter, was mortally wounded in the battle. He was still alive the morning after the battle when he was found and brought to the house. There he lived for several more hours, surrounded by his distraught family. Tod Carter died of his wounds December 2, 1864, and was buried that day in Rest Haven Cemetery just north of town. He came home for the first time in over three years when he fought at the Battle of Franklin in the 20th Tennessee Infantry. The room where Tod Carter died is one of the features of the guided tour of the home today. Tours of the Carter House and grounds are available daily and include a video about the Battle of Franklin as well as a museum with artifacts relating to the site. The State of Tennessee owns the house, and the site is administered in partnership with the Tennessee Historical Commission by the Battle of Franklin Trust. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-civil-war/ 15 Sights In Tennessee That Will Take You To A Dark, Deadly Past 13) Carter House or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-hauntings-oct/ These 10 Hauntings in Tennessee Will Send Chills Down Your Spine
Cheatham County Courthouse at dusk - Ashland City, TN The front of the Courthouse which is seen here was built in 1914. An older section of the building is behind the front part and was built in 1869. If you view large, the words "Cheatham County Courthouse" appear above the front of the building. There is no "town square" in Ashland City, but this building faces the intersection on TN12 and TN49/249. Added to the N.R.H.P. in 1976.
Rock Castle - Hendersonville, TN Rock Castle, located in Hendersonville, is the former home of Daniel Smith. Construction began in 1784; its completion was delayed by Indian attacks until 1791. It is listed with the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public. It is a Tennessee State-Owned Historic Site and is operated by the Friends of Rock Castle in partnership with the Tennessee Historical Commission. www.historicrockcastle.com/ Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/historic-houses-tn/ Everyone In Tennessee Should Visit These 20 Houses For Their Incredible Past or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-castles/ Most People Don’t Know These 5 Castles Are Hiding In Tennessee or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/hidden-historic-tn-gems/ These 11 Hidden Gems In Tennessee Hold Historic Keys To The Past
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church - Covington, TN The cornerstone of this church building was laid in 1858 and all of the yellow poplar and red gum lumber was cut by hand. Bishop Charles Quintard was in Britain when extensive renovations were undertaken at Canterbury Cathedral. There, three stained glass windows about three hundred years old were discarded, which he acquired. The were then shipped on a six month journey by sea across the ocean and then up the Mississippi River to the nearby town of Randolph. The windows were then installed here in the chancel where they remain a treasured possession to this day. The church was built in a Gothic Architecture style and was designed by J.J. Malone and William P. Malone. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rutledge Presbyterian Church This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. Here is the text from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation press release: Rutledge Presbyterian Church and Cemetery Constructed in 1903, the Rutledge Presbyterian Church in Grainger County is an outstanding example of a Folk Victorian style church with Gothic Revival detailing. The one-story, weather-boarded building is highlighted on the exterior with a corner bell tower, shingles in the front gable and stained glass windows. Inside, the sanctuary retains wood wainscoting and floors. A historically associated cemetery, with burials dating to 1864, surrounds the church.
Columbia, TN Union Station The old Union Station in Columbia was built in 1902 replacing an older, long demolished, building that had stood nearby. It served the community for both Louisville & Nashville, NCStL and Duck River Valley Narrow Gauge Railroad and was in use until the 1960s when passenger service was discontinued with cancelled freight and parcel service following. This building once served as one of the hubs of the community but is unused and neglected today despite its presence on the National Register of Historic Places.
Savannah, TN Historic District: Yellow House The Savannah Historic District is a group of 17 homes that form together to become an entry on the National Register of Historic Places. I didn't get the name or the year of this house. It's at the corner of Church St. and College St.
Lee & Gould Furnace - Bucksnort, TN In 1833, Samuel B. Lee and James Gould built the furnace as part of an ironworks that employed hundreds. They located here due to the proximity of the raw materials needed to produce iron - iron ore, limestone, sand, wood for charcoal to fuel the furnace and water to power the air blower that intensified the heat. In 1835 it ceased operation due to a shortage of economical iron ore. The furnace stands as a reminder of an early industry that employed many Hickman Countians. Interstate 40 runs right behind this furnace on the National Register of Historic Places and is accessible from the Bucksnort exit along highway TN230.
Cocke County Courthouse - Newport, TN The Cocke County Courthouse was built in 1930-31 after the previous one in Newport burned down. The three story Classical Revival brick building features heavy stone quoins at each corner. Projecting end pavilions flank the center, which features five tall arched courtroom windows on the 2nd story. In 1974, this courthouse was the home to a prominent snake-handling trial. Over the years, there have been many trials here for moonshining, pot growing and cockfighting. Hopefully not for the above reasons, the courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Milky Way Farm's House Franklin Mars, the founder of Mars Candies, the company that made the Milky Way candy bar, built a farm here in the earlier 30's and named it after his famous candy bar. The farm was built along highway US31 north of Pulaski, TN. During the Great Depression, the cattle farm was the largest employer in Giles County and the farm had it's own train station. In 1940, their horse Gallahadion won the Kentucky Derby. The farm is on the National Register of Historic Places. At one time not too long ago, the Tudor Revival Manor House was a bed and breakfast. I think there are new owners currently trying to develop the area into a new attraction. The home is very large with 21 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms and cannot fit into a photo well. It is said to have the largest dining table in Tennessee milkywayfarm.info/history/
Dyer County Courthouse (Main View) - Dyersburg, TN The Dyer County courthouse built from 1911-12 is one of my favorites in the state, perhaps my third or fourth favorite in West Tennessee. When I first got interested in county courthouses, I was at an antique store in Dickson and found a ca. 1930s post card of this courthouse, making me want to see it in person. Today the courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. I suppose the most distinctive feature on this courthouse is the dome up top, with a clock facing each direction. The domed cupola is wider than normal, and there's about one story tall's worth of bricks there. Several decades ago, that round brick part underneath the dome was painted white. I suppose the second most distinctive thing about this building are the four two-story tall columns out front. Above the columns is an entablature that goes all the way around the building. Above that is a low parapet wall that conceals the low pitched roof. In just the past couple of years, the grounds of the town square have been renovated, with new sidewalks and landscaping additions. The bricks embedded in the sidewalk were chosen to match the color of the brick of the courthouse. Also, the hundred year old clocks and mechanical bell work for the first time in a long time. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/naughty-cities-tn/
Hughes House - Clifton, TN Watch out for the uneven historical sidewalk in the front. Since I took this photo in 2012, it was repainted light green and became the Commodore Inn. According to this post, it is under consideration for the National Register of Historic Places. www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=344264617913359... Update: 10 years later, here's a short video about this home www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE4J7tAKciE Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-river-towns/ 7 Charming River Towns In Tennessee To Visit This Spring
U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center This building at Shelby Park in East Nashville was added to the National Register of Historic Places about half a year ago in August 2011. It was built in 1948-49 and is significant in the way it was built to resemble a Navy ship while facing the Cumberland River. The Navy moved out in 2009 and put up the fence around it. For the thorough details, look here: www.tn.gov/environment/hist/pdf/us_naval_res_training_ctr... This building was designed by Nashville architect Edwin A. Keeble as a two story, steel clad modified Butler hut armory building with a Nautical Moderne central projection which closely resembles the prow of a ship, complete with a large yardarm (flagpole) extending from a curved deck above the second floor.
