Dyer County Courthouse - 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.

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.

Dyer County Confederate Monument

Located on the grounds of the Dyer County Courthouse. The monument was dedicated on April 6, 1905 to coincide with the anniversary of West Tennessee's most prominent Civil War Battle, the Battle of Shiloh. The dedication drew 5,000 people to town.

Notice how the widest part of the base is a different color from the rest of the monument? At some point, the monument started to lean, so it was placed on a concrete pedistal to fix that problem

First United Methodist Church - Dyersburg, TN

Accroding to the historical marker placed by the United Methodists:

Robert M. Tarrent held a courthouse revival in 1840. The first church in Dyer Co., First Methodist, grew out of this meeting. A frame church, built 1844, deteriorated from disuse during the Civil War. In 1864 a new structure at Church and Market was dedicated by G.W.D. Harris. In 1923, this building was completed. First Methodist has built two churches: Boose Memorial, named for the first woman ordained in the Memphis Conference, and Second Church, later Ross Memorial. Strongly Supporting foreign missions, county disaster aid and community service, their motto is "The church in the heart of town with the town at heart."

Dyer County Courthouse - 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 ca1930s 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 distictive 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 oold clocks and mechanical bell work for the first time in a long time.

Newbern April 02, 2006 Tornado Memorial

Newbern is a city in Dyer County in West Tennessee. 6 years ago, the city was hit by a devastating tornado. This memorial is located in front of the train depot in Newbern, TN,

It reads:
For as long as the Train rolls by let the whistle sound the remembrance of these we love & miss.
(Then the 16 names are listed)
Along the railroad are 16 Dogwoods planted for each friend. Each tree greets visitors to a community who cares.