Lebanon, TN City Hall - Castle Heights

From Wikipedia:

Castle Heights Military Academy was a military academy in Lebanon, Tennessee.
The Academy was founded as Castle Heights School in 1902. In 1918, it became a military preparatory school. The school ceased operations in 1986 in the face of declining enrollment. Its buildings have been restored and now the main building serves as the Lebanon City Hall, Lebanon Museum and History Center.

This building is stop #13 on the Historic Lebanon Driving tour. Here is the text from that brochure:
David E. Mitchell and I.W.P. Buchanan opened the Castle Heights School in 1902. Mitchell had just been named president of Cumberland University where Buchanan was professor of mathematics. Their idea was to create an environment unlike any other preparatory school. Students who did not live in town were required to board at Castle Heights.

The school had ninety-four boarding students and fifty-nine day students its first year. In 1917, the school changed into a military academy. Castle Heights Military Academy (CHMA) closed its doors forever August 13, 1986.

For eighty-four years the school had shaped boys, and girls beginning in 1973, but was not able to carry on, hindered by a lack of enrollment and adequate financing.

The remaining buildings of the former campus were added to the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District in 1996.

Eureka Foundry - Chattanooga

This old building is seen along the US27 Freeway (old I-124) in downtown Chattanooga.

Bobby's Idle Hour Tavern

Bobby's describes itself as the only live music venue along Nashville's Music Row. Fans of Roadside America will recognize this for it's 10 ft tall moldy weather-worn 2D guitar playing musician statue

See Ruby Falls barn on a Foggy Morning

This Ruby Falls Barn is located at a bend along Interstate 24 in Coffee County, TN near mile marker 100. On this early morning, there was still some pre-dawn fog in the fields.

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

Cardinal Motel - Bowling Green, KY

This mom and pop motel in Bowling Green doesn't have an old fashioned neon sign, but instead has a Cardinal statue out front. It's located on Nashville Rd. (US31W/231)

Tennessee Central Depot - Lebanon, TN

This train depot was built by Tennessee Central in Lebanon, TN. I'm not sure how old it is, but TC went out of business in 1968, so it's older than that. Today, it belongs to Nashville & Eastern railroad which has their sign on the side.

Fathers' Memorial & Overlook - Fayetteville, TN

Fathers' Memorial & Overlook is a part of Stone Bridge Park in Fayetteville, TN. This area overlooks the Elk River close to where Norris Creek joins.

This may be a lesser-known feature of Stone Bridge Park as you have to take a paved trail which goes under the US64 bridge.

Assault on the Cotton Gin Historic Park - Franklin, TN

Located at 1259 Columbia Pk. (US31), this one acre park is a monument to the Assault on the Cotton Gin during the Civil War Battle of Franklin. Carter's Cotton Gin was across Cleburne St. and had been called the battles' epicenter. The City of Franklin purchased the land in 2005 to construct the memorial park.

Franklin created this 5 minute Youtube video for an audio tour:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urq2uMTvtHg

The Williamson County Historical Society placed two historic markers in 2008:
seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers%2...
seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers%2...

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.

Portland, TN - Trains and Strawberries video

This video was taken the day before the Strawberry Festival which was May 7-8, 2021

Simpson County Courthouse - Franklin, KY

This brick building with stone trim featuring small porches and a clock tower was designed by the McDonald Brothers from Louisville. It has undergone extensive remodeling and updating, but remains basically the structure built in 1882 using a Late Victorian style. In 1962, wings were added to mimic the original style. About 25 years ago, the county built a new criminal justice center. This is one of those courthouses that used to be surrounded by mature trees, so you had to find creative views or see it in the winter. I was last here in 2008 and a tree that used to be right up to the building is now missing. The town square is located along highway U.S. 31W. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ferris Wheel at the Wilson County Fairgrounds (2006)

The Ferris Wheel photo was taken at the Wilson County Fair. 2021 sees the Wilson County Fair merge with the Tennessee State Fair. As someone who finds this bittersweet as I enjoyed the tradition of the state fair at the Nashville Fairgrounds, I also hope this partnership is great for all parties involved. I plan to attend and take a few more photos.

