Statewide Preservation Conference is a Big Success

 

In late April, a total of over 215 preservationists converged on Knoxville for the 2006 Statewide Preservation Conference and Tennessee Main Street Summit-- making it the largest and most comprehensive gathering to date.  Over 40 volunteers worked many hours to ensure the success of the two day event. 2006 Chair Kim Trent and our local partners at Knox Heritage did an excellent job showcasing the variety of Knoxville's exciting preservation stories. The magnificent East Tennessee History Center served as conference headquarters and the location of the majority of the sessions. Heather MacIntosh, director of Preservation Action in Washington, conveyed the importance of legislative awareness at the national level. She complimented TPT and the state preservation community for having enlisted the most Congressional Preservation Caucus members of any state. She reported that as of April, 8 of the 9  US House members from Tennessee (the current exception being Rep. John Duncan) are official members of the Preservation Caucus. The newly-restored historic Tennessee Theatre, a 2005 recipient of a National Trust Honor Award,  served as the venue for Friday's opening session, which featured nationally recognized downtown revitalization expert Kennedy Smith of Washington.  Other speakers included noted landscape architect Kathy Frazier of Staunton, VA; Mike Gavin,vernacular architecture specialist from the Center for Historic Preservation in Murfreesboro, and Valecia Crisafulli, Director of Statewide and Local Partners of the National Trust in Washington, DC.  This 2006 edition also included a new forum: the "Preservation Leadership Luncheon."  Mayor Tom Miller of Franklin and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam spoke to a packed audience of over 120 people about the importance of historic places to vibrant communities. The signature party of the conference, the yearly Friday evening Rafter Raiser, was held at the fantastic c. 1915 home of Caesar and Dorothy Stair.  Perched with a magnificent view of a bend in the Tennessee River and the Smokies beyond, it was a lovely site for a fabulous party and auction. The event raised  $7000 for TPT.  A trolley ride to and from the party offered party goers an opportunity to share the fellowship and festivities of the evening and importantly, to form some lasting friendships. On Saturday, Stephen "Doc" Brown, of Republic led a group tour of the historic S&W Cafeteria that was undergoing restoration, and Kim Trent wrapped up the formal events with a special bus tour of Knoxville's historic neighborhoods and the offices of Knox Heritage, located in a historic carriage house. She showed participants examples of many of the projects the organization has worked on in recent years. Next year's conference will be in Franklin at the end of March, and planning is already underway.

Unique Historic Places Make 2006 Ten in Tennessee List

What do Tennessee's oldest courthouse, one of the last buildings left from the 1862 