Bradley Academy - Murfreesboro, TN The Academy has a history dating back 200 years, and was the first school in Rutherford County. The first building was a log cabin on the land of Revolutionary War officer John Bradley. A few years later, a brick building was built on Main Street in Murfreesboro. James K. Polk attended this well-known institution of the time. Also attending the school at that time was John Bell, a long-time opponent of Polk, U.S. Speaker of the House and Presidential Candidate. Bradley Academy then merged and moved in with nearby Union University in the 1850s, leaving the building vacant for about three decades. In 1884, the Bradley Academy served a new purpose, it was the first black school in America. Over the next few years, enrollment continued to grow, with a need for expansion. This building seen here was built for the expanding school in 1917. By 1955, city school integrated and no classes were held here anymore. By 1990, Friends of Bradley Academy sought to preserve the school's history and heritage. Today, the 1917 Academy building is a museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more info: bradleymuseum.com/welcome.htm www.murfreesboropost.com/bradley-academy-dates-back-to-18...
Shiloh Indian Mounds Site It's unusual to think that on an old historic site in rural West Tennessee contains an even older historic site, but that's what we have here. The site is located near the Tennessee River in Hardin County. Archaeologists believe indigenous people used the mound as a burial site from around 1000-1450 AD. Later on, the Civil War Battle of Shiloh took place in and around the Archaeological Site. The Shiloh Indian Mounds Site has been labelled a National Historic Site independent of the Shiloh National Military Park. For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiloh_Indian_Mounds_Site
First Presbyterian Church - Memphis, TN The congregation is the second oldest in Memphis, dating back to 1828. They've been meeting at this location since 1832. This building dates back to 1884 when the previous building burned down. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This photo was taken early in the morning when there was still some fog downtown.
Dade County Courthouse - Trenton, GA The Courthouse is the only thing in Dade County listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The brick building was built in 1928 and located in the middle of the traffic circle in the town square. Dade county is the most northwestern county in the state. The county geographically feels seperated from the rest of the state, as Lookout Mountain divides the county from the rest of the state. (For many decades, to get anywhere else in GA, you'd have to travel into Tennessee or Alabama and go around the mountain. For this reason, and for the story told below, the county is often called the "State of Dade." The following story may not be how it actually happened, but it's how the locals tell it (and even appears this way on a historical marker at the courthouse). When Georgia was considering whether or not to secede from the Union and join the confederacy, the residents of Dade County became impatient and voted to secede from the state and the country on their own, becoming their own state. After the civil war, when Georgia rejoined the Union, it was assumed that "State of Dade" rejoined with them, but since they had seceded from the state, they never actually confirmed their readmission to the union. The Confederate flag continued to fly over the courthouse. Finally, in 1945 many locals gathered in a ceremony here to replace the Confederate Flag with a US Flag, officially rejoining Georgia and the Union, with President Truman acknowledging the event. For the full story: www.appalachianhistory.net/2011/06/the-myth-of-the-state-... The story continues: In 1999, when the first U.S. state quarters were being minted, the Georgia quarter had an outline of the state omitting Dade County in the corner. We'll never know if this was intentional or not, but you can see a picture of it here: www.valuable-coin-stories.com/georgia-quarters.html
Loudon County Courthouse - Loudon, TN from the historical marker: Loudon County, first named Christiana, was created in 1870 from portions of Roane, Monroe and Blount counties. Construction of this building was begun soon afterwards, being built by brothers Ira N. Clarke and J. Wesley Clarke. National Register of Historic Places App. 1975 Loudon County is one of those rare counties that has only had one courthouse, ever. This courthouse was completed in 1872 for $7,000 and today looks very similar to the way it did 140 years ago. The Courthouse has a tall two story central section, with two lower two story wings. The central section has a pair of main doors with a single door on either wing. The facade is enriched by brick piers which are rusticated on the first story, plus a horizontal band between the stories, and corbelled brickwork beneath the end gables and center pediment. There is a deep bracketed cornice located at the rood eave. The main section has a low hip roof, topped by a square central cupola. (The cupola has changed over the years, as looking at an older photo, it appears to have a clock face on all four sides.) Both wings have gabled roofs.
First Baptist Church (Black & White) - Downtown Knoxville The building was completed in 1924 with a Baroque Classic style. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the full story, their website has a detailed document about the building: fbcknox.org/images/stories/file/SanctuaryTour.pdf
Union City, TN Train Depot The train station in Union city was built in 1922 by Gulf, Mobile & Ohio (GM&O) and also serviced NCStL. The design is a mixture of Mission/Spanish Revival and Bungalow/Craftsman. Today, the building is restored and serves as the Obion County Chamber of Commerce. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Trinity Episcopal Church - Winchester, TN With a congregation that dates back to 1859, their building was destroyed during the Civil War. Without a regular meeting place for a decade, they broke ground on this building on Jan. 1, 1873, and it was completed the following year. It's located a couple of blocks from the town square at the corner of 1st (old US64) and Vine. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places
Carnegie Library - Harriman, TN "For the good of all." This library was built in 1909. It still has it's 100th Anniversary banner hung above the main entrance. Today, the building also serves as the town's visitor's center. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Roane Street Commercial Historic District.
