Boyhood Home of Gen. Alexander P. Stewart

This Ca. 1820s brick house is the boyhood home of Confederate General Alexander Peter Stewart in Winchester, TN.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_P._Stewart

Burial Site of Gov. Peter Turney

"Secession is a Constitutional an(d) Inalienable Right.
We fought for that right."

Peter Turney (September 22, 1827 – October 19, 1903) was an American politician, soldier, and jurist, who served as Governor of Tennessee from 1893 to 1897. He was also a justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1870 to 1893, and served as the court's Chief Justice from 1886 to 1893. During the Civil War, Turney was colonel of the First Tennessee Regiment, one of the first Tennessee units to join the Confederate Army. As governor, Turney ended the state's controversial convict lease system and enacted other prison reform measures. His second term was marred by the 1894 gubernatorial election, which he won only after the state's Democratic-controlled legislature threw out thousands of votes for his opponent, Henry Clay Evans.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Turney

Governor Turney is buried at the Winchester City Cemetery. As a Confederate Colonel, he has a Confederate tombstone as well. There is a confederate memorial in the background with the flags. The obelisk appears to be others in the Turney family.

A few years ago, an associate challenged me to find all of the Tennessee Governor's burial sites. This is #14 in my quest, so I am finally taking it seriously. My list: SWT) William Blount 1) John Sevier 3) Willie Blount 5) William Carroll 9) James K Polk 13) William Trousdale 14) William B. Campbell 15) Andrew Johnson 17) William G. Brownlow 22) Alvin Hawkins 23) William B Bate 25) John P. Buchanan 26) Peter Turney 35) Austin Peay 36) Henry Horton 44) Ray Blanton.
See all of them here.

Oldham Theater - Winchester, TN

Located on the Winchester town square, the Oldham Theater opened in 1950.

Chero-Cola Bottling Co. - Winchester, TN

This building is a corner of what used to be the Hammer's block of the Winchester town square. Now that Hammers is out of business, they have tried to restore these buildings to original condition. This building was the post office until 1914. Then, in Feb. 1917 Chero-Cola Bottling Company (formerly Blue Seal Bottling Works) moved in.

In 1881, tightrope walker Monsieur LeRoy walked a tightrope connecting the roof of this building to the courthouse cupola.

Col. James Lewis Memorial - Winchester, TN

This obelisk shaped marker is in front of the Franklin County Courthouse on the town square of Winchester, TN.

Text of the marker:
In memory of COLONEL JAMES LEWIS
Born April 6, 1756 Albemarle County Virginia
Died February 21, 1849 Franklin County Tennessee
Served with distinction in the Revolutionary War. Participated in the Battles of White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown and Yorktown. Was with Washington when he crossed the Delaware. Witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Erected the first brick house and was one of the appointed Commissioners for the erection of the first courthouse and jail in Franklin County.
Julian Lee Rayford Sculptor

Oldham Theater - Winchester, TN

The Oldham Theater is a great looking old-fashioned small town square theater with well-preserved marquee and neon, still living up to it's 1950's grandeur.

Oldham Theater - Winchester, TN

The Oldham Theater is a great looking old-fashioned small town square theater with well-preserved marquee and neon, still living up to it's 1950's grandeur.

Old Franklin County Jail - Winchester, TN

This jail was built in 1897 and served until 1972 when a newer jail was built. It's located a couple of blocks from the town square and overlooks the banks of the local river.

Inside the jail are things you typically find inside a jail converted into a museum. You can see the jail's 8 cells, plus the old living quarters of the sheriff who lived at the jail. There's also civil war and local history artifacts. There's also memorabilia of one of the town's biggest celebrity, Dinah Shore. Admission is only a dollar. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Apparently it gets so cold here in the winter that the museum closes for a few months.

Hammers of Winchester, TN - Old and New look

When I was last in Winchester, in 2008, It was the first time I had ever been to Hammers. At the time, most of the entire block had been painted Dark Blue! Maybe they did that to convince people it was all the same store.

Since then, they have decided to change the look of the building back to the way it must have looked when the block was first built, and they have restored each individual storefront to it's original glory. On the far left is the reddish Knox Building, the next thinner segment with the green awning is the Jackson Shoes Building. Which building design do you prefer?

I had never thought of this store as a destination until I heard that my mom and a bunch of her friends got on a bus and visited this store after having lunch at a nearby mansion. I've heard this store described as one of those places where you never know what you'll find, but I know exactly what you'll find after making two visits. On the far end is women's clothing. The next segment is a toy store, the only part with an accessible upstairs floor. Next is home decor (My wife bought a rug). Next is crafts and fabrics, and is the only area with an accessible basement level. Next is a men's clothing section and finally is a tools & snacks area. It's kind of a hit-or-miss place.

Old Version:

Franklin County Courthouse - Winchester, TN

Franklin County has had three courthouses, all of which have stood at this spot in the center of Winchester's town square. A new courthouse was needed as the previous one became to cramped for the growing county.

This courthouse was built in 1937 in a symmetrical Art Deco style. In constructing the courthouse, the ground was raised higher than street level, creating a basement floor that still had ample windows. Perhaps the most distinct feature is the clock tower which is made of sheet metal instead of concrete for the purpose of simplicity and to make it lighter. The exterior has remained virtually unchanged except for an external elevator addition covered completely by mirror/windows which was added on the other side in 1992. Today, the courthouse is on the National register of Historic Places.

Harvey's Gardens - Winchester, TN

Not too long ago, a stumbled across this roadside stop on the south side of Winchester. Many of the destinations I go to are places I've planned, researched, found in a book, brochure or the internet. This place caught be completely unaware.

Harvey Templeton had a dream to build a floral park that all could come and enjoy. Unfortunately, Harvey never saw his vision realized. However, starting in 2003, his son and daughter-in-law started this park in his honor. It is a work in progress and has slowly grown over time. The walkways are designated by rocks, and if you pull up the picture in full size, you might be able to see the rocks of the trail continue way off in the distance. I would like to see it in the spring when the flowers are in bloom.



The parking area is just off highway US41A, south of the Winchester town square and north of the US64 bypass. And no parties!

Valentine Square - Winchester, TN

It's probably not what you were expecting for Valentine's Day, but I decided to go with it.

This home built in 1899 and located in Winchester, TN is on the Nat'l Reg. of Historic Places.

Hammer's in Winchester

This store bought one, then another, then another of the buildings on the south side of the Winchester, TN Town Square until they had the entire side. I'm not sure how to describe the discount store. Half of the store is clothing. My wife and I bought a rug, but we almost bought a birdhouse and a plush alligator.