Alpine Institute

Overton County, Tennessee's Alpine Institute was first founded in 1821 by John Dillard, but was burned out by Civil War Guerrillas and later the Ku Klux Klan. The school was reestablished in 1880 and the above building was constructed in 1939. Future Tennessee Governor A.H. Roberts served as superintendent of the school. Later the Cumberland Presbyterian Church took over the day to day operations of the school. Between 1917 and 1947, the Alpine Institute became one of the most popular rural schools in Overton County. The school offered both a secondary and collegiate curriculum, and students that could not afford tuition were able to work at the school's dairy farm to pay their way. Most of the school's buildings were constructed out of native sandstone. In 1947, the Overton County school system consolidated all the schools, forcing the Alpine Institute to close. Today the only buildings surviving from the Alpine Institute are the gym, church (pictured above), shop building, house, and a dairy barn. In 2002, all these surviving buildings were listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a district.

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.