Pickett Chapel Methodist Church Built in 1827, this is the oldest brick building in Lebanon. Services were held here for about 150 years. After a short run as a community theater, the building remained vacant for a couple of decades. In 2007, the building was purchased by the Wilson County Black History Committee and has received a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The committee has converted the building to become the Roy Bailey African American History Center. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Chester Inn - Jonesborough, TN Dr. William P. Chester, a native of York County Pennsylvania and an excellent Jonesborough physician, opened the Chester Inn in 1797 on the Great Stage Road. As a physician in a small frontier town, he found it necessary to supplement his income. The Inn is the oldest wooden frame building in the commercial district. The original structure is of the Federal style. The Victorian front porch was added in 1880 and is an example of the elaborate work of the craftsmen of the period. The Inn was known as the finest inn on the Tennessee frontier and played host to three United States presidents-Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. In the early 90s, the inn was purchased by Tennessee to restore the building back to its Victorian era glory. It is listed on the National register of Historic Places as part of the Jonesborough Historic District. It is also used during the International Storytelling Festival, whose headquarters is listed next door. For the full story of the Inn, check out this page on the Tennessee Historical Commission page: www.tn.gov/environment/hist/stateown/chesterinn.shtml Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/underrated-tn-towns/ 12 Underrated Tennessee Towns That Deserve A Second Look
Bank of Loretto The small town of Loretto in Lawrence County, TN is helpful in the sense that they have provided historical markers for all the older buildings in town to explain what they are. Now, I could tell by looking that this was an older building worth photographing, and I can still read Bank of Loretto written across the top. Thanks to the town marker, I see that this was built in 1925 and the original bank building used to be a frame building a half block to the west. Update: This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Dec. 2019.
Andrew Johnson Homestead - Greeneville, TN Under the oversight of the National Park Service is the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site. In addition to his final house shown here, the National Historic Site also covers his Early home, his gravesite, and the visitors center which includes his tailor shop. The Andrew Johnson Homestead is maintained to look as it did when he and his wife lived in the domicile from 1869 to 1875. Johnson had purchased the home in 1851. During the war years, the house was occupied by soldiers. It required renovations when the family returned to the house after Johnson's leaving the presidency in 1869. It is a Greek Revival two-story brick house. The 1851-75 residence, built not long before Johnson purchased it, stayed in the possession of his heirs until 1942, the year the Federal Government acquired it. It had undergone considerable alteration throughout the years, including an extensive remodeling in the Victorian style in 1884-85. The National Park Service has restored and refurnished it to its 1869-75 appearance. It now consists, as it did then, of a two-story, brick main house and a two-story, brick ell at the rear. The brickwork is Flemish bond on the front and common bond on the sides. A double veranda extends along the rear of the main section and the northeast side and end of the ell; the exposed basement level gives the effect of three stories on this side. The front of the house sits flush on the street. The structure contains 10 rooms: kitchen and storeroom (also servants' quarters) in the basement; parlor, dining room, and two bedrooms on the first floor, one of which rooms was possibly the original kitchen; and four bedrooms on the second. The rooms of the main block on the first and second floors are divided into pairs by central halls. Each floor of the ell contains two rooms, one behind the other and separated by a chimney wall; these rooms open onto the porches.
Two Rivers Mansion - Nashville, TN
Loretta Lynn's Mansion These days, the town of Hurricane Mills is synonymous with the Coal Miner's Daughter, however the town dates back to the early 1800s as the site of an iron furnace and a flour mill. On July 22, 1863, a civil war battle took place on this land resulting in 19 soldiers losing their lives. Then in 1876, local plantation owner James T. Anderson decided to build this mansion. (The columns were added to the front in the 1930's) The Classical Revival mansion and grounds, and the city at large had enough history there that the area was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Hurricane Mills Rural Historic District. In 1996, Loretta and Mooney Lynn fell in love with the mansion and the small town and bought the whole area, making this mansion their personal residence. After living in mansion for about two decades, they had another home built behind the mansion and opened the area up as a tourist attraction. Even part of the movie Coal Miner's Daughter was filmed here. Today, paying customers can take a tour of the inside of the home, or cheapskates like me can stand on the curb and look at it from here. While the rags-to-riches story make Hurricane Mills and the Mansion a top ten visited tourist attraction in Tennessee, there's something else that gets people talking. People say it's haunted. Loretta Lynn and all of her children have seen multiple ghosts. There's the stories of the ghost of James T. Anderson, the ghost of a lady who died while giving birth and ghosts of Civil War soldiers. For the whole haunting story, look here: www.ghosteyes.com/haunted-hurricane-mills-plantation Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/movie-views-tn/ These 15 Breathtaking Views In Tennessee Could Be Straight Out Of The Movies
Farnham Building - Harriman, TN Originally known as the Smith Building when it was built in 1891. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Roane Street Commercial Historic District. It is located along Roane St. (US27) at the intersection of Queen St. The building was a hardware store for many years but today is an antique store.
Western Mental Health Institute - Bolivar, TN It was a gloomy fall day when I drove past the 125 year old Insane Asylum, but in a way I suppose that's appropriate. Of course, these days they're not called insane asylums anymore. One can only hope that an upgrade in the name also leeds to an upgrade in patient care as mental health hospitals do tend to be poorly funded. The Institute is in West Tennessee in the town of Bolivar. I didn't realize it at the time, but I probably shouldn't have been driving around here at the time. (Guards probably don't like that.) Shown here is the original building which today is the Administration building. It had wings on either side which were condemned and removed in 1980. Today, the building just off US64 is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Western State Hospital Historic District. If you do a google search of this place, you'll likely find a bunch of ghost stories or other such hauntings, but it's no Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
Union City, TN Post Office This post office near the Union City town square was built in 1916 in a Colonial Revival style and was designed by James Knox Taylor. Colonial Revival architecture employs a combination of Colonial styles, such as symmetry and large entry porches accentuated with pediments, sidelights, and transoms. The Post Office was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Christopher Columbus Collier house - Charlotte, TN Located on Charlotte's town square, this house of the local merchant was built ca. 1830. This house was built that year, probably because a devastating tornado destroyed almost all buildings in town earlier that year. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Charlotte Courthouse Square Historic District.
Mount Olivet Cemetery Chapel Every year, the Tennessee Preservation Trust creates a list known as "Ten in Tennessee" listing the top endangered historic sites in the state. As you can tell by the fence that goes around the building, the future of this chapel is in doubt. Following the footsteps of the TPT, Historic Nashville Inc. said this for their "Nashville Nine" in 2009: Mount Olivet Cemetery Chapel, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Southeast Nashville. Built in phases between the 1870s and 1940s, this Gothic Revival-style building was likely designed by Nashville architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson, best known as designer of the Ryman Auditorium. It served as the chapel and offices for the historic Mount Olivet Cemetery until it was replaced with a new facility in 1996. The brick building features a cathedral ceiling with original woodwork in the octagonal vestry, two bell towers, a built-in vault and pointed arched windows. The Tennessee Preservation Trust placed this building on its endangered properties list in 2005, the same year the entire 206-acre cemetery with its 192,000 burials was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic chapel and office is currently vacant and deteriorated. For more on the TPT: www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org/ten For more on the Nashville 9: www.historicnashvilleinc.org/resources/nashville-9 For local photographers, these lists make up things you might want to go see before they are gone forever. UPDATE: This building has been destroyed by a fire. seemidtn.blogspot.com/2015/01/in-news-historic-mt-olivet-...
