Cumberland Homesteads

Located just east of Crossville, Tennessee the Cumberland Homesteads is a collection of 251 houses, on 27,802 acres of land that make up one of the four New Deal low income housing districts in the United States. The homestead program was designed in 1934 by the Federal government to be a way for low income people to get "back-to-the-land." In Cumberland County, applications were received from Cumberland, Fentress, Putnam, and Morgan counties. Each of the nearly 2,500 applicants were screened in depth based on age, ability, and desire to work. The average homesteader that was chosen was thirty-four years old, married, with three children. Each homesteader was given anywhere from four to thirty-five acres of land. Each homesteader was responsible for the construction of their own house and outbuildings, some were even paid to construct their house. The houses were all designed by William Macy Stanton. Each house would have roughly the same floor plan, and architectural design. The homesteader would eventually be give the opportunity to purchase the home by agreeing to give up two thirds of his wages to go toward the purchase price. Each house was constructed of Crab Orchard sandstone, in the Craftsman architectural style. Other notable buildings in the Cumberland Homesteads community include the Homestead Tower (pictured above), with a cross shaped building at its base. The octagonal shaped tower was used historically to house water for the settlement. The building at its base was used historically for administrative offices. The original Homestead Elementary School is located near the water tower and administration building and like the other structures in the district, is constructed of native Crab Orchard Sandstone. The community also had a general store and mill. By the mid 1940s and early 1950s, the Cumberland Homesteads community began to decline. The Federal Government's hope was to attract large mining, and milling industries, but were unable to do so due to the area's remote location. The Federal Government were forced to pull their support of the community and all the homesteaders were given the opportunity to purchase their property, which most of them did if they hadn't done so already. Today most of the houses remain privately owned, with one having been opened to the public as a museum by the Homestead Tower Association. This association also operates a museum in the tower and the school. Land around the Homesteads has been converted into Cumberland Mountain State Park. In 1988, the Cumberland Homesteads was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a district. The district was listed under Criterion A for its overall history in community planing and development, agriculture, and social history and C for its significance in architecture.

An average Cumberland Homestead house.

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.