Cragfont

Sumner County, Tennessee's Cragfont Mansion was constructed between 1792 and 1802 in the Castilian Springs Community. The mansion was constructed for Revolutionary War veteran James Winchester and his family. The Winchester family originally hailed from Maryland, but came to Tennessee seeking new lives. When Cragfont was completed, it was considered by many to be the Tennessee Frontier's finest mansion. Cragfont became a perfect example of the Georgian Architectural style in Tennessee. The home features ten bays (five on top, five on bottom) and chimneys on each elevation. For ease of heating and cooling, the home features an open air floor plan. When the War of 1812 broke out Winchester was tasked with leading men in an invasion of Canada. He failed in his attempts. In 1815, Winchester returned to Cragfont and became involved in various agricultural pursuits. He also engaged in land speculation. In 1819, Winchester laid out and founded the town of Memphis. Winchester died in 1826. During the Civil War, numerous skirmishes took place around Cragfont. Shortly after the Civil War, Cragfont was sold out of the Winchester family. It went through various owners until 1956. In 1956, the State of Tennessee purchased Cragfont with the intent of turning it into an historic house museum. This vision was realized and the home continues to be owned by the State Government and is operated as an historic house museum. In 1970 Cragfont was nominated and subsequently listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historical and architectural significance. Cragfont is a valuable part of Tennessee history that has been wonderfully preserved.

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.

Burritt College

Spencer, Tennessee's Burritt College was established in 1848 as part of the Restoration Movement. Funds were raised to establish the school from Church of Christ congregations in Van Buren, Warren, and White Counties. Once enough funds were raised, a charter from the Tennessee General Assembly was passed and the College was established. The college was named in honor of social activist Elihu Burritt. When classes officially began on February 26, 1849 there were 73 enrolled students and three teachers. The first president of Burritt College was Isaac Newton Jones. Jones was a graduate of Warren County's Irving College. Jones left after one year. William Davis Carnes became the second president of the College. Carnes became famous for establishing a coeducational system as well as a strict moral and religious code. Male and female students were now able to sit in the same classes, but the honor code stated that the two genders could not talk to each other outside the classroom. The honor code also prohibited swearing, gambling, smoking, and drinking. Anyone who was caught violating the honor code would be expelled from school. The curriculum was primarily made up of Liberal Arts studies, such as history, math, and science. Bible classes were also an important part of the College's curriculum. Burritt College closed in 1860 following the outbreak of the Civil War. Many of the College's male students enlisted in either the Union or Confederate Armies. A few years after the War, the College reopened. By the turn of the century, Burritt College had an enrollment of more the two hundred students. By the nineteen teens, Burritt College began to face enrollment issues. Bigger schools in Cookeville and Murfreesboro offered prospective students a better curriculum as well as more extracurricular activities. Contributing to this decline also, was the fact that the State of Tennessee pulled all their funding from Burritt College and gave the funds to Tennessee Polytechnic Institute (Tennessee Technological University) in Cookeville, and Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. The Van Buren County School Board stepped up and provided the funds to keep Burritt College afloat for a time, but by 1936 they built a county high school. This was the last gasp for Burritt College, as they permanently closed in 1939. Today only two structures still stand on the once twenty-five acre campus. They include the original entrance to the school which was built in 1848, and the administration building that was built in 1878. This administration building has been altered significantly over the years. Changes include the removal of the third story as well as the removal of the front "tower." These changes have rendered the campus ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Today the administration building is home to The Burritt Alumni Museum and the Burritt Memorial Library. The Story of Burritt College is a part of the Upper Cumberland's and The Restoration Movement's rich history that has been all but forgotten.  

Burritt College's Administration Building Then...

...And Now

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.

Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

Morgan County, Tennessee's Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary opened in 1896 in a wood structure in the immediate aftermath of the Cold Creek War. The Cold Creek War was a labor conflict between area miners and the government, who had replaced them in the mines with convicts that would work for free. The prison was strategically located so that the inmates would have a secure place to stay. Eventually the Tennessee State Government realized that Brushy was the perfect place to send the most notorious of criminals. Due to its location in the mountains, most people did not know how to get there, and convicts would not try to escape due to being surrounded by mountains. As the prison population continued to increase, the need for a larger facility became apparent. In the 1920s, a new more modern "castle like" prison was constructed. The stone used in building this new facility was mined from the mountains by the prison inmates. For the next 89 years, Brushy became known as Tennessee's most infamous prison. It was also Tennessee's premier maximum security prison. Perhaps two of the most infamous Tennessee criminals served their sentences at Brushy. In 1968 James Earl Ray was convicted in Memphis for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. Ray was sentenced to life in prison and assigned to Brushy. In 1977, Ray and six other convicts escaped from Brushy. After a three day chase through the mountains, they were all recaptured. In the late 1990s, Ray was transferred to the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility in Nashville so he could have access to better medical care. Ray died in 1998 at that facility. The second infamous inmate that served his sentence at Brushy was Byron "Low Tax" Looper. Looper was originally from Georgia and had left the state after failing in his bid for a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. He eventually relocated to Cookeville, Tennessee and was successfully elected as Property Assessor of Putnam County. Looper legally changed his name from "Anthony" to "Low Tax" in order to convince people to vote for him. In March 1998 Looper was indicted by a Putnam County Grand Jury on 14 counts of misuse of county property and employees. Looper had recently launched a campaign to the Tennessee General Assembly in opposition to incumbent Tommy Burks. Looper knew the only way he could defeat the popular and beloved Burks was to assassinate him. On the morning of October 10, 1998 Looper drove to the Burks farm and shot and killed Tommy Burks. The Burks farm actually straddles the Putnam/Cumberland County lines. The assassination actually occurred in Cumberland County. After several delays, Looper finally went to trial in Cumberland County in 2000 and was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison at Brushy. When Brushy closed in 2009, Looper was transferred to the Morgan County Correctional Complex. In 2013 he was found dead in his cell from an apparent heart attack. As mentioned above, Brushy closed in 2009. The facility sat empty for the next few years, but was finally reopened as a museum in 2018. Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary is one of the best preserved examples of a maximum security prison in the United States.

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.

William S. Campbell House (Magnolia Hall)

Franklin, Tennessee's William S. Campbell House or Magnolia Hall, was constructed in 1840. The home is one of Tennessee's finest examples of the Italianate architectural style. William S. Campbell originally came to Tennessee from Ireland, and is widely regarded as one of Franklin's first settlers. He later established the First National Bank of Franklin. Campbell designed his home with both practicality and luxury in mind. Like most early 19th century homes, Magnolia Hall features an open air floor plan for easy heating and cooling. The home also does not lack luxurious features. Original poplar flooring, a widow's walk, eight fireplaces, two built in bookcases, a cupola, and chandeliers to numerous to count, are among Magnolia Hall's amenities. In total the home's footprint makes up 6,900 square feet. In 1975, Magnolia Hall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria C for its architectural significance. The home has been featured in publications such as Southern Living and National Geographic. Country Music stars such as Faith Hill and Amy Grant have preformed photo shoots and recorded music videos at Magnolia Hall. In the 1980s, Sylvester Stallone stayed in the house for a week while filming the movie "Rhinestone" with Dolly Parton. Today Magnolia Hall remains privately owned, and is a valuable piece of Tennessee's architectural and pop cultural 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.

Boyd-Wilson Farm

Williamson County's Boyd-Wilson Farm was first settled as far back as the early 19th century. In 1840, William A. Boyd purchased the property and constructed a mill on the nearby Harpeth River. The mill was a turbine powered grist mill and served the needs of all nearby farmers. Boyd later built a dwelling on the property in that same year. In 1884 the house was expanded to its present appearance. The farmhouse features a mixture of the Italianate and Greek Revival architectural styles.   The Italianate influences are evident in the trim around the windows and doors of the house. The Greek Revival elements are evident in the full height entry porch on the home's facade. The home is most commonly classified as an "I-House" or a "Tennessee Federal." Like most 19th century homes, the Boyd-Wilson home features an open air floor plan. Like so many early 19th century farms, the Boyd-Wilson Farm became the lifeline of its community, "Bingham," due to the prosperity of its mills and its agricultural production. The Boyd family used the farm to produce hay, grain, and raise livestock. Most of these agricultural entities were sold to nearby farmers to assist in the upkeep of their own farms. Nearby farmers used the Natchez Trace to access the mill. The dirt driveway leading up to the house, was actually part of the Natchez Trace. Much of the grain that was processed at the mill, was used on the Boyd-Wilson Farm to feed the livestock. The mill and farm remained in the Boyd family until 1924, when it was sold to C.B. Wilson. The mill stayed in operation until the mid-1960s. In 1996 the Boyd-Wilson Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places, under Criteria A, for its agricultural significance. The farm joined the Boyd Mill Ruins, which had been listed in 1988, in the National Register of Historic Places.

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.