Simpson Co. Courthouse - Mendenhall, MS Back in the summer, my wife and I took an abbreviated weekend trip to the Biloxi, MS area to attend the wedding. We had one day to drive there from Tennessee, the day of, and a final day to drive back. On that drive back home day, we left our hotel in Pascagoula, drove north to Jackson to spend some time at the zoo, and then another five hours home - all before going to work the next day. We weren't planning on making any side excursions on that day. However, when I saw the sign along US49 for the "Home of Mississippi's Most Beautiful Courthouse" I knew I had to stop. The 1908 courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Overton County Courthouse - Livingston, TN This courthouse is one of the oldest ones in the state, which might not be a surprise, with its big box-like brick appearance. This courthouse was built in 1868-69. It was built on the same foundation as the previous courthouse which dates back to 1855 but was destroyed by a fire just over a decade later. The two story building has a gabled roof and pedimented detailing at each end. I was last here in early 2008. Since then, there have been some exterior cosmetic changes to make the look more interesting. Those changes include bunting in the upper windows, and the small garden and fountain in the foreground. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980
Knox County Courthouse This Victorian county courthouse located in downtown Knoxville was built in 1886 and is difficult to photograph when the trees are in bloom. The most distinguishing feature is the tall, elaborately layered clock tower which projects upwards from the front of the main floor. The building has seen multiple additions and renovations over the years leading to the 1979 City County Building which is across the street but connects via crosswalk. Tip for photographers: I have heard stories of others being stopped by police when taking shots of this building. Personally, I had no problems when I was there on a Sunday afternoon. Maybe it's not a problem when you're across the street when the trees aren't out in the winter.
Marion Memorial Bridge (Fall 2012 Update) This bridge was built in 1929 to cross the Tennessee River for a new alignment of the Dixie Highway. Originally, there were toll booths on either side but they were removed in 1947. In the mid 1960's with the building of Nickajack Dam just downstream, which formed Nickajack Lake, the water level rose. The Bridge was rehabilitated and also hydraulically lifted 21 feet so that barge traffic could still pass below. While not the Dixie Highway anymore, it did carry the Cummings Highway, which is US41, US64 and US72. After Interstate 24 was built near the same place, traffic on this bridge shrank. A friend of mine who lived in the area told me how she always hated driving across this bridge because it is narrow and you fell like you could fall off the side. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Recently, the bridge was determined by the state to be structurally deficient. Early in the year, on Jan. 9, 2012, the bridge was officially closed. In a couple of years, there will be a new, wider bridge at this location. For the full story, read this article: www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/28/tdot-to-close-mar...
Market Street Bridge (Just Before Sundown) The Market Street Bridge in Chattanooga, TN just a couple of years after its extensive renovations were finished. What makes this bridge different that any other bridge I've seen is its a Double-Leaf overhead counterweight Bascule Bridge.
The Delta Queen just before Sunset The Delta Queen is a famous steamboat and is a National Historic Landmark which is now docked in Chattanooga, TN serving as a floating Boutique hotel. The Delta Queen steamboat is 285 feet long, 58 feet wide, and can hold 176 passengers. Its two steam engines can produce 2,000 horsepower for a stern-mounted paddlewheel. The Delta Queen dates back to 1926 where it served passengers between San Fransisco and Sacramento. At the time, it and the sister ship Delta King were the most expensive and lavish steamboat ever commissioned. New highways made the steamboats unneeded in California so during World War II it was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy. Since 1948, it has run passenger service along the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers while changing ownership several times. It was listed on the the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and a National Historic Landmark in 1989. At the end of 2008, all passenger service stopped and was again put up for sale. In Feb. 2009, the steamboat arrived in Chattanooga at Coolidge Park Landing along the Tennessee River across from the downtown area. The Delta Queen hotel officially opened on June 5th of that year. Since then, ownership has changed again, but in the mean time it still operates as a fancy place to spend the night. There's even one room that is said to be haunted by Mary Green, the boat captain in the 40s. for more pictures of the Delta Queen, check out my website's Coolidge Park gallery: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=chattanooga/coolidg... Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/terrifying-places-tn/ These 10 Terrifying Places In Tennessee May Haunt Your Dreams 6) The Delta Queen is currently docked in Chattanooga and has since been converted into a hotel, so come spend the night if you don’t mind ghostly company. There are legends of crotchety old Mary B. Greene appearing to keep guests from a visit to the bar, as well as guests that simply enjoyed their stay on the Queen too much too check out. Don’t be worried about the stairs that lead to nowhere or the shadows in the bedroom – they’re just a part of what makes the Delta Queen so magnificently eerie.
United States Custom House, Court House and Post Office Located along Front St. in Downtown Memphis, this massive building originated in 1876. At the time when it was just a Customs House, it included two clock towers. In 1929, the building was expanded to become the post office at the towers were removed and it became the massive wall of granite. As of 2010, the building serves as the University of Memphis School of Law. The name of the building in the title of the photo comes from the name engraved in the top center of the building. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places as U.S. Post Office - Front Street Station.
Walnut Street Bridge at Dusk The Walnut Street Bridge is a Six-span through truss bridge over the Tennessee River on Walnut Street. It opened in 1891 and is a length of 2,370 ft. The bridge was closed to auto traffic in 1978, sat in disrepair for about a decade and then was converted into one of the world's longest pedestrian bridges. Now, the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.
How to contemptably disrespect a racist organization In the small Middle Tennessee town of Pulaski, there's a building that's not going to show up on any tour guide or brochure. In 1865, a group of disgruntled confederates met at this law office to form the KKK. While there has been some historical debate over whether the original mission of the Klan was racist in nature, there's no doubt that the organization became the country's best known White Supremacist organization. In the early 1920's, a marker was placed on the building by the Daughters of the Confederacy which read "Ku Klux Klan organized in this, the law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones, Dec. 24, 1865". Fast forward to 1990 when the building had a new owner, one who didn't want this office convenient to the courthouse to be known for its unfortunate past. According to law, people aren't allowed to remove historical markers, even from their own property. Now, you might think if the owner removed this plaque, would any authority want to go on record for arresting the owner who removed the memory of the town's forgettable past? Well, one thing is for certain, he didn't want his office to give Klan supporters a potential lightning rod for demonstrations. He did the next best thing, which is to take the sign and reverse it. Now the words face into the brick and the smooth side is showing. By the way, this is not against the law. Known now as "The Trial Lawyers Building" it dates back to ca. 1860. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Pulaski Courthouse Square Historic District.
