Sam Davis House

Smyrna, Tennessee's Sam Davis House was constructed in 1810 as a log structure with a Greek Revival style portico. In 1847 Charles Davis purchased the home and covered the logs with poplar siding. He also added a wing on the home's rear elevation. Perhaps the most famous member of the Davis family was their eldest son Sam. When Sam was just 19 years old he enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was assigned to the First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry as a private. While in this regiment he saw battle action at Perryville and Shiloh. Davis was wounded during the latter battle. Eventually Davis was reassigned to Coleman's Scouts, where he served as a courier. On November 20, 1863 Davis was captured in Minor Hill, Tennessee on charges of espionage. The Union troops found Davis in possession of anti-Union newspapers and detailed drawings of Union fortifications in and around Nashville. Davis was held for trial in Pulaski, Tennessee. Davis was later tried, convicted, and hanged for espionage. Sam Davis was 21. His death became one of the Civil War's most notable examples of martyrdom. The "boy hero of the Confederacy" was brought back home to Smyrna and buried behind his family's home. The Davis family continued to reside in this home until 1927 when the State of Tennessee purchased it and the surrounding property. In 1969 the Sam Davis House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2016 a Navy Blue Angels airplane crashed in a field directly behind the Sam Davis House. By doing this, the pilot saved the lives of numerous people. Today the home still functions as a museum and is open to visitors year round.

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.

Magness Community House and Library

McMinnville, Tennessee's William H and Edgar Magness Community House and Library was constructed in 1931 in downtown McMinnville. The building replaced a structure located on the same lot, at the corner of Main and Chancery Streets. The building is constructed of limestone, in the Classical Revival architectural style. A brick addition has since been added to the building's rear elevation. The building features two stories, with a basement underneath. The building has and continues to serve as a library and community meeting place. Historically, the building's basement served as a "Rest Room" (no not what you are thinking). The "Rest Rooms" in this building served as a safe place for women and children who were down on their luck and had no place to go. The Magness Community House and Library staff also handed out clothing and food to folks in the McMinnville and surrounding areas that were down on their luck. The first floor of the building historically and currently serves as the library. William H. and Edgar Magness were staunch supporters of education and they wanted to make sure that residents of McMinnville and surrounding communities had access to books and educational materials. Mary Steakley Cunningham served as the Magness Library's librarian from 1931 until here death in 1954. The second level of the building historically and currently serves as overflow for library materials, and community meeting rooms. A large auditorium is also located in this portion of the building. In 1993, the Magness Library was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A (overall history), B (association with significant people), and C (architectural significance). It is one of twenty-two National Register properties in Warren County. The Magness Library continues to serve the same purpose that it was built for in 1931.

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.

Hermitage Hotel

Nashville's Hermitage Hotel, located in the heart of Downtown Nashville, was constructed in 1910. At the time, it was Nashville's third skyscraper, standing nine stories high. The hotel derives its name from Andrew Jackson's Hermitage estate in east Nashville. The hotel is Tennessee's only commercial building designed and constructed in the Beaux-arts architectural style. Accommodations started at $2 and up, and the Hotel's 250 rooms were marketed as fireproof, noiseproof, and dustproof. The lobby of the Hermitage Hotel became and still is the most well known feature of the building. The lobby features ornamental plaster, and hand painted glass ceilings. The grand ballroom plays host to state events such as gubernatorial inauguration parties. A restaurant in the lower level of the Hermitage Hotel is known as the Capitol Grille. This restaurant provides high quality dining for both hotel guests and the general public. In the 1920s, during the heart of the Women's Suffrage Movement, the Hermitage Hotel served as a meeting place for leaders of the movement. Presidents William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon have all been entertained and have spent the night at the Hermitage Hotel. In 1977, the Hermitage Hotel closed. With its future in doubt, a group of concerned citizens, led by Nashville mayor, Richard Fulton, saved both the Hermitage Hotel and the Ryman Auditorium. The Hotel finally reopened in 1981 and has changed ownership numerous times since then. In 2000 the Hermitage underwent a major renovation. Guest rooms were modernized and historic features were restored. Finally on Valentine's Day 2003, the Hermitage Hotel reopened. It has been open to guests ever since. The American Automobile Association and Forbes Magazine have given the Hermitage Hotel a five star rating. The Hermitage Hotel is a Nashville landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its significance in political and social history, and also for its architectural significance.

    Lobby inside the Hermitage Hotel

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.

Boxwood

Murfreesboro, Tennessee's Boxwood Plantation was constructed in 1840 for Thomas (J.B.) Turner and his family. The home was constructed with five bays in the Greek Revival architectural style and designed as the center of one of Rutherford County's largest plantations. The facade of the home features a Greek Revival style full height entry portico with ornate trim around the windows and doors. The home has brick chimneys on the side elevations. The home features an ell addition on the rear elevation, and the interior features a central hall, open air floor plan. During the Civil War, the Union Army occupied the Boxwood Plantation. Following the Civil War, Boxwood was sold out of the Turner family and has had various owners ever since. Today it remains privately owned. The name Boxwood comes from the large row of boxwood trees that line the driveway up to the house. In 1984, Boxwood was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in architecture. Boxwood is a fine example of historic preservation carried out over the years by a series of private owners.

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.