2017 TN State Fair: FFA Christmas Booth

At the 2017 Tennessee State Fair, the Mt. Juliet Future Farmers of America presented this Christmas booth. There are a lot of interesting details here, but my favorite is the deer tree-topper.

Christmas at Nashville's Parthenon

With the Red and Green illuminated Parthenon in the background, there is an area that has several Christmas Trees all decorated with lights of a single color. The white tree is the largest. The closest tree in this picture actually has yellow lights, while the other tree has more of a cranberry color. (There were also green, red and blue trees when this photo was taken in 2007.)

2011 Tennessee State Capitol Christmas at Night

The Tennessee State Capitol sits upon Capitol Hill in downtown Nashville. It was designed in a Greek Revival style by prominent architect William Strickland and completed in 1859.

For Christmas, all of the lights along the base of the capitol had added a red tinting which colors most of the building. Only the lights for the cupola had not changed to red, however the lights inside the cupola window were green if you look closely.

Nutcracker Ballet - Peacocks on Parade - Dalton, GA

In 2012, the town of Dalton, GA had multiple ornamented fiberglass peacocks adorning the downtown streets. Each peacock was sponsored by local businesses and individuals and was then decorated by local artists who incorporated their own themes. Highway US41 used to be called Peacock Alley after the tufting techniques that led to the local prominence of bedspreads and then carpets.

This peacock is named 'Celebrating 20 years of the Nutcracker' by artist Paula Plott Gregg.

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.

Courthouse Grounds Statue (Christmas 2018) - McMinnville, TN

The plaque says "Under the auspices of the Woman's Civic League - 1914"

One commenter added this note:

I found this thanks to the Google: "The Davis Memorial Fountain dedicated May 20, 1915, was a gift to the City of McMinnville, Tennessee by Laura Davis Worley and her sister, Florence Davis, in memory of their parents Capt. Owen Walkins “O. W.” and Elizabeth Savage Davis. The public water fountain has been in several different locations in the McMinnville public square during its 100 year history. It now proudly stands between Main Street and the south door of the Warren County Courthouse" see tngenweb.org/wcgatn/lasting-landmarks/

It is also listed in a Smithsonian database: collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID:siris_a...
Apparently the statue is of the Greek goddess of youth, Hebe

Smyrna, TN 2017 Christmas Tree

Located in Smyrna next to the historic train station

Opryland Hotel Christmas: Guitar

Suspended from the ceiling at Gaylord Opryland Hotel's original Garden conservatory are four large guitars. This photo was taken in 2015.

Christmas Tree at Opryland Hotel lobby

This Christmas tree is made up of red and white flowers that spiral to the top. It is located inside the lobby of the main entrance to Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

Opryland Hotel Christmas: Musical lights

Located in the Opryland Hotel Garden Conservatory are these large decorations hanging from the ceiling. They are a large music symbol surrounded by a ring of white Christmas light strands.

Merry Christmas from Smyrna

Every year, my hometown puts this decorative Santa lighting upon their welcome to town sign on the south side of town along US41.

Opryland Hotel Christmas: Guitar Decoration

Suspended from the ceiling at Gaylord Opryland Hotel's original Garden conservatory are four large guitars.

Looking for last minute Christmas presents with one of my photos set to a Bible verse? Check out this link to my Zazzle store. Available as Prints, posters or greeting cards.

Nashville's 2010 Christmas Tree & Courthouse

Every year, the city's Christmas Tree is in the Public Square and the Davidson County Courthouse and Public Building is in the background.

For more info on this Courthouse, look here:
www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/3358741495/

Opryland's Country Christmas Snowman Musician

Opryland Hotel doesn't have just any snowman for their Country Christmas celebration. Their snowmen have tree limbs for arms. Plus this one can play the banjo and the harmonica!

Old Kentucky State Capitol at Christmas

From Wikipedia:
The Old State Capitol (Kentucky), also known as Old Statehouse, was the third Capitol of Kentucky. The building in Frankfort, Kentucky served as the capitol of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1830 to 1910. The building has been restored to its American Civil War era appearance.
The Kentucky legislature voted for its construction in 1827. The building was designed in the Greek Revival style by Gideon Shryock, an early Lexington, Kentucky architect. The Old State Capitol was his first building and he was only twenty-five years old. Shryock chose the Greek Revival style to symbolically link Kentucky, a young republic, with ancient Greece, the prototype of popular democratic government. He wanted the front of the building to duplicate the Temple of Minerva Polias at Priene. Greek temples had no windows, therefore the front of the Capitol is devoid of fenestration. Other striking architectural features include a famous self-supporting stone stairway and a domed lantern above it to bring in an abundance of sunlight.

A bitterly contested 1899 state governor election came to a climax when Democratic claimant William Goebel of Covington, Kentucky was assassinated at the capitol on his way to be inaugurated. A plaque reading "William Goebel fell here, Jan. 30th, 1900" exists near the front entrance of the building.
The current Kentucky State Capitol, Kentucky's fourth, was built in 1910. The Old State Capitol has served as the a museum and the home of the Kentucky Historical Society since 1920. The building was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

A Lynchburg Christmas (2010)

This was my third visit to Lynchburg, and there was something about the angle of the sun that lit up this side. On my two previous visits, the other side was the sunlit side.

I like the Christmas wreaths on the doors. There are also lights across the top and candlelight in the windows, but you can't see it until night time.

Notice Rudolph in the traffic island in the bottom right corner? There were reindeer in each of the four traffic islands at each corner of the town square.

I have a total of 10 photos in the "A Lynchburg Christmas" subset. You can see them all here:
www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/tags/alynchburgchri...

Tennessee State Capitol Turns Red for Christmas

OK, I lied in the post title. While the Capitol has done this for Christmas, this particular photo was taken near Valentines Day.

That Friday was National "Wear Red Day" as part of American Heart Association's "Go Red For Women" campaign. In honor of this, several places in Nashville were figuratively wearing red for the day, including the State Capitol, The Frist Center, Adventure Science Center and Nashville Electric Service. The State Capitol is "wearing red" by placing red filters over all the lights that illuminate the building. In fact, this made the capitol look a lot like it did for Christmas. In fact, the only difference is the light inside the tower is also red instead of the Green it had on Christmas.

Coffee County Courthouse at Christmas - Manchester, TN

Have you ever seen one of those youtube videos where some guy has decorated his house and had the lights blink and pulsate and dance with a popular Christmas Song? Well, the fine folks in Manchester decided to do that with the Coffee County Courthouse - except they did it with about a dozen songs. The whole "show" takes about 30 minutes.

I recorded some video of this and posted it to my blog:
seemidtn.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-lights-at-coffee-...

Smyrna, TN 2014 Christmas Tree

Starting in 2014, the Town of Smyrna now has their tree in front of the historic passenger train station in the middle of town.

Williamson County's 2007 Christmas Tree

This tree was located in Franklin's town square, with the Williamson County courthouse in the background. Many people remarked how they had a fat Christmas tree that year, and was attention getting. I drove through the square a couple of days ago and they already have their 2015 tree up at the same spot.