Gideon Morgan House - Kingston, TN According to a historic marker located inside the old county courthouse museum next to a painting of this home: This beautiful home, which stands on the corner of Cumberland and Kentucky streets, directly across from the historic Roane County Courthouse, is the oldest house in Roane County. Gideon Morgan, a patriot in the Revolutionary War from Massachusetts, was born in 1751 and arrived in Kingston in 1808. He built the house between 1811 and 1813 and opened an "ordinary" which was a combination of a public house, hotel, general store, and livery stable. This home served in this capacity for years during the early days of Kingston and later as a private home. It was aquired by William B. Ladd in 1936 in poor condition and was completely restored. It has been lovingly maintained by Ladd's daughter, Mildred Ladd Delaney and her husband Robert Delaney for many years. The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
St. John's Episcopal Church Here is a famous example of a plantation church, and perhaps the last one built in Tennessee. This church was the dream of Leonidas Polk who was a farmer, Episcopal bishop, second cousin of the President, and Confederate General. Polk gave of his land, oversaw the construction and financed it for the three years it was being built. It was completed in 1842 with the bell placed in the tower in 1849. Polk wrote, "This church is of chaste and simple Gothic architecture...capable of seating...about five hundred people." The building is 41 feet wide, 65 feet long, the walls are sixteen inches thick and there are four buttresses on each side with a tall stained glass window between them. Today, there is no congregation that meets here anymore since 1915. However, once a year there is a service on Whitsunday, which is seven weeks after Easter. It is located on old Highway US43 (today TN243) in an area that used to be known as Ashwood but today is just between Columbia and Mt. Pleasant in Maury County. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. See the Historical Marker here.
Monroe County Courthouse (Alt) - Madisonville, TN Monroe County's 4th and current courthouse was built in 1897 at a cost of $17,000. At the time, it was praised in the local paper for it's useful functionality and with "no useless ornamentation on the outside." Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The two story brick building is built upon a high basement features a tall tower over the front entrance. Externally, above the basement level is a stone water table and also a cornice at the eave line of the hipped roof. At the main entrance is a one story porch supported with four square brick columns and topped by a balustrade. The clock tower features square pilasters with Ionic and Doric caps. A rear annex was added to the rear in 1979.
U.S. Post Office and Mine Rescue Station Seems like an odd combination for both government agencies to combine into one building such as this, so I wonder if there is more to the story. It is located along US25W in Jellico, TN. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fraterville Miners' Circle - Lake City, TN On the morning of May 19, 1902 in the small town of Fraterville, an oil lamp sparked a methane explosion in an unventilated active mine and caused the 5th worst mining disaster in U.S. History. The disaster killed 216 men, leaving only three men in the entire town. At Leach Cemetery just outside of what is now Lake City, a monument was built to honor the memories of the men killed in the disaster. Here are the graves of 89 of the men buried in concentric circles around the central tall monument. In 2005, this circle was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. For more info, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraterville_Mine_disaster
Boyhood Home of Nathan Bedford Forrest Disclaimer before we get started: I recognize that Forrest (and the confederate flag) are controversial. After the Civil War, Forrest started the Klan but some people claim that his intentions at the time were not racist. I do not take a stand on the issue but I don't have a tolerance for racism. My goal is to photographically document historic or significant sites in the area. Forrest was born to William and Mariam Beck Forrest in Chapel Hill, NC in 1821. In 1830, the family purchased this log cabin and lived here for about 3 years before moving to Mississippi. A few years ago, the home was purchased by the local chapter of Sons of Confederate Veterans. Their goal has been to restore the property to its original condition. There is a sign out front that asks for a $5 donation to help with the upkeep. Once a year, they have a fundraiser event with period costumes and demonstrations. I was actually unaware of this place as I was driving the back roads and looking for something else. I suppose his controversial nature has caused this historic site to not be listed in any brochures or tour guides. I had heard that the house where he was born was long gone. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-bucket-list/ The Ultimate And Definitive Bucket List For Everyone In Tennessee
Anderson Townhouse - Blountville, TN The front log cabin part of this house dates to somewhere between 1792-95. The back portion was added in 1826. Today, this building and several other structures on either side of the street along the Old Stage Road are on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Blountville Historic District. Today, the center is home to the Traditional Appalachian Musical Heritage Association. There's a historical marker added during the country's Bicentennial Celebration. You can see the marker here: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Cravens House - Lookout Mountain The Cravens House is the oldest surviving structure on Lookout Mountain, and was the home of Robert Cravens, a pioneer Chattanooga Industrialist. The home is located on a shelf-like ledge of the eastern slope of Lookout Mountain and provides a great overlook of Chattanooga. The house was a major focal point in the Civil War "Battle Above the Clouds" on Nov. 24, 1863. Today, the house is under the oversight of the National Park Service as part of the National Battlefield and free tours are offered on Saturday and Sunday Afternoons. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Cravens-Coleman House. See the historical marker here: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
Ruffin Theater - Covington, TN This theater just off Covington's town square originates in the 1920s as the Palace Theater but was damaged by a fire in 1936. Then, William Rufin bought the theater while making modern improvements. Over the years, it has been modified from a movie house to now also having a full theater stage. As the rumor goes, Elvis played here on March 16, 1955. Today, the theater is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hardeman County Courthouse - Bolivar, TN There have been three courthouses in Bolivar. The first was a log structure built in 1824, but three years later it was moved and expanded into a house, which still stands today. The second courthouse was built in 1827 of brick and also placed in the town square. During the Civil War, Union General Samuel D. Sturgis ordered the entire town to be razed and the courthouse as well as many homes were destroyed in an 1864 fire. A new Courthouse was needed, so the third and current courthouse was completed in 1868 in the same location. The two story brick building features a pedimented portico with four Corinthian Columns atop an arched brick entranceway. Other features include a rusticated stone base and a square clock tower with a bell atop the center of the roof. In 1955, three story brick wings were added on either side. About 20 years ago, the trees in front of the courthouse were planted, so pictures from a couple of decades ago show architectural details better. Around the Square, Market Street is US64 and Main Street is TN18/125. Warren Street on the East Side had recently undergone a renovation and may be pedestrian only now. In front of the courthouse is a bust of Simon Bolivar, for whom the town was named, which was presented as a gift from Venezuela. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Bolivar Court Square Historic District.
