In the small Middle Tennessee town of Pulaski, there's a building that's not going to show up on any tour guide or brochure.
In 1865, a group of disgruntled confederates met at this law office to form the KKK. While there has been some historical debate over whether the original mission of the Klan was racist in nature, there's no doubt that the organization became the country's best known White Supremacist organization. In the early 1920's, a marker was placed on the building by the Daughters of the Confederacy which read "Ku Klux Klan organized in this, the law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones, Dec. 24, 1865".
Fast forward to 1990 when the building had a new owner, one who didn't want this office convenient to the courthouse to be known for its unfortunate past. According to law, people aren't allowed to remove historical markers, even from their own property. Now, you might think if the owner removed this plaque, would any authority want to go on record for arresting the owner who removed the memory of the town's forgettable past? Well, one thing is for certain, he didn't want his office to give Klan supporters a potential lightning rod for demonstrations.
He did the next best thing, which is to take the sign and reverse it. Now the words face into the brick and the smooth side is showing. By the way, this is not against the law. Known now as "The Trial Lawyers Building" it dates back to ca. 1860. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Pulaski Courthouse Square Historic District.
