TDOT Centennial - First State Road sign

(Commentary from 2015)

2015 marks 100 years since the formation of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. As they celebrate the Centennial, they have hosted several celebrations around the state. These included a travelling roadshow museum and placing some time capsules. On July 1st, they will unveil a new Zero Mile Marker at Bicentennial Mall.

TDOT has also placed several signs commemorating the First State Road in Tennessee. With the goal to connect opposite corners of the state, the Memphis-to-Bristol Highway was born. Then, when highway numbering became common, the highway was known as State Route 1.

These days, you generally haven't seen signs for SR1. Most segments of this important road became federal highways. For instance, in LaVergne, where this sign was placed in May 2015, SR1 is also US70S and US41. Until these signs were unveiled, most modern travelers wouldn't know it was SR1, unless their map or GPS labelled it that way.

As a side note, these signs mark what is currently State Route 1. Vast segments of the original Memphis-to-Bristol Highway have been replaced by more modern highway segments that can carry more traffic at faster speeds. There is a part of me as a highway historian that wishes they would have notated all of the original two lane curvy segments, but if you tried to drive the whole thing, it might take a whole week. For example, here in LaVergne, Murfreesboro Road is the modern highway. The original segment is the Old Nashville Highway. Even still, I am thrilled that these signs are going up statewide.

Mell Malone House - Murfreesboro, TN

This description was written by the Rutherford County Historical Society and taken from this page:
www.facebook.com/RutherfordCountyTennesseeHistoricalSocie...

There was once a thriving community of mostly African-Americans located on and near the present day Stones River National Battlefield; the community was known as ‘Cemetery’. Merchants, churches, ball fields, even a school named ‘Cemetery School’ served this community.

The community once known as ‘Cemetery’ was settled shortly after the end of the Civil War, becoming home to the recently freed African Americans. More than thirty families called Cemetery home at Cemetery’s height between the 1870’s and 1932, the year the Stones River National Battlefield was created.

Former slave Sanders Malone fought for the United States as a part of the USCT – the United States Colored Troops. Mr. Malone purchased land just after the War north of the present day Stones River National Battlefield.

Edith Ann Clark Moore, only three generations away from slavery, grew up in the home across from Stones River Methodist Church. Mell Malone, Edith Ann’s grandfather, purchased the land around the turn of the century built the home.

Mell Malone, with no construction nor engineering experience, built the home in 1918 of materials from his land using self-taught engineering. Two of the three arches remain today as a testament to Mr. Malone’s engineering skills.

Granddaughter Edith Ann Clark Moore beams with pride when sharing, “He used trees off his land to build this house. He used stones from his land to build this house. He even made his own cement to build this house.”

Bleak House - Knoxville, TN

From Wikipedia:
Bleak House is an antebellum Classical Revival style house in Knoxville, TN. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The house was first occupied by Robert Houston Armstrong and his wife, Louisa Franklin. It was built for the couple as a wedding gift by the bride's father, Major Lawson D. Franklin. Robert Armstrong's father, Drury Armstrong, gave them the land. The Armstrongs named the house after Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" novel of the same name. The bricks in the house were molded on-site using slave labor.

The home was used by Confederate Generals James Longstreet and Lafayette McLaws as their headquarters during the 1863 Battle of Knoxville. Three Confederate sharpshooters who were stationed in the house's tower were killed by Union cannonballs. Two of the cannonballs are still embedded in the walls, and Civil War-era sketches of the slain soldiers are displayed on the walls of the tower.

The home now belongs to local Chapter 89 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and is commonly called Confederate Memorial Hall.

Luciann Theater - Memphis, TN

The Luciann Theater opened in 1940 and closed in 1958. It is located along Summer Ave. (US64/US70/US79/TN1) in Memphis. Since the original theater closed, it became a bowling alley, a night club, and then an adult movie theater. Despite all of the change, the theater has kept much of its original exterior. I have altered the marquee so that the focus could be on the original elements.

Ozburn-Hessey Carpet Center neon sign

"Finest Flooring since 1953"
"We've got Nashville covered"
Seen along Murfreesboro Rd (US41/70S)

Harrison Mayes: Jesus is Coming Soon

Kentuckyan Harrison Mayes survived a mining accident and spent much of the rest of his life making crosses like this one and placing them on major roads all throughout the country. This sign is in Smyrna, TN and located on the Old Nashville Highway, which is a 150+ year old road connecting Nashville to Murfreesboro and eventually became part of the Dixie Highway. These signs, made of concrete, usually weigh 1400 pounds.

On one side of the cross, it reads "Jesus is Coming Soon." The other side says "Get Right With God." Until recently, the GET was covered up and replaced with MADE. I am not sure who or why it was changed originally or restored to the original.

For more info on Harrison Mayes and his signs, Look here.

Stones River Battlefield: Entrance to Civil War Cemetery

The Stones River National Battlefield is a park in Murfreesboro, TN along the Stones River in Rutherford County, TN. The park commemorates the Civil War battle that took place here on Dec. 31, 1862 and Jan. 2, 1863. The park was established using public and private funds, with significant help from the NCStL railway, and is now under the oversight of the U.S. National Park Service.