The Drug Store sign - Benton, TN It looks like this sign used to be a neon sign, but all of the tubing has been removed. But it's probably always been for a drug store since the sign is in teh shape of a mortar and pestle. This drug store is located on the town square in Benton across from the Polk County Courthouse. The building the Drug Store is in is the William Wiggins House which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bank of Dyersburg Building The Bank of Dyersburg is a historic building built in 1885. Located at 100 N. Main St. in Dyersburg, Tennessee and facing towards the County Courthouse in the middle of the town square, it has also been known as Citizens Bank Building. It has served historically in commerce/trade functions, including as a professional building, as a specialty store, and as a financial institution. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 for its architecture. The Bank of Dyersburg received a charter and began in business in 1880. Its 1885 new building has been described as showing "a stylish mix of Second Empire and Italianate architecture."
Hotel Lindo - Covington, TN The three-story Hotel Lindo was completed in 1901 on the northwest corner of the Covington Town Square, and opened for business in 1902. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for is significance in Social History and it Italianate and Romanesque architecture. Not used as a hotel for decades, today it has been restored and used for office space. Hello to anyone who found this photo here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/welcoming-small-towns-tn/ 15 Welcoming Small Towns In Tennessee Where You’ll Feel Like Family
Ritz Theater - Clinton, TN Located across the street from the Anderson County Courthouse and along US25W where it opened in 1945 and closed in 1969. Three years later it reopened as the Red Speeks' Country Music Theatre which was the venue for a local radio show until 1987. After being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, it was refurbished and reopened in 2000. It has a Moderne architectural style which continues to the Hoskins Drug Store next door.
Princess Theater - Harriman, TN The Princess Theater opened in Harriman in 1926 and was notable for being a large 900-seat theater for a small town. The theater was destroyed by a fire in 1939 but reopened later that year. The theater thrived for several decades but in 1987 the company that owned it wanted to close it. Theater manager Cecil Johnson leased the building and continued to operate it until he retired in 1999. Starting in 2001, several local organizations began to raise money to restore the theater. The goal was to get the Princess back to its Art Deco grandeur. It's not a cinema anymore but is now a performing arts venue. This photo was taken in 2011 before the renovations were complete, and now there is a beautiful marquee out front. For the full story: princesstheater.blogspot.com/ The theater is located right in the heart of Harriman's business district along Roane St. (US27). It is included on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Roane Street Commercial Historic District.
Lone Rock Coke Ovens The Tennessee Coal and Iron Company in 1883 built 120 coke ovens to help supply its growing iron works. The company contracted with the state, and convicts worked the ovens until 1896. The coke was sent to be used by the steel industry around South Pittsburg, TN. On August 13, 1892, Tracy City miners, who opposed the use of convict labor, burned the stockades and put the convicts on a train and sent them back to Nashville. (This had also been done a year earlier in Anderson County, TN.) These Coke ovens are viewable near Tracy City at Grundy Lake, which is part of the South Cumberland State Park. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Grundy Lakes Historic District.
Clinchfield Depot - Johnson City, TN It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railroad Station and Depot." The brick building was built in 1930. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/charming-tn-town/ This Charming Tennessee Town Is Picture Perfect For An Autumn Day Trip
Ketner's Mill Orphan David Ketner moved to the Sequatchie Valley in 1824 and opened a grist mill in an area today known as Ketner's Cover at the base of Suck Creek Mountain. His son Alexander bought a new site along the Sequatchie River in 1868 and completed the brick grist mill seen here in 1882 where it remained in operation until 1955. A couple of decades later, the Ketner family undertook a new beginning for the mill ushering in a new era. After undergoing a restoration, the mill was reopened in 1977 along with the first annual Ketner Mill Country Fair. That same year, the mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The mill continued to be operated year round until 1992 upon the death of mill operator Clyde Ketner, grandson of David Ketner. The yearly Ketner's Mill Country Arts Fair is still going strong. held every fall, the 2013 event will be the 37th year. Still owned by the same family, now the 5th generation runs the mill, but only for a short period every year to make enough flour to sell at the yearly fair.
Aeroplane Filling Station - Powell, TN Dating back to the glory days of roadside architecture is this vintage gas station eye-catchingly shaped like a plane built by proprietors Elmer and Henry Nickle in 1930. (Here's a photo from 1931.) Powell is located north of Knoxville along US25W on the road to Clinton, TN. The gas station went out of business half a century ago and was abandoned for a while. Other businesses moved in to keep it open, such as a liquor store, a produce stand, a bait & tackle shop and finally a used car lot. About a decade ago, locals who wanted to preserve their roadside heritage from demolition began to rally to save the plane. They created a website (now gone, I think) and sold t-shirts to raise money for the novelty architecture preservation. One thing that caught me by surprise during my visit is the exterior has shiny new sheet metal compared to other recent photos I had seen online. Also new are the windows and the light along the wing. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also helped by the Tennessee Historic Commission
The Delta Queen at Night - Chattanooga The Delta Queen is a famous steamboat and is a National Historic Landmark which is now docked in Chattanooga, TN serving as a floating Boutique hotel. The Delta Queen steamboat is 285 feet long, 58 feet wide, and can hold 176 passengers. Its two steam engines can produce 2,000 horsepower for a stern-mounted paddlewheel. The Delta Queen dates back to 1926 where it served passengers between San Fransisco and Sacramento. At the time, it and the sister ship Delta King were the most expensive and lavish steamboat ever commissioned. New highways made the steamboats unneeded in California so during World War II it was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy. Since 1948, it has run passenger service along the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers while changing ownership several times. It was listed on the the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and a National Historic Landmark in 1989. At the end of 2008, all passenger service stopped and was again put up for sale. In Feb. 2009, the steamboat arrived in Chattanooga at Coolidge Park Landing along the Tennessee River across from the downtown area. The Delta Queen hotel officially opened on June 5th of that year. Since then, ownership has changed again, but in the mean time it still operates as a fancy place to spend the night. There's even one room that is said to be haunted by Mary Green, the boat captain in the 40s. for more pictures of the Delta Queen, check out my website's Coolidge Park gallery: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=chattanooga/coolidg...
