Acme Feed & Seed neon sign - Downtown Nashville

I'm about 99% certain that this neon sign was created in the last decade, but it's still a nice one. The neon rooster upon an arrow atop the sign top spins.

Acme Feed & Seed is a restaurant and live music venue that opened in 2014 inside the 1890 Acme Farm Supply 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.

McMahan Indian Mound - Sevierville, TN

Here's an easy to miss spot on the way to Gatlinburg. It's a historic Indian Mound with business built around it. The small preserved and landscaped area is along the main road (US441) between a motel (Landmark Inn) and a Shoneys.

From the historic marker:
This Mississippian substructure,16 ft. high and 240 ft.in circumference, built during the Dallas phase (1200-1500), was first excavated in 1881, with artifacts being sent to the Smithsonian. Later excavations exposed nearby villages of the Woodland Indian dating from 200 A.D. to the Cherokee who roamed this valley when pioneers settled in the late 1700s.

Cravath Hall - Fisk University

From the historic marker:
This neo-Gothic structure first served as the Erastus M. Cravath Memorial Library. Named for Cravath, the university's first president (1875-1900), it was designed by Nashville architect Henry Hibbs and built in 1929-30. The interior walls depict several murals by Aaron Douglas, the leading Harlem or Negro Renaissance painter and founder of the Fisk Art Department.

This building is part of the Fisk University Historic District listing on the National Register of Historic Places

Burial site of Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash

Johnny & June Carter Cash are buried at Hendersonville Memory Gardens following their death in 2003. The were of course prominent Hendersonville residents and Highway US31E that goes past the cemetery entrance has been renamed the Johnny Cash Pkwy.

Downtown Presbyterian Church - Nashville

As a kid, I remember this building well. During the summers, mom would take me on errands in downtown Nashville. We would park along church street and walk past this. What stood out to me were the areas where they listed off the key dates for the congregation.

Here is the history from Wikipedia:
The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN, a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), was formerly known as First Presbyterian Church. The church is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Church Street. As Old First Presbyterian Church it is designated a National Historic Landmark.

The congregation began worshiping at this site in 1816. The first structure burned down in 1832, and a second sanctuary was constructed the same year. The third (and present) sanctuary was constructed after a fire in 1848 destroyed the previous structure. The name was changed to "Downtown" after First Presbyterian moved out of downtown Nashville in 1955.

The present sanctuary was designed by William Strickland, who also designed the Tennessee State Capitol, in the Egyptian Revival style. Exterior design elements include Egyptian style lotus columns and a winged sun disk. Interior Egyptian style elements include stained glass windows, woodwork and perspective renderings of Egyptian scenes on the sanctuary walls. The design was commissioned during an era when archaeological reports from Egypt were being reported in western publications. The twin towers of Downtown Presbyterian Church are reminiscent of the twin towers of St. Stephen's Church in Philadelphia, the city that Strickland lived in before he moved to Nashville. Surviving drawings illustrate that he also designed Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, which was demolished in 1979.

Downtown Presbyterian Church is one of the few examples of Egyptian Revival architecture in the United States, and may be the best surviving ecclesiastical example. William Strickland also designed the second Mikveh-Israel Synagogue in Philadelphia in 1825 with Egyptian Revival elements, but it has not survived. Two other churches in the United States with Egyptian architectural themes that have survived are the First Baptist Church of Essex, Connecticut, and the First Presbyterian Church (Sag Harbor), New York, also known as the Whalers' Church. A virtual tour of the current Downtown Presbyterian Church is available on the church's website.

Several historic events and persons of note have been associated with this church. When Downtown Presbyterian was still known as First Presbyterian Church, President Andrew Jackson was a member. ("General" Andrew Jackson was presented with a ceremonial sword on the steps of the original church, after the Battle of New Orleans.) Tennessee Governor James K. Polk was inaugurated in the second sanctuary. The present church building was seized by Federal forces and served as a military hospital during the Civil War. It temporarily became Nashville's Union Hospital No. 8, with 206 beds. The church has continued to be used as a refuge by Nashville's citizens from floods in the 1920s, by soldiers during the Second World War and presently has an active social ministry to the less fortunate.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Presbyterian_Church_(Nashville)

Ty's House aka "Hard Bargain Cemetery House" - Franklin, TN

Originally, this ca. 1905 house in a Second Empire style belonged to the caretaker of Mt. Hope Cemetery in Franklin. This house is located in "Hard Bargain" which is a historic African American neighborhood dating back 130 years. This home became the community center for the association seeking to preserve the neighborhood. In 2012, the home was renamed Ty's House in honor of local resident Ty Osman II who died in a highway accident.

