Broad Street Church of Christ

Cookeville, Tennessee's Broad Street church of Christ was the first church of Christ congregation in the city of Cookeville. The land that the building sits on was donated by church member Jeremiah "Jere" Whitson. A Gothic Revival architectural style building was constructed in 1908, by Cookeville architects Joseph F. Scott and William Smoot. The brick and stone used in construction were all hand hewn at Scott's brickyard. The most notable features of this old church building is the stained glass on the facade, and also the tower, on the eastern edge of the facade. The steeple on top of this tower has been removed recently. The interior of the building contains an open auditorium or sanctuary, as well as classrooms and offices. Early leaders in the Broad Street congregation included Jere Whitson and Robert "Bob" Capshaw. These men and the other members of this congregation have a legacy that goes well beyond religion. The two men, and others saw the need for a Christian school of higher learning in the area. In 1909 a charter was issued to members of the Broad Street church of Christ to establish University of Dixie Bible School. The charter gave Whitson, Capshaw, and others full control over what curriculum would be taught at the new school. The school thrived for a few years, but financial problems finally did it in. In order to save the school, Whitson, Capshaw, and others decided to reincorporate the school as a four year college, dropping the Bible school degree option. The school was reorganized in 1915 as Dixie College. The Bible was still taught, but more emphasis was placed on secular subjects. This time the school survived and is now known as Tennessee Technological University. The Broad Street congregation continued to meet until the mid 19th century. As men such as Whitson and Capshaw passed on, efforts were made to expand the Church of Christ group throughout Cookeville. Collegeside church of Christ was established as a place of worship for college students. Congregations on Willow Avenue and the then rural Sycamore congregation were established to serve Cookeville residents in the western and southern parts of the city. Eventually the Broad Street congregation decided to vacate the above building and relocate to Jefferson Avenue. These pioneer religious leaders such as Whitson and Capshaw are responsible for getting the "Big 4" churches of Christ started. Their contributions to the religious and educational history of Cookeville is admirable, and it is worth noting that both men have schools which bear their names. The original Broad Street church of Christ building is now owned by the First United Methodist Church of Cookeville, and is used as their food and clothing drive facility. In 2002 the building was nominated and subsequently accepted into the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its overall history.

At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.

Sperry-Smith House

White County, Tennessee's Sperry-Smith house was constructed in 1880 by Thomas Lowry Sperry. The home was constructed in the Italianate architectural style. This architectural style is very rare in the Upper Cumberland region. The home features bay windows on each of the side elevations, and a very ornamental full facade entry porch. The porch, as well as the single dormer features ornate ornamentation. The home originally featured a tower on its west elevation, but it has since been removed. The Sperry family were originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, but migrated to Sparta in 1827. Sperry became one of Sparta's most prominent merchants. He was also a land speculator, and builder. Shortly after building this house in 1880, the economy hit a rough patch and Sperry was forced to sell his house. The house was first acquired by Jesse D. Goff, and later by W.L. Dibrell. Neither Goff nor Dibrell were able to pay off the home's lien. After two years of litigation, the Sperry-Smith house was acquired by William Templeton Smith. Smith was a prominent Sparta lawyer. The home remained in his family until 1970. Since then, the Sperry-Smith home has remained privately owned. In 1996 the home was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for its significance in architecture. The Sperry-Smith home serves as an example of successful historic preservation, and also serves as one of the most unique examples of architecture in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee.

    At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.

West End Church of Christ

Putnam County, Tennessee's West End church of Christ is located in the Silver Point community in the western portion of the county. Ever since the building's construction in 1915, the congregation has met. The congregation is primarily African-American. The congregation got its start because of the need for Christian education for African-American children. George Phillip Bowser was tasked with carrying this mission out by Sam Womack and Alexander Campbell. In 1909 Bowser established the Putnam County Normal and Industrial Orphanage. The school was located in the Silver Point community. Student tuition ranged from fifty cents to one dollar per month. Along with the school, a newsletter, known as the "Christian Echo," was published and circulated nationwide. In 1918, Bowser resigned from the school due to his frustration with the lack of financial support for the school. He moved to Texas, where he established two Christian schools, and continued to publish the "Christian Echo." Following this announcement Nashville minister David Lipscomb was approached about finding someone to financially support the school. Lipscomb enlisted A.M. Burton to provide this need. The school became known as the Silver Point Christian Institute. Thanks to the spiritual and financial contributions of Lipscomb, Burton, and Marshall Keeble, the Silver Point Christian Institute was able to continue as a school until 1959. The West End church of Christ is the only remaining building from the Silver Point Christian Institute campus. The congregation still meets in the original building. The pulpit has been graced by men such as Marshall Keeble, and David Lipscomb. The congregation is perhaps the most well known, predominantly, African-American Church of Christ congregation in the Upper Cumberland. Many of the members have been buried in the cemetery located behind the building. In 2007 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, under Criteria A for its religious history. Historic Preservation is alive and well in Silver Point.

At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.