Ledford Mill Ledford Mill is an 1884 gristmill listed on the National register of Historic Places. The nearest city is Tullahoma, sometimes listed as Wartrace, but is in the corner of Moore County, so it's technically in Lynchburg. Visually, it's an unusual setting for a Middle Tennessee Mill. The road leads right up to the door on an upper floor of this mill in the narrow valley. Mills need a place to harness the power of water, and are usually situated at a waterfall or a dam. This place has both. An old large metal pipe runs from the top of the dam of Shipman's Creek to the mill. a path with a wooden pedestrian bridge leads to a bench where you can sit and watch the 20 foot waterfalls in a peaceful setting. With the lake above the dam, you can see the fish which are considered pets at the mill. Like most gristmills, it went out of business decades ago. However, the mill was restored in 1996 by innkeepers John & Mildred Spear who operate the mill as a three room bed & breakfast. During business hours, the mill is open as a gift shop / antique store. Visitors are allowed to look around but when the paying overnight guests arrive, they get the area to themselves. Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/hidden-destination-tn/ This Hidden Destination In Tennessee Is A Secret Only Locals Know About or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/perfect-tn-waterfall-ad... Here’s The Perfect Weekend Itinerary If You Love Exploring Tennessee’s Waterfalls
Court Theater - Huntingdon, TN Here is the theater's history as seen on their website: The Court Theatre has been a part of Huntingdon and the county for over 80 years. The building dates back to 1920. The original owner of the building was Lewis F. Johnson. He sold the building to Linnie McCracken Carter and in 1929 Ms. Linnie converted the building into a theatre. John Carter (age 95) remembers Linnie Carter operating the theatre in the 1930’s and 1940’s. He said they called her Boss and she always wanted to show the newest movies, even though they cost more. In 1940, Linnie sold the theatre to Rockwood Amusements, Inc. In 1986 the theatre was sold to Carl and Letha Holland. The Hollands sold the theatre a short time later to Rayburn and Brenda O'Brien in 1987. And the O'Brien's sold to Leslie E. Curtis, who most of us know as Mr. Les, in 1995. Mr. Les ran the theatre for 15 years until selling the theatre to the current owners Jacky and Dixie Atkinson in 2010. To our knowledge the Court Theatre has been in continous operation over these 80 years, with exception to its current closing for reconstruction. During the 1920’s through the 1940’s, the Carroll County Fair was held at Huntingdon’s Court Square. Talent shows and other events were held at the Court Theatre during the county fair. In the 50's the Court had Amateur night with a picture show afterwards. huntingdoncourttheatre.com/newpage.html
Union Soldier Monument - Knoxville National Cemetery The Union Soldier monument, in the National Cemetery's eastern corner, was erected in the early 1900s. In 1892, Knoxville's Confederate veterans installed a 48-foot monument topped by a statue of a Confederate soldier at the Confederate National Cemetery near the Mabry-Hazen House in East Knoxville. Not to be outdone, the local chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic formed a commission, headed by former Union Army officer and Knoxville Journal publisher William Rule, to raise money to build a monument of greater size at Knoxville National Cemetery. Completed in 1901, the monument initially stood 50 feet— the height having been calculated to surpass that of the Confederates' monument— and was topped by a bronze eagle with wings spread. On August 22, 1904, however, the eagle was shattered by a bolt of lightning, the sound of which rattled Knoxville and could be heard for miles all around. Undaunted, the GAR commissioners planned immediate reconstruction, using federal funds secured by Congressman Henry R. Gibson. The new monument, designed by the local architectural firm Baumann Brothers, largely followed the original design, the exception being a marble statue of a Union soldier placed atop the monument rather than an eagle. The new monument was completed on October 15, 1906. The monument, built of locally-quarried marble, represents a medieval fortress, with stained glass windows and an inner room and staircase. The 8-foot soldier statue stands at post atop the main tower. The monument is sometimes called the "Wilder Monument," as local legend suggests the soldier bears the likeness of Union general and East Tennessee businessman John T. Wilder.
Overton County Courthouse (2013) - Livingston, TN This was my third visit to Livingston, and the same thing has happened all three times: On a day the weather radar said would be mostly sunny, I get here to find solid cloud cover. At least on this day, the sun peaked through to shine upon the building but about two minutes after taking this photo a downpour came from the sky and I had to run back to my car. On my previous visit here, as I was driving away I ended up passing a kidney stone while I was in my car and since that didn't happen on this visit, I'd say things were better. There have ben some changes to the grounds since my previous visits. A fountain has been added to one side between my 2008 and 2011 visit. In 2011, there was some red, white and blue bunting added to the windows, which made things more colorful, but they are now gone. There is a positive for people wanting to see the building and that is some large trees were removed making this angle a lot easier to view. This courthouse is one of the oldest ones in the state, which might not be a surprise, with its big box-like brick appearance. This courthouse was built in 1868-69. It was built on the same foundation as the previous courthouse which dates back to 1855 but was destroyed by a fire just over a decade later. The two story building has a gabled roof and pedimented detailing at each end. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980
Etowah, TN L&N Depot In 1902, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad decided they needed a more direct route between Atlanta and Cincinnati. Along this proposed updated route, they found a spot in McMinn County, TN that was about halway between the two cities that would serve as a good terminal and crew stop. Thus, the city of Etowah, and it's important Station were born. The 15 room Victorian structure made of yellow pine seen here was soon finished at a cost of $13,000. Passenger service lasted until 1968 and the depot soon closed. However, since this is still a prime railroad location, CSX continues to many operations along the tracks. The railroad donated the building to the city and by 1981 the depot was open again as a museum after several years of restoration. The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Partnering with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum out of Chattanooga, there is an excursion train which operates from here. Known as the Hiawasee Loop, the excursion follows along the tracks which parallel the Hiawasee River and then ascends to the famous spot on Bald Mountain where the tracks cross over themselves, forming a loop known as "The Eye." (These are the tracks that the new line through Etowah was designed to bypass.)
Historic Ye Ole Jail - Jamestown, TN (2013) The new jail is now an addition onto the county courthouse. This old jail is on the Jamestown town square. The building is now used as the local Chamber of Commerce and the headquarters for the 127 Sale aka "World's Longest Garage Sale." The jail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is over 100 years old and made of native sandstone.
Trousdale County Courthouse at Night (2013) This courthouse is the third to be built in Hartsville, after the first one burned down in 1901 and it's replacement also burned down just two years later. Completed in 1906, this courthouse is made out of brick on a stone foundation. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hartsville Historic District. The top of the courthouse features stepped gables in front of a small cupola on the hip roof. Along the front, brick bands provide decoration, as well as an entry porch. One story additions have been added to either side. Since my previous visit five years earlier, several trees have been removed making it easier to view the courthouse architectural details.
