Putnam Drive-In Theater (Now Gone)

Located along Nashville Rd. (U.S. 70N) on the west side of Cookeville, TN in Putnam County. It has been closed for a few years and this concession stand was removed about 8 or 9 years ago.

Edgar Cayce - Quality Photographs

Edgar Cayce is a famous Clairvoyant from the early 20th century who grew up in Hopkinsville, KY. I suppose he must have run a photography business as well, but I didn't know that about him. This is located in downtown Hopkinsville, along a large brick wall where there are several retro murals.

I first learned of Cayce when I bought a 1950s biography of him when our school had its yearly book clearance sale.

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.

United States Courthouse - Jackson, TN

This is the new courthouse at 111. S. Highland St. The older Ed Jones Federal Courthouse is next door.

Nashville Sounds Guitar Scoreboard

When the Nashville Sounds opened First Tennessee Park in 2015, they used one of the most popular features of Greer Stadium when the added a guitar shaped scoreboard. While everything at the new stadium is better, so is the scoreboard. For it's time, the Old Stadium's Guitar Scoreboard had a small video board, this one fills the main section. Another retained feature is the inning-by-inning score along the guitar's neck.

Emma's Flowers neon sign

For years, Emma's was known by their TV commercials with a distinctive voice saying "Emma's, the Superlative Florist." While Emma's is on West End Ave. in Nashville's Midtown, this neon sign is around back on Elliston Pl.

Lawrenceburg, TN Mexican War Monument

Civil War monuments are aplenty around the United States, but if you are looking for a monument remembering the Mexican-American War of the mid 1840s, there are only 2 in Tennessee, one of which is shown here in Lawrenceburg, TN. (The other in Tennessee is in Gallatin.) Planning began on the War Monument in 1849 and the city legislature passed a resolution on 1/9/1850 to appropriate $1,500 to erect it. The monument was created to perpetuate the memory of the "Lawrenceburg Blues" and Captain William B. Allen who fought in the Mexican War. It has a four square base supporting a shaft running skyward and is on the north side of the Lawrenceburg town square.

Mist on the Holston River @ Bluff City, TN

Bluff City is a town that went through multiple name changes but dates back to 1780 when the Overmountain Men crossed the Holston River here at Choate's Ford. The remains of a railroad bridge can also be seen here, with a stone pier and an abutment with a mural painted on it. (This location now has a new mural painted here.) Today, this section of the river is also known as Boone Lake.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Hyman Administration Building
Memphis, TN - along Dunlap St.

A nice place to sit in Lynchburg

On the south side of the Lynchburg Town Square. While the square is lines with storefronts, there is an empty space between the Tennessee Walking Horse Museum and the Dry County Still General Store.

There used to be a door, but the area is open air. There are windows and in the windows are whiskey barrels.

Murfreesboro East Main: 450 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"
450 East Main Street
A two-story portico with fluted Ionic columns, an entrance with a fanlight and sidelights, and side porches characterize this home as a textbook example of the Neoclassical style. Nashville architects Fletcher and Bell designed this home in 1910 for George and Tempe Swoope Darrow.

Little River Falls (from the upstream observation deck)

Little River Falls is the highlight of the Little River Canyon National Preserve atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. The Little River flows almost its entire length atop Lookout Mountain. Here, the water drops 45 feet.

The most common way to view the waterfall is at the main entrance off of highway AL35 southwest of Ft. Payne. The highway bridge crosses the river not too far behind the waterfall. From the parking lot, it's less than a five minute stroll along a boradwal to get to the most popular view. On my previous visit in 2006, people would go beyond the end of the boardwalk and walk all around the top of the falls, but signs say this is now prohibited.

There's a second view of the falls from an overlook a little over 1000 feet downstream. This view is at an observation deck accessible from the Little River Canyon Rim Parkway (AL176).

Frist Center at Night

Frist Center of the Visual Arts in the art deco building that used to be the main Nashville post office on broadway.

The Edward Cox House

In front of the house is a wooden marker that reads:
The Edward Cox House
Built in 1774
A Shrine of Methodism

In 1774, former Revolutionary War soldier Edward Cox and his wife Sallie moved here from Maryland. This is located in what is today known as Sullivan County, TN near Bluff City on the Holston River. He was a Methodist preacher and he moved here to establish a Methodist congregation in the area.

This home was rebuilt in 1966.

Field of the Woods Bible Park: Golgotha

Field of the Woods Bible Park reminds me that they don't build tourist attractions like they used to. The park is best known for the World's Largest Ten Commandments, but the Christian imagery runs throughout the park. The park started in 1945 and was considered an outreach ministry by the Church of God of Prophecy denomination (which had its origins less than five miles away).

Most people come to see the 300-foot wide Ten Commandments which is laid out on the side of a hill. The best vantage point is to climb the hill on the other side of the parking lot so you can get the whole perspective. Or, if you're in good shape you could climb the 350 steps to the top where there is a giant Bible which doubles as an observation deck.

There are plenty of other things to see while you're there, most of which were added during the first decade of the park's operation. When you climb the other hill to get the best view of the Ten Commandments, you're climbing Prayer Mountain and along the way there are several headstone shaped markers which explain some of the Bible's basic principles. Next, there's a replica tomb of Jesus that includes at the entrance a replica of the stone to be rolled away. In the middle of the parking lot is what looks like a radio tower topped by a giant star which is an information booth that probably hasn't been used for decades. There's also a baptismal pool, a decent gift shop, an old missionary's airplane, the All Nations Cross, the curator's residence and a bunch of other random monuments and messages.

One other highlight of the park is a replica Golgotha which is where Jesus was crucified between two criminals. If you think the Golgotha vaguely resembles a face - it does. Golgotha translates to "Place of the Skull." When you view their Golgotha from atop the observation deck you'll notice the shrubs in front of Golgotha are arranged to spell out "JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS."