Lorraine Motel Neon Sign

Walter Bailey purchased the Windsor Hotel in 1945 and renamed it the Lorraine Motel. Located close the the center of Memphis, during the days of segregation the motel catered to an upscale black clientele.

In April 1968, King traveled to Memphis in support of striking sanitation workers. King stayed in room 306, located on the second floor of the Lorraine Motel. At 6:01 PM on April 4, 1968 while he was standing on the balcony outside his room, King was struck by a single bullet, causing him to fall backwards unconscious.

Following the assassination, Bailey left Room 306 undisturbed. While the Motel remained open for a few more years, Bailey worked to preserve the motel as a historic site raising funds to Save the Lorraine. The Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation bought the motel in 1982. The Motel officially closed in 1998 as the property transformed into a museum.

For architectural designs, the museum called upon McKissack & McKissack from Nashville, the first African American architecture firm in America. After purchasing adjoining property, the museum opened in Sept. 1991.

Today, on the grounds of the museum, a wreath is placed at the balcony where King was hit. The original sign for the museum has been preserved outside. This sign on the side is not as well known. For now, customers of the museum are allowed to look into the window of Room 306.

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Ambulance

This well maintained classic ambulance is located in front of McReynolds, Nave & Larson Funeral Home in Clarksville, TN.

Stay on TN58 and see Beautiful Rock City

In Tennessee, State highway TN58 passes through Kingston and Decatur before reaching Chattanooga on the east side of the Tennessee River. Once in Chattanooga, TN58 zig-zags all around the city and is actually quite tough to stay on. Once you make it to St. Elmo, TN58 ascends Lookout Mountain via the Ochs highway and you're practically at Rock City.

This barn is located just inside the Hamilton County line, just a few miles north of Harrison.

This is now one of over90 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.

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

Murrah-Maples-Pryor House ca. 1838 - Athens, AL

Also known as the Luke Pryor house or the Frances Snow Pryor house, this home is located at 405 N. Jefferson St. in Athens, AL. It is stop #15 on Limestone County's Antebellum trail.

Luke Pryor became the owner of this home in 1854. Pryor was an Alabama Congressman who helped get the Tennessee and Alabama Central Railroad built. The first locomotive to run on that line was named in his honor. Pryor became a US Senator in 1879.

Frank Sutton (Sgt. Carter) Statue - Clarksville, TN

Frank Sutton was an actor from Clarksville, TN best known for portraying Sgt. Vince Carter on the TV show Gomer Pyle USMC. This statue was made in his honor in his hometown of Clarksville, TN across from the Roxy Theater.

Mid South Live Steamers - Spring 2021 Public Meet

Live Steamers are scale model replicas of trains, but big enough to ride. The chapter in middle Tennessee is the Mid South Live Steamers which meets at Maury County Park in Columbia, TN. They have free, open-to-the-public meets twice a year in the spring and fall.

The Electro-Chalybeate Well - Jackson, TN

According to the Historical Marker:
Thousands visited this artesian well in the early 1900s to drink its mineral water believed to cure stomach, liver and kidney ailments. It and the adjacent Water Plant, built in 1885, were part of 54 acre Lancaster Park which also included a zoo, a large goldfish and lily pond, bandstand, children's playground, and Johnny's popcorn stand.

Located in the middle of West Tennessee is this little artesian well, which certainly reminds me of a bygone era. Back then, the things that everyone thought had curative properties were either medicines with high alcohol content or icky water from under the Earth. I still don't think I fully understand what Electro-Chalybeate water is supposed to be, but at least it didn't smell as bad as sulphur water.

When this was built well over a century ago, it was certainly crafted with care. It's inside of a nice-looking well-maintained gazebo. The actual well - it's not so good. The water comes forth out of the ground, up the middle where it flows down the fountain. From there, a series of 8 pipes form spokes from the center of the octagon out to eight drinking fountains. Here, it looks like one of the pipes on the right had burst, but various other plumbing maladies has caused seven of the eight fountains to not work anymore. (I'm guessing that restoring the fountain's functionality isn't high on any city employee's to do list.) The one that still works is the furthest on the left in this view.