To see all of my Stones River Battlefield pictures, Look Here.

The entrance to the Park and the cemetery across the street are on Old Nashville Highway, which many years ago was the Dixie Highway.

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.

Colemere / Monell's at the Manor - Nashville

The mansion shown here was originally the home of retired NCStL Railway President E.W. Cole. It was built in 1931 to replace the first mansion here which burned down. The area became an important property with its location along Murfreesboro Road (US41/70S) next door to the Nashville airport.

In 1948, a group of businessmen turned the mansion into a private club known as the Colemere Club. In 1977 it became the popular seafood restaurant New Orleans Manor. In 2011, southern family style buffet restaurant Monell's opened up a second location at the Manor.

Bank of Centertown

This 1919 building was located at the big intersection in the tiny town of Centertown in western Warren County. TN287 is the north-south highway and US70S (formerly, TN1 and the Memphis-Bristol Highway) is the east-west route. On the side is a faded and/or painted over wall ad for a tree nursery - Warren County is known as climatically the best place in the country to grow trees. All that's left of the ad is "Specializing in White Pines"

Other than that, I can't find much info on the place. Googling it, I found where someone made an acrylic painting:
southernpleinairpainters.blogspot.com/2007/06/bank-of-cen...

TN Dept. of Highways Roadside Park

In the earliest days of the highways, it was an era before fast food restaurants and service stations at every interstate exit. During that time, the state highway department would develop a roadside park and pull-offs for the convenience of the motorist as it was essential for there to be places to eat and take rest breaks. Most of the pull-offs in Tennessee would have a concrete picnic table, such as the two seen in this photo. Several of these parks can be found around the state, but only along the oldest routes. Most of these parks were linear, but the one seen here is triangular and located at a major intersection.

This highway Park was built in 1928 and is located along Main St. on the east side of Rogersville along highway TN347. At the time it was built, it was along the important State Route 1 at the intersection of TN70. TN1 was the states most important highway back then as the Memphis to Bristol Highway, and eventually became part of the Lee Highway and US11W. Tennessee Department of Highways was renamed Tennessee Department of Transportation in 1972.

Cumberland Truck Stop old neon sign

This is an example of a business in a location that probably once thrived when this was an important highway, but is not very traveled today with the newer Interstate system.

The old Cumberland Truck Stop is in Cumberland County just east of Crossville. Over the years, the highway has been known as the Memphis-to-Bristol Highway, TN1, Broadway of America and US70

The Family Restaurant & Motel neon sign - Jackson, TN

Located on the road that used to be the main road into town, The Family Motel and Restaurant has quite a nice but faded sign. The property is located along Whitehall St. and used to be highway US70 (and TN1) but now the highway bypasses this area. Based on the two cars in the parking lot, I guess the motel is still open for business, but the restaurant is a casualty. (See the white arrow in the background? That points to the restaurant.)

Below the No Vacancy sign is a hand painted sign for Ice 75¢ and if you look closely, it used to be 50¢. Perhaps you can use that as a guide for how old the sign is.

Happy Day Laundry Cleaners neon sign - Memphis

1-Day Service!
Located along Union Ave. (US70/79/64/TN1).
Photo taken at dusk.

West End Methodist Church

Located along West End Ave. (US70S) in Nashville's Midtown

The Station - Pure Art - McMinnville, TN

In McMinnville, TN, an old Pure Oil Gas Station just a couple of blocks from the county courthouse has been preserved and converted into some kind of art place.

Waverly, TN Greyhound Half-Way House

The Art Moderne Greyhound station in Waverly opened in 1939 and was in use until the 1960's. Today the building is used as the Humphreys County Chamber of Commerce and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In Waverly, it is located on Main St. (Which used to be US70 / "Broadway of America" / TN1)

Carroll County Courthouse - Huntingdon, TN

The 1844 courthouse in Huntingdon was used until 1931 when it burned down. This courthouse, which was began that same year was modeled after (or influenced by) the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. The architects were Hart, Freeland and Roberts of Nashville and the cost was $100,000. With a Neo-Classical design, it features a pedimented portico at each main entrance and engaged pedimented poritcos at the two sides. Extensive renovations were completed in 1981.

1805 Masonic Lodge - Rogersville, TN

The Overton Lodge facing the county courthouse is the oldest continually operating Masonic Lodge in Tennessee. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Rogersville Historic District. It is along Main St. which used to be US11W and TN1

For the full story: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_Lodge

McMinnville Main St. at night

Of interest in this photo are the First Methodist Church and the Magness Community House & Library.

Dating from 1886, the First Methodist Church was built from bricks fired to construct the Great Falls Cotton Mill at Rock Island. Stained glass windows and original oak pews have been retained even though several additions to the rear of the church have been made over the years.

W. H. Magness, Jr. (1865-1936) was a co-founder and the first president of the National Bank of McMinnville in 1874, which became First National Bank in 1905. He was the city's foremost philanthropist, and donated the land and construction cost for this classic and dignified cut-stone building. It was built in 1931 at a cost of $40,000, and is named in honor of the father and brother of Mr. Magness.