I first learned of this place about 20 years ago when my parents stopped by on a trip through western North Carolina. I finally had my chance to visit recently when I went tent camping at a place nearby. Not as many people stop by as they used to. (In one of my pictures, you can see my car is the only one in the parking lot.) If I understood the guy in the gift shop properly, the Church of God doesn't fund it the way they used to, so there's no telling how long they'll remain open. So, if this is the type of place you'd really like to visit, I'd recommend sooner rather than later.

Southern Caboose X741

This Bay Window Caboose is seen at the Bluegrass Railroad museum near Versailles, KY.

See 7 States from Rock City

This Rock City barn is seen along US64 in Lawrence County, TN.

This is now one of 87 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.

PIG - Pork with an Attitude - Beale St.

Would you like to see more photos from Beale street? Check out the Beale Street gallery

Blurred motion: Seattle Wheel

The most colorful Ferris wheel I've seen comes to the Williamson County Fair each July.

Replica of Franklin County's First Courthouse - Cowan, TN

Cowan, TN
The real one was used 1807-1814 and was the home of Major William Russell
This one was reconstructed by The Cowan Bell newspaper in April 1975 in honor of America's Bicentennial.

This is located in Cowan in the park area between Tennessee Ave. and the train tracks. It is on the other side of the tracks from the train station Museum.

In the news: Will President Polk's Grave move?

The body of President James K. Polk and his wife Sarah are buried on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. His first permanent resting place was at Polk Place, his mansion in downtown Nashville. After Sarah Polk died many years later, Polks grave was moved as developers wanted to use the land of Polk Place for another purpose, and the mansion was torn down. (This story by itself is very irksome to historic preservationists.)

Recently, The TN state senate voted to move Polk's remains from the state capitol to the Polk Ancestral home in Columbia, TN. You can read that story here.

However, the Tennessee Historic Commission as well as other preservation groups are against the move. You can read that story here.

When You See ROCK CITY...

You See The Best!
It may be tough to see at first but those are the words once painted along this roof. Although not a barn, this building which looks like it was a general store many years ago was painted as if it was one of Rock City's barns. It's located in the small community of Topton, NC which is in the far northeast corner of Cherokee County near when highways US19 and US74 join up with US129.

This brings my total to 85 different Rock City Barns I have photographed and uploaded to Flickr in my Rock City Barns set. People often ask me how I've found so many of them. I have drawn from many resources such as books and web sites and sometimes luck, but there's not really one "go to" place to find them all. Well, now on my website, I have tried to create a one stop source for the locations of all of the barns I've been to. On my Map of Rock City Barns page, I have plotted each barn on a Google Map.

Taco Casa

I don't know if the food's any good, but I like the look of the cactus sign. Seen along US11 in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Cowan, TN Train Depot and Steam Locomotive

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.

Steam Locomotive #1 has been the highlight of the Cowan Railroad Museum for many years. It's a Columbia Type 2-4-2. It was built by Porter in 1920 as a tenderless Tank style locomotive and converted with a small homemade tender and had the saddle tank removed. The cab used to contain a small coal bunker. The Engine was functional around Charleston, SC until 1964 when it was sold to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Then, was sold to the Cowan museum in 1979.

To see my other photos from the Depot Museum, look here:
www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/tags/cowanrailroadm...

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 the most important trials in American History.

In 1890, Rhea County needed to move the county seat from the city of Washington to accommodate 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 noticeable 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 proceedings 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.

Red Barn in Red Boiling Springs, TN

Johnson Chapel Methodist Church - Brentwood, TN

This church is in Brentwood, TN. According to the historical marker:
Johnson Chapel was established about 1803 on part of Col. Thomas McCrory's property purchased by Maj. John Johnston in 1796. His son Matthew Johnston built the first church here. The land on which the log church stood was deeded to the trustees of the church in 1831, when it was being used by all denominations. Levin Edney, pioneer circuit rider preacher, held the first services here. The first church was destroyed by fire in 1850. This building, erected in 1925, is the third on this site.

Georgia State Capitol Rotunda & Dome

From Wikipedia:
The Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the main office building of Georgia's government. The offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state are on the second floor, while the General Assembly meets on the third floor from January to April. There are also visitors' galleries and a museum on the fourth floor.

Like many U.S. state capitols, the Georgia State Capitol is designed to resemble the Classical architectural style of the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C.. Completed in 1889, the building was designed by architects Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin P. Burnham, of Chicago, Illinois. The building was constructed by Miles and Horne, of Toledo, Ohio. Sculptor George Crouch executed all the ornamental work on the building. The commission that oversaw the planning and construction of the building included former Confederate general Phillip Cook.
The front of the capitol faces west on Washington Street. The façade features a four-story portico, with stone pediment, supported by six Corinthian columns set on large stone piers. Georgia's coat of arms, with two figures on each side, is engraved on the pediment. The Capitol's interior represents the 19th century style of its time. It was among the earliest buildings to have elevators, centralized steam heat, and combination gas and electric lights. Classical pilasters and oak paneling are used throughout the building. The floors of the interior are made of marble from Pickens County, which still produces marble products today.

The open central rotunda is flanked by two wings, each with a grand staircase and three-story atrium crowned by clerestory windows. The Capitol building has undergone frequent renovations to adapt to the growth and change of government. Originally constructed from terra cotta and covered with tin, in a 1958 renovation[3] the present dome was gilded with native gold leaf from near Dahlonega in Lumpkin County, where the first American gold rush occurred during the 1830s. For this reason, legislative business is often referred to as what is happening "under the gold dome" by media across the state. The statue Miss Freedom has adorned the dome since the building's opening.