Hiwassee Union Baptist Church This church building which dates back to 1899 is located along the bank of the Hiwassee River in Reliance, TN. Every other photo I have seen of this building is from the street side, however my photo was taken while I was riding along the Hiwassee River Excursion Train. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Reliance Historic District. Here is the text of the historic marker provided by the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association from their Religious Heritage Trail: Erected about 1899 through the joint effort of the Hiwassee Union Missionary Baptist Church and the local Masonic Lodge, this two-story, frame structure served as a multi-use community building. The upper floor was for lodge meetings while the first floor served as the church meeting hall. The first floor was also used as a schoolhouse for a brief time. Originally the first floor had a full front porch. The porch was enclosed in 1927 when the church added two small meeting rooms, leaving a narrow entry way into the main hall. The church and the lodge moved to new facilities less than one mile to the east on Highway 30. It was founded on October 8, 1848 as Hiwassee Union Baptist, and then in 1859 as Sweetwater Baptist Association. In 1861 the Ocoee Baptist Association was formed, so they asked to be released from Sweetwater's Association and joined the Ocoee Baptist Association. Hiwassee Union Baptist went on the join Eastanallee Baptist Association in 1871 and finally it joined the Polk Baptist Association in 1921. (One more note about the excursion train: I could have sworn I heard the guide say this place was a filming location for the movie Deliverance, but I can't find any confirmation of that anywhere else. Has anyone else heard that?) Hello to anyone who found this here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-facts/ 20 Facts About Tennessee You Never Knew Were True or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/incredible-tn-rivers/ There’s Something Incredible About These 15 Rivers In Tennessee 8) Hiwassee River What a great shot of the Hiwassee Union Baptist Church! Or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/self-respecting-tenness... 11 Things No Self-Respecting Tennessean Would Ever Do Or here: www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/beautiful-east-tn-photos/ 15 Insanely Beautiful Photos Of East Tennessee That Will Make You Want To Visit or here: www.tngenweb.org/
Alpine Institute - Christ Church Presbyterian The Alpine Institute was a Presbyterian mission school located in Overton County, TN. Operating in one form or another from 1821 until 1947, the school provided badly needed educational services to children living in the remote hill country of the Upper Cumberland region. In 2002, several of the school's surviving structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. John Dillard (1793–1884), a minister affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Southern Appalachia, established the Alpine School atop Alpine Mountain in 1821 and expanded the school in the 1840s. The school was burned by bushwhackers during the Civil War and again by the Ku Klux Klan in the years after the war. The school was re-established in 1880 at its current location at the base of Alpine Mountain, and under the leadership of future Tennessee governor A. H. Roberts continued to thrive into the following decade. In 1917, the better-funded Presbyterian Church assumed control of the school and helped it develop into one of the state's most competitive rural schools. The Alpine Institute was located along Highway TN52 (Jamestown Highway) in the Alpine community, just over 10 miles east of Livingston. This community is situated in a valley carved by Nettlecarrier Creek (which empties into the Obey River just east of Alpine), and is surrounded by high ridges on all sides, most notably the 1,826-foot Alpine Mountain, which rises prominently to the south. A one-lane road, Campus Circle, accesses the church and adjacent buildings. While Alpine Institute's main school building no longer stands, several important structures associated with the school have survived. The Christ Church Presbyterian (a Gothic Revival-style church, which was completed in 1934) is well-maintained and still used for religious services. The school's gymnasium is now used as a community center, and the manse is still in use as a residence. Other surviving structures include the shop building and a dairy barn. The gymnasium, church, and shop building were all built using the same type of native stone.
The Cannonball House - Blountville, TN Located in the historic district in Blountville, the Miller-Haynes House was fired upon during the Battle of Blountville on September 22, 1863. From this picture, I can't see any of the damage, but there are examples on the Civil War Trails marker, which you can see here: seemidtn.com/gallery3/index.php?album=historical-markers/...
The Dome Building near sundown - Chattanooga A ribbon of sunshine made its way between a couple of skyscrapers to shine on just the dome and a bit of the exterior just below it. This building in downtown Chattanooga, TN was built in 1892 and at the time was the tallest structure in town. It was built by Adolph Ochs to be the home of his newspaper, the Chattanooga Times, and the building was named at the time the Ochs Building. Many people called it the "Times Building" as a large neon "Times" used to hang from the dome. Adolph Ochs went on to purchase and run the New York Times. Later, in 1947 the Chattanooga Times moved out of this location at the corner of East 8th St. and Georgia Ave. The new owners changed the name to The Dome Building. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is named a Tennessee Antiquity by the APTA.
![The Old Jail is on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is the text from its entry:
npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/73001784
The "Old Jail," built circa 1860, is on Jail Street, one block west of the main street in Sneedville. It is a two-story brick structure painted red with a tin roof and a chimney on each side. Each of the seven openings on the front side is surmounted by a plain lintel painted white [Brent's note: white paint removed since 2009] The only attempt at any decoration is the brick corbeling across the front. The porch, which is a later addition and which covers the entrance floor, projects to the edge of the sidewalk.
At present, there are three exterior entrances on the first floor. The center door appears not to be used now, but it leads into the center hall. It is flanked by two doors, each leading into the side rooms. On either side of these doors is a window, while there are three windows on the second floor. Although there is now a small clapboard wing, the house was originally only one room deep with a center hall having a stairway and with a room on each side. The two mantels on the first floor include a simple wood one and a small simple Victorian marble mantel.
The "Old Jail" continues to be used for its original purpose. [Brent's note: this was written in 1973. Today it is a museum, library and genealogical society.] First floor rooms serve as the county sheriff's residence and the second floor is used for prisoners. Male prisoners are kept in a large steel cage in the open area. Female prisoners are placed in the smaller, enclosed room where the original sheathing can be detected.
Located in the very rough and mountainous northeast section of Tennessee, Hancock County has always been one of the most sparsely populated and poorest counties in the state. The area, around which is now Sneedville, was settled in the first quarter of the nineteenth century and was originally called the Greasy Rock area. Hancock County was formed in 1844 from portions of Hawkins and Claiborne counties. Because of various constitutional disputes, however, Hancock County did not begin to conduct any business until 1848. In 1850, a small but substantial brick courthouse was erected as well as a log jail.- The latter was replaced in 1860 by the present brick building which continues to serve as the county jail. The courthouse burned shortly before 1887 according to the Goodspeed History of Tennessee.
Some people claim the "Old Jail" to be the oldest building in Sneedville, which is quite possible. Certainly, it is the oldest public building, and the only one left having historical connections with the early years of the county. It is the major landmark in the area. Citizens have discussed the desirability of converting the "Old Jail" into a museum of local history after constructing a new jail, which they feel is desperately needed.
In an area where buildings of architectural or historical significance are lacking, the Old Jail does possess significance for Hancock County.](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52694004859_d5ca3a2d39_b.jpg "Hancock County Old Jail - Sneedville, TN")
