Latest news with #TennesseeStateMuseum
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Men remain entombed in the Tennessee State Capitol more than a century after the building's completion
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It's one of the most iconic structures in Nashville, and the walls of Tennessee's State Capitol building help tell the story of how it came to be. As a matter of fact, two of the men who were instrumental in making the Capitol a reality are still inside it to this day — prominent Nashville businessman Samuel Morgan and renowned architect William Strickland. These men are not just on the walls they helped to build by way of huge painted portraits, they are inside them, too — literally. HIDDEN TENNESSEE | Clock over East Nashville High School honors 59 killed in WW II As the Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Tennessee State Museum, Jeff Sellers knows these stories all too well. He compiled images of the Capitol building in a book telling its history. 'We all own this building as Tennesseans and it's one of the most beautiful and most historic buildings in the state,' Sellers said. Sellers explained that's the message of pride and prominence that Tennessee leaders planned to send in the 1800's with their State Capitol building in Nashville. 'Really, there's a lot of statesmen and politicians that are on the national stage at the time,' Sellers added. They wanted a big-name architect to build their State Capitol. Morgan, a wealthy merchant and Capitol building commissioner hired Strickland, who designed notable Philadelphia structures like The Second Bank of the United States, the Merchants Exchange and the Downtown Presbyterian Church in Music City. 'He really wants to make this [TN Capitol] the crowning achievement in his career and he does,' Sellers said. Strickland requested to be buried in the building and designed his own tomb. 'Within a few months, he was on the steps of the post office — the Nashville post office down on the public square — walking up the steps and he slumped over,' Sellers said. Strickland died in 1854 and was entombed a day later in a key location. 'The northeast is the cornerstone of a building,' Sellers said, standing outside the cornerstone where Strickland had been entombed. HIDDEN TENNESSEE | Historic East Nashville church survives disaster, prepares for homecoming The building was completed about five years later on May 19, 1859. 'It's a testament to not only Strickland himself for his design; it's a testament to the but also the workers of the Capitol building — those that were enslaved, those that were free, those that were imprisoned,' Sellers said. During those 14 years of its construction, Morgan never left the project. 'He just really invested himself in it,' Sellers said. 'You hear stories about [how] he and Strickland not getting along — they got along. Morgan respected Strickland for his design and Strickland depended on Morgan to get the appropriations from the General Assembly that he needed to finish the project.' Sellers said Morgan even spent his own money to help with the building's completion. His body was entombed in the walls at the request of state leaders in December 1881, about 18 months following his death. 'General Assembly being in session kind of stopped session — on Christmas Eve, which is amazing — and came down here,' Sellers said. 'The governor had a speech and they entombed his remains in the south portico of our State Capitol building.' Hidden Tennessee | Discover some of the Volunteer State's best-kept secrets The two men are now forever part of what's become one of the oldest working State Capitol buildings in the country. 'It's also a testament to the State of Tennessee's upkeep of this building and the preservation of it,' Sellers said. 'The generations of Tennesseans that committed themselves to preserving this beautiful building.' Lawmakers passed a resolution this year to recognize and honor the 15 enslaved persons who helped build the Tennessee State Capitol. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Historic East Nashville church survives disaster, prepares for homecoming
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — After surviving decades of disaster, East Nashville's former Tulip Street United Methodist Church building is preparing for a special homecoming. 'It's a remarkable survivor for well over a century,' said Jim Hoobler, retired senior curator for the Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee State Capitol. Built in 1891 on Russell Street, Hoobler said the building is one of the most historic churches in East Nashville. Its original congregation—organized in 1859—moved in after it outgrew its previous building on the other end of the block. Clock over East Nashville High School honors 59 killed in WW II 'It's Richardsonian Romanesque, which means that it's architecture before gothic. So it has rounded arches, and some beautiful terracotta — that's glazed clay,' Hoobler said. Hoobler pointed out a variety of life-sized elements including cherubs, figures of the archangel Gabriel holding a trumpet and a dragon holding up a balcony. More than three decades after it was built, the church's stunning features were faced with one Nashville's most devastating tragedies — the Great East Nashville Fire of 1916. According to Hoobler, the fire is rumored to have been started by a child playing with a ball of yarn that caught fire near lumberyards by the Cumberland River. 'Bam! With all of the wind, a huge fire started. It swept through this area. It burned 650 buildings and 3,000 people were homeless,' he said. But, miraculously—the church survived. And more than 80 years later, it made it through yet another disaster in 1998. 'When the tornado came through here, it decimated the building. It blew out the entire east wall of the building, and the stained glass was lying in the street, the sanctuary was wide open,' Hoobler recalled. Why these cottage-style homes were once gas stations Still though, the church was rebuilt and remained standing. Ultimately, it wasn't a force of nature that closed it's doors in 2017, but rather low attendance. The Methodist Church decided its congregation was too small, and moved in another congregation—one that just happened to have been started at this very same church, and lost their building in a 2020 tornado. 'A church that was formed here, East End Methodist, lost their building. So they are now coming back to their mother church, and they will be worshipping in here at Tulip Street once again,' Hoobler said. East End United Methodist Church confirmed they have purchased the building and are in the process of renovating it —what Hoobler estimates is a $4.5 million project. The congregation declined a full interview with News 2 as they are in the middle of the process, but did provide some insight into their plans. | READ MORE | East End Rev. Brandon Baxter said in a statement he believes this is the congregation's best pathway forward. 'After our historic sanctuary was catastrophically damaged in the 2020 tornadoes, we had a strong desire to remain in ministry in East Nashville,' he said. Baxter added East End plans to fully renovate the building for ministry to the community while maintaining its historic character, restoring elements like the Jardine organ in the sanctuary. 'Jardine organs are late 19th century organs. It's remarkable that one of those still survives, that they've maintained it all of these years and it's still playable,' Hoobler said. Until the renovations are complete, Baxter said East End will continue to worship one block away in the auditorium at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School. Hidden Tennessee | Discover some of the Volunteer State's best-kept secrets Hoobler said survivors like the former Tulip Street Church building show us who we are; a sentiment best portrayed by John Steinbeck in a quote he shared from 'The Grapes of Wrath.' 'She says, 'How are you going to know where you come from, unless you remember where that was?' And that's what historic structures tell us. They tell us where we came from, and they help us remember where we are,' Hoobler concluded. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Boones Creek Historical Trust receives $150k grant
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Boones Creek Historical Trust received a $150k grant from the Tennessee State Museum. 'Boones Creek Historical Trust is a cornerstone of our region's heritage,' Senator Rusty Crowe said in a news release. 'Beyond its museum, the Trust also hosts an Opry that proudly honors and celebrates the rich traditions and culture of Appalachia and East Tennessee.' TDOT receives $9+ million grant for area debris removal Crowe, Representative Tim Hicks and Representative Rebecca Alexander made the announcement Friday, stating the funding was dedicated to support places impacted by Hurricane Helene. 'The Boones Creek Museum & Opry holds deep historical significance for both our community and our entire state,' Alexander and Hicks said in the release. 'This grant will help the trust continue preserving our local history so that future generations can enjoy and learn from it as well.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Bays Mountain Park receives $150k for Hurricane Helene recovery
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Bays Mountain Park announced Friday it received a $150,000 grant to help recover from Hurricane Helene damage. The grant comes from the Tennessee State Museum and will be used to help restore to Nature Center at the park. 'This funding is a major step in restoring the Nature Center and ensuring it continues to serve visitors for years to come,' Park Manager Megan Krager said in a news release. 'We're thrilled to have been awarded these funds, and we would like to thank the Tennessee State Museum for its consideration.' Kingsport Area Transit unveils new 'Uber-like' service Bays Mountain Park closed for more than a week after being damaged by Hurricane Helene. Krager said the grant will be used to reimburse several expenses, such as for tree removal ($8,250), roof patch ($5,455) and balcony repair ($12,560). The remaining funds will go towards a full roof replacement of the Nature Center (estimated total cost of $263,440). Kingsport has until July 1, 2026, to complete the project, according to the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
