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MTSU students prepping windows for painting, March 2009.
The Tennessee Preservation Trust (TPT) is a membership-based statewide non-profit historic preservation education and advocacy organization. Headquartered in Nashville, TPT represents thousands of the state's heritage supporters through its individual members and organizational affiliates. We strive to be the critical link for the state's diverse heritage community. Our organization helps monitor and promote preservation-friendly legislation at the local, state, and federal levels, and assists citizens across the state with advocacy issues pertaining to specific historic sites—as well as historic districts and zoning issues. TPT has a committed staff, an active board of directors, and many dedicated volunteers throughout Tennessee.
Tailor Shop, Greeneville
CONFERENCE SET FOR SUCCESS
2010 Statewide Preservation Conference, Main Street Summit and C.A.M.P.
Greeneville, April 15 & 16, 2010
This year's conference, Main Street Summit and C.A.M.P. (Commission Assisted Mentoring Camp) was held in historic Greeneville with sessions taking place in the General Morgan Inn and the First Presbyterian Church. Windows restoration and masonry restoration workshops were included with registration, along with guided tours of the Dickson-Williams Mansion, Doughty Hall, Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Nathanael Greene Museum, "A Walk with the President" Downtown Walking Tour and tours of Greeneville's historic churches. The Thursday night "Preservation Celebration and Auction" was held at the General Morgan Inn. read more
704 Meridian Street, Nashville
Habitat for Humanity Work Day 3/27/10
Tennessee Preservation Trust, Historic Nashville, Inc., and the Metro Historical Commission have partnered with Habitat for Humanity to rehabilitate 704 Meridian Street in Nashville. It is the first rehabilitation project in Nashville and one of a few known rehabilitation projects done by Habitat for Humanity in the state of Tennessee. Habitat for Humanity crews along with volunteers from Tennessee Preservation Trust, Historic Nashville, Inc., and Metro Historical Commission completed work days on Saturday, March 27, 2010 and Saturday, April 3, 2010. The scope of work varied, with repairs and rehabilitation efforts focused on stripping paint, painting, carpentry and insulation. If you would like to volunteer for an upcoming amazing project on the Rural Mount House, scheduled for Wednesday, May 26, 2010, please call the office at 615.963.1255. Photos of the Rural Mount House coming soon!
704 Meridian St., Nashville
Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Day 4/3/10
The Neil House
502 South High, Trenton
DEMOLITION PENDING BY THE CHURCH . . .
We have been working on and communicating with the various parties in and around Trenton to try and save the Neil House, to no avail. Recent efforts to save the Neil House have failed and the church is moving swiftly towards demolishing the property. Prior to the church's final decision about the fate of the Neil House, we had been able to get the church, the city and a local preservation group to begin discussions about how to save the house.
The Presbyterian Church has $50,000.00 remaining in an endowment willed to them in 1973. Without question there are funds to move the house to a nearby empty lot, which has been donated. It does NOT have to be demolished, but it is scheduled for demolition. All this is being done solely to create approximately 5-7 parking spots.
Local activists have indicated that they will physically challenge any demolition and plan to be arrested if necessary.
This house is on the National Register and is in a National Historic District. It has important connections to the Civil War and was the home of a 19th Century Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice. Ironically, Trenton is currently undergoing a downtown revitalization. The house has numerous potential public uses for the downtown revitalization alone. This is a key preservation resource for the city, county and Tennessee, and does not have to be demolished. Again, the church has a dedicated $50,000.00 endowment in hand to address the house's needs, but has decided to demolish it instead.
The Neil House
Built in 1837, By James D. Scrape, the Neil House is the second oldest house in Trenton- the oldest being the Crim House c. 1831.
While Trenton was under occupation during the Civil War, Nathan Bedford Forrest’s troops were sent here to cut General Grant’s supply lines to west Tennessee. The Mobile and Ohio Rail lines passed through Trenton, making them a target for Forrest’s strategy to disrupt Union supplies. Union General Fry’s troops were fortifying the rail depot, so Forrest positioned his artillery in the Oakland Cemetery overlooking the depot and aligned his troops on horseback along High Street as they pushed the Union troops until they barricaded themselves inside the rail station. This was December 20, 1862 when all the trees were bare which made the Scrape/Neil House the idea location to observe the battle from all angles-the action at the cemetery, the depot, and the troop movements during the battle. From historic accounts, the town watched from the rooftop as the battle unfolded.
After the war, the house became the residence of Professor William K. Jones who opened the Melrose Institute for Young Ladies which at one time was the only school in town. Professor Jones educated girls of all ages as well as small boys in algebra, geometry, Latin, philosophy, Greek, history, and English through high school level until it merged with Peabody High School.
For almost a century, the home was owned by the M. M. Neil family. Matt Marshall Neil was the Chief Justice, Supreme Court, State of Tennessee from at least 1902 to 1915. His judgments against the Standard Oil Company for inappropriate business practices were published in places such as ‘The New York Times’ of 1908. He is also identified in the book ‘Notable Men of Tennessee’ which contains his personal and professional resume until the year 1905 when the book was written. Upon his death, the house was inherited by his daughter, Mrs. Florence Jordan where she lived until her death in 1973 when she willed it to the church IN GOOD FAITH that her wishes would be honored. Unfortunately for Mrs. Jordan and the Neil House, her lengthy will which outlined the conditions of her gift of the home and an endowment fund to provide for the maintainence of the home, are not being honored by her place of worship.
BEFORE School when grant was awarded, March 2008.
LOWE'S/NATIONAL TRUST RESTORATION GRANT
Partnership Project at Cairo Rosenwald School
PROJECT COMPLETED MAY 2009
The Tennessee Preservation Trust is pleased to partner with the Cairo Rosenwald School in Gallatin, one of seventeen Rosenwald Schools selected to receive a generous restoration grant from Lowe’s and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Cairo Rosenwald School, located just outside Gallatin in Sumner County, is owned and maintained by the Cairo Improvement Club. Trustees of the Cairo Improvement Club worked with the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and the Tennessee Preservation Trust to complete the grant application. The funds will be used to stabilize the foundation, repair the roof, update electrical work, and restore the building to its original design. Once complete, it will continue to serve as a community and meeting center and rental facility for events. Work on the project began Tuesday, December 2, 2008. read more
AFTER School after restoration completed, May 2009.
2010 TEN IN TENNESSEE ENDANGERED LIST
List to be announced at Tennessee State Capitol, Thursday, May 20, 2010
The 2010 Ten in Tennessee Endangered List will be announced at a press conference on Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the Tennessee State Capitol. Begun in 2001, this successful program highlights ten endangered places across the state to help garner support for saving threatened historic resources. read more
Ongoing annual programs range from the Statewide Preservation Conference—enabling hundreds of Tennesseans to learn about tangible ways to protect their heritage—to the Ten in Tennessee List, a yearly roster highlighting the state’s most endangered historic places. In 2003, TPT debuted a State Preservation Awards program. TPT believes in being accessible to all Tennesseans, and the group tries to hold at least one event in each grand division of the state per year.
Tennessee Preservation Trust
P.O. Box 24373
Nashville, TN 37202
Phone and Fax: (615) 963-1255
*The Tennessee Preservation Trust is the statewide partner of
the National Trust for Historic Preservation
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of interest to Tennessee's heritage supporters!
Make a tax deductible contribution to TPT today.
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©2009 Tennessee Preservation Trust
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