Just by looking at it, after over a century of use, there's some combination of rust / mold / chipping layers of paint that makes me think nobody would want to drink this. Yet, for those who find this refreshing or might just have more of an adventurous spirit for consuming things fresh from out of the ground, there is a warning sign that the water is untreated and partaking is not recommended. I find that ironic. Back then, it was something you should do because it's strait from the ground and healthy, but now it's something you should not do because it's straight from the ground and unhealthy. Hooray for Science. Well, the Well is well-preserved for history's sake.

Douglass Clark House (and Courthouse)

The original log house which incorporates a single room building, built in 1787, served as the first Sumner County Courthouse. Andrew Jackson appeared at the courthouse in his role as Attorney General for the Metro District. In the 1860s, four sons of Emma Douglass Clark fought for the Confederate Army in the Civil War. Only one of the four Douglas men, Charles, survived the war. He was discharged after serving under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

This house is located outside of Gallatin where Long Hollow Pike (TN174) passes Station Camp Creek. The home remained a family dwelling until 2007 when it was sold to the county. From there, Sumner County spent several years completely renovating the home. In 2015, the home opened as a visitor's center. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Captain Tom Ryman's Tombstone Riverboat

Captain Thomas G. Ryman was a prominent Riverboat Captain along the Cumberland River. He was instrumental in having the Union Gospel Tabernacle built in downtown Nashville. After his death, the building was renamed in his honor and has become the famous Ryman Auditorium. Capt. Ryman is buried in Nashville's Mount Olivet Cemetery, where this relief etching adorns the side of his burial marker.

For his story:
www.tennessean.com/story/money/industries/music/2014/07/1...

O&W Bridge - Big South Fork

The Oneida & Western Railroad ran from Oneida, TN westward to Jamestown. The primary goal was to haul coal. Despite being a short line, the railroad had many difficult gorges and hollows to navigate. One such construction project was the bridge you see here, which crosses the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, at a picturesque spot of river rapids. This bridge is a Whipple Through truss built by the Nashville Bridge Co. and placed here in 1915

Railroad Travel was officially abandoned along the line in 1953. Later on, much of the area was encompassed by the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Eventually this bridge became more easily accessible. To get here, start in Oneida and head west. Specifically find O&W road, which out of town becomes a 6 mile long gravel road that is the old O&W railroad bed. The NPS converted this bridge into something you can drive over. With its nice wooden planks, it was scary enough to walk across as it creaks under your feet and you can see the gaps in the wood. I couldn't imagine driving over it, but a few SUVs and trucks did in the hour I was here.

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.

All that's left of Evergreen Place - Nashville

For Nashville preservationists, there may not be a subject in recent memory as sore the demise of Evergreen Place.

Originally, the property belonged to Thomas Craighead, a minister who founded Davidson Academy. Here, he build a log cabin which was eventually expanded to become a wood frame and brick Tennessee vernacular farmhouse. The property was sold a couple of times before the Civil War, but then it was inhabited by the same family for 125 years.

When I was born, Evergreen Place was the oldest home in Nashville. In 1980, the widow of country music singer Jim Reeves purchased the property and operated a museum in him honor. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

After the museum closed, the home remained vacant for 15 years. All the while, people clamored for somebody to buy it and fix it up. That never happened.

Instead, a developer bought the property because it was at a prime location along Gallatin Pike (US31E). Knowing the old home was about to be turned into retail space, preservationists complained that people can't just come in and tear down history. The developers countered that nobody had stepped in for over a decade, so they might as well turn the area into something useful. The preservationists sued to prevent the tear-down, but the developers got tired of waiting and they tore it down anyway.

Today, the location is a prominent home improvement store, albeit one that a few bitter locals will never visit. Behind a new bank, two log buildings remain and one is labelled as a carriage house. To keep people out, the new owners have put a chain-link fence around the pair - because it would be bad if someone damaged a piece of history! Apparently, it's too much trouble to take care of the tall grass here. Before you know it, someone is going to call this an eyesore and there will be plans to turn this space into a hot dog stand.