For more info and pictures of the house renovation, look here:
thedecorologist.com/tys-house-community-center-in-souther...

Mayor Sam Siegel statue - Bruceton, TN

This statue to mayor Sam Siegel is located in Templeton Park in Bruceton, TN.

In Memory of
SAM SIEGEL
1909 + 1975
Served as
Mayor of Bruceton
1958 + 1974

There is no limit to the good A man can do as long as he Doesn't care who gets the credit

Tomb of Francis Furman - Nashville, TN

Furman Hall on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville is named in honor of Nashville dry goods merchant Francis Furman. He was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, where his tomb was designed by Danish-born sculptor Johannes Gelert. It is the largest tomb in the cemetery.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Furman

L&N 796 - Bowling Green, KY

While Bowling Green is a great place to see a Corvette, there's also a great locomotive to see. Louisville & Nashville #796 is at Bowling Green's Historic Railpark & Train Museum. Built in May 1951, this is one of about 450 General Motors EMD E8A models ever built.

St. Paul's AME Church - Nashville

This historic church building dates back to 1870, but was altered and a new facade was added in 1914. I don't believe this building is on the National Register of Historic Places, but it was one of six nominated in 1983 as the "Churches of South Nashville." Today, the building is "The Bell Tower" event venue.

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.

Layman Drug Store - Nashville, TN

The Layman Drug Store, a local landmark in Nashville's Chestnut Hill neighborhood, may be torn down soon. The property was featured in Historic Nashville's 2015 Nashville Nine endangered properties.
www.historicnashvilleinc.org/resources/nashville-9/2015/2...

Ganoe-Bussell Log Cabin - Tullahoma, TN

This cabin which dates back to ca. 1850 is located in the park in front of the old Tullahoma High school.

According to the sign in front:
This log cabin, which may be the oldest extant building in Tullahoma, was located at 607 S. Atlantic St. when it was discovered in 1990. Will and Mary Ganoe purchased the house in 1898 from the family of Thomas Wells. Ganoe descendants lived in the house until 1975

Lincoln Memorial - Louisville Waterfront Park

The Lincoln Memorial at Waterfront Park features a 12′ statue of Lincoln seated on a rock and looking out over the river. The statue was created by Louisville artist Ed Hamilton and dedicated June 4, 2009 remembering the bicentennial of his birth. The memorial site, designed by world-renowned landscape architects Hargreaves Associates, is a tree-canopied landscape with an amphitheater that faces the river and provides a frame for the sculptural pieces. The face of the granite amphitheater seating is engraved with four famous Lincoln quotes, and the site is planted with a variety of trees, including several that were Lincoln favorites.

Tennessee Center of Population marker

Not to be confused with the Geographic Center of Tennessee, this marker designates the center of Population. The location was determined by the Tennessee Association of Professional Surveyors based on the 2000 U.S. Census. The marker is located at Barfield Crescent park in Murfreesboro near the entrance to a baseball field.

Shannon House - Lebanon, TN

The Shannon House is located at 321 W. Main St. (old US70) on Lebanon, TN. The house of late Victorian Architecture was built ca. 1902 for Laban Lacy Rice who would go on to become the owner of Castle Heights School and then President of Cumberland University. He sold the home to J.L. Shannon in 1909 when a home with the same floor plan was built on the Castle Heights campus.

In 1909, Shannon started the J.L. Shannon and Sons Drug Store on Lebanon's Public Square. Shannon died in 1929, but his children operated the store into the 1960s and lived in the home until 1989. Today, the home is the office of THW Insurance.

Oostanaula River Bridge with the Love Locks - Rome, GA

Originally, this swing Warren through truss bridge was built in 1905 by American Bridge Company so the Central of Georgia Railway could cross the Oostanaula River in Rome, GA. After the train line was abandoned, it became a rails-to-trails project and is now part of the Heritage Park Trail renamed as the Robert Redden Footbridge.



This pedestrian bridge is now famous for the "Love Locks." To display their undying love, a couple etched their name on a padlock and attached it to the bridge. A few other couples did the same thing and by Valentines Day 2014, the idea had gone viral. Today, the bridge has hundreds of these 'love locks." Read more from the local newspaper article: www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/lifestyles/local/local-...

Spending the night at the Thunderbird Inn - Savannah, GA

The Thunderbird Inn in Savannah is a retro hotel with many features which remind you what a hotel stay was like in the 1960s. The hotel still has it's original neon sign and exterior, and the rooms feature throwback lighting and furnishings.

