Sparta Railway Depot

Sparta, Tennessee's Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway Depot was constructed in 1917, in the town's commercial district. The new building replaced a wood frame type structure that had been constructed a few years prior. This Depot is considered a standard design, "combination depot." Throughout its years of service, the structure served as a passenger shelter, freight house, and business office. This design was intended to reflect and meet the demands of the economy, as well as the functionalism, and comfort of White County residents. The building sits on a concrete foundation and features a rectangular floor plan. The railroad industry began to gain steam (no pun intended) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the Upper Cumberland. The passenger hub was in Cookeville, while commercial hubs were located in the villages of Monterey, Sparta, and McMinnville. Sparta became known statewide for their coal production. The small communities of Bon Air and DeRossett just east of Sparta were discovered to have large amounts of coal deposits. Not long after a mining boom ensued. One of the major players in this coal mining boom was former Confederate General George Dibrell. Dibrell founded his own company, known as the Bon Air Coal and Coke Company. This corporation became one of the largest employers in White County. Soon the Sparta Depot, and the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway Section House (NR Listed 7/6/11) in DeRossett became the stopping points for coal trains. Sparta served as the eastern most point on the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway's Upper Cumberland branch line. This branch line continued from Sparta to Rock Island, then on to McMinnville, Manchester, and finally Tullahoma. Sadly the Sparta Depot's heyday only lasted a little over a decade. In the 1920s, a new Memphis to Bristol highway was constructed. This highway followed approximately the same route as the railway branch line. Passenger service for the railroad all but died off. By the 1930s, the Bon Air and DeRossett coal mines closed. By the 1940s, the Sparta Depot was all but abandoned, and was an afterthought until 1985, when it was purchased and restored for use as a storage facility for a local furniture business. In 1992, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historical and architectural significance. Today, the Sparta Depot remains privately owned and serves as the distribution center for a petroleum company.

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.

Rome Ferry

Smith County, Tennessee's Rome Ferry began in the mid 1840s, as a method of safely crossing the Cumberland River, and connecting the communities of Dixon Springs and Beasley's Bend with the Rome community. The Ferry historically crossed the Cumberland at a point 740 feet wide. The Rome Ferry was used by farmers, merchants, as well as Civil War soldiers. Use of the Rome Ferry was always free, as the entire operation was funded by the Smith County Government. There are reports that during an 1862 raid, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his troops, used the Rome Ferry to escape. In 1949, Smith County purchased a new ferryboat (pictured above) dubbed the "Jere Mitchell." This boat is flat bottom, steel hulled, and was one of the only on-board power sternwheelers of its time. The Jere Mitchell was capable of ferrying four cars, and six passengers, in one trip. Its crew consisted of a single captain and a mate. During its years of operation, the Jere Mitchell transported approximately fifty cars per day. In 1986, the Rome Ferry was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historical significance. The Rome Ferry and the Jere Mitchell continued in operation until 1992. The rise of automobiles, and the construction of bridges across the Cumberland River were the major factors in the Rome Ferry's closure. The Jere Mitchell was parked on the banks of the Cumberland, where it continues to rest today.

The Rome Ferry and the Jere Mitchell in its heyday.

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.

Cardwell Mountain

Warren County, Tennessee's Cardwell Mountain traces its history back to the year 1810. While surveying the Chickamauga Trail, just south of present day McMinnville, Aaron Higgenbotham discovered an entrance to a cave. However, Higgenbotham did not explore the cave in great detail. During the Trail of Tears, Higgenbotham constructed a road around Cardwell Mountain for use by the area Indian tribes. Not long after, another cave was discovered. This cave became known as Henshaw Cave. Henshaw Cave became significant, as it was a source of saltpeter. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder. During the Civil War, saltpeter was mined and sold exclusively to the Confederate army, for the manufacture of gunpowder. Shortly after the Civil War, explorers ventured into the depths of Cardwell Mountain in search of much more then what Higgenbotham found. After exploring for over a mile, an explorer discovered a room that was sixty feet wide, ten feet high, and two thousand feet long. This room became known as the "Ten Acre Room." For the next few years, Cardwell Mountain became a haven for cave enthusiasts. In 1950, a second entrance was discovered. This entrance was located approximately 240 yards from the original one. However this entrance was much smaller and required persons to crawl to access it. In 1955, plans were set in motion for the cave system to be developed as a tourist attraction. The network of caves were dubbed Cumberland Caverns. In 1978, Cardwell Mountain was added to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D for its archaeological significance. Today Cumberland Caverns is the largest attraction at Cardwell Mountain, as it plays host to cave enthusiasts, and also to bluegrass concerts in the "Ten Acre Room."

The "Ten Acre Room" at Cumberland Caverns.

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.

Two Rivers (Nashville, Tennessee)

Nashville's Two Rivers Mansion is located at the confluence of the Stones and Cumberland Rivers. This home is not to be confused with the five bay Federal style home located west of Franklin, Tennessee, that goes by the same name. Nashville's Two Rivers is one of the only purely Italianate style homes remaining in Tennessee. Architectural historians have identified the nearby Clover Bottom Mansion as the other surviving pure Italianate style home, and also as an identical twin of Two Rivers. Italianate style homes feature very elaborate front porticos, elaborate trim around the roof line, and arched windows that span from the ceiling to the floor. Homes of this variety feature open air, rectangular floor plans. These style homes were popular during the mid to late 1850s (Clover Bottom:1858, Two Rivers:1859). The Two Rivers Mansion was the second house to be built on the property. In 1802, a small brick house was constructed on the property by William Harding. This home was Harding's residence until the property was passed through his will to his daughter Willie, and her husband David H. McGavock. The Harding and McGavock families were significant figures in Tennessee history. The Harding family were responsible for the Belle Meade Plantation, and the McGavock family were responsible for the Carnton Plantation. Shortly after acquiring the property near the confluence of the "two rivers," McGavock set to work constructing a home for his family. According to Two Rivers' National Register nomination, the brick used in the home's construction were quarried and fired on site. Almost all of the bricks were stamped with the name "David H. McGavock." Some of the bricks even have the children's hand prints on them. The cedar used to construct the home's front portico and floor and ceiling beams, were taken from trees growing on the property. The "filgree" design on the portico of the home, is thought to have been carved by slaves. Two Rivers withstood the Civil War, and the years that followed. In 1965, descendants of the McGavock family sold Two Rivers and its surrounding acreage to Metro Nashville. A total of three generations of the McGavock family have lived at Two Rivers. Metro Nashville converted the home and property into a park, golf course, and event center. When finished, the property featured an eighteen hole golf course, baseball and softball fields, six tennis courts, and a playground. The Two Rivers Mansion was converted for use as an event center for weddings, anniversary parties, birthday parties, and any other type of special event. The Two Rivers property still serves all of these functions today. In 1972, Two Rivers was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. Two Rivers is truly a Tennessee historical gem, and is a fine work of historic preservation!!

The nearby Clover Bottom Mansion is often referred to by historians as Two Rivers' identical twin, or vice versa. Clover Bottom is owned by the State of Tennessee and serves as the offices of the Tennessee Historical Commission. 

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.