Visit my website at: http://SeeMidTN.com

See all of the pictures in this gallery at:
http://seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php...

Here are my Savannah photos:
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_i...

Photos of all of Georgia:
http://seemidtn.com/flogr/index.php?t...

Slideshow of the haunted Fitzpatrick Hotel in Washington, GA
https://youtu.be/ifmUWKl0zok

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.

See Rock City barn in Georgia

Painted as part of Rock City's barn painting advertising program, this building is along highway US27 north of LaFayette, GA. You can't really tell now, but it's not actually a barn, but instead is an abandoned auto mechanic shop.

Although I just recently visited this barn for the first time, I learned about it several years ago when the owner tried to revive the business and Rock City repainted the roof. I guess it didn't work out. Here is a photo of the repaint:
www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2013/mar/05/georg...

Here is a Google Map view from 2008:
goo.gl/maps/e64BMcyPJSk

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.

Home of Hank Williams Caboose

The Boyhood home of Hank Williams is in Georgiana, AL and this caboose is on the property.

Oak Liquors neon sign - Manchester, TN

Located on highway TN53 just a block north of I-24.

Happy Birthday Ringo Starr (plaque)

In celebration of Ringo Starr on his 72nd birthday, held in Nashville, TN on July 7, 2012. This star magnolia tree was planted in his honor by Hard Rock International. Peace & Love

This plaque is at Walk of Fame park in downtown Nashville. Today, he turns 80.

Checkerboard Picnic Table at Riverfront Park

Over the last few years, downtown Nashville's Riverfront Park has expanded to the Ascend Amphitheater. Close to the amphitheater are some outdoor ping pong tables and colorful picnic tables with painted board for checkers or chess.

Sweetens Cove Primitive Baptist Church

From Wikipedia:
Primitive Baptist Church of Sweeten's Cove is a historic Primitive Baptist church in Marion County, Tennessee, located in the Sweeten's Cove area in the Sequatchie Valley, about 7 miles north of South Pittsburg.

Sweeten’s Cove, which is identified as Sweeden’s Cove in some old maps and documents, was an area of early settlement, primarily by members of the Beene (Bean) and Raulston (Roulston) families. The church was established around 1821 as Union Primitive Baptist Church. It adopted its current name in 1834. The church building was completed in 1853.

On June 4, 1862, Sweeten's Cove was the site of a minor battle between Union Army forces under General James Negley and a Confederate cavalry unit led by Colonel John Adams. Twenty unidentified Confederate soldiers who died in the battle are buried in the Bean-Roulston Cemetery, which is about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) north of the church.

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The Trail of Tears came through Smyrna

This PDF document can explain it a lot better than I could:
www.sitemason.com/files/iJ0tDa/Trail%20of%20Tears%20Artic...

In 2012, the Native History Association discovered a previously unknown segment of the Trail of Tears where it crossed the Stones River at the former town of Jefferson.

This website tells you how to get there:
www.nativehistoryassociation.org/old_jefferson_hiking.php

It's a 2.5 mile hike starting from the parking lot at the East Fork Recreation Area. New signs here point out it is a Trail of Tears site. The trail starts by passing an abandoned picnic area of the park. The trail will proceed along a closed gravel road: Central Valley Road past a closed water treatment plant. The path goes through a farmland, and then a muddy horse trail. Once the trail makes a 90 degree turn to the left, you are on the old Trail of Tears path.

Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church - Selma, Alabama

From Wikipedia:
Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church is a church in Selma, AL. This church was a starting point for the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 and, as the meeting place and offices of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during the Selma Movement, played a major role in the events that led to the adoption of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The nation's reaction to Selma's "Bloody Sunday" march is widely credited with making the passage of the Voting Rights Act politically viable in the United States Congress.

It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on June 16, 1976 and later declared a National Historic Landmark on February 4, 1982.

For more of the story:
npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NHLS/Text/82002009.pdf

Childhood School of Tina Turner

The Flagg Grove School was the childhood School of Tina Turner. The school has been preserved and relocated to be a Tina Turner Museum, and it's free to visit. Inside the school museum are several of Turner's performance outfits, gold records and photos. A portion of the inside is recreated to look like the school would have appeared when she was a student.



This is one of the exhibits at the conveniently located West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center. It is just off Interstate 40 at exit 56. The free museum has several exhibits of West Tennessee including: Tina Turner's School, Sleepy John Estes home, West TN Music, Cotton, Hatchie River and Lincoln exhibits.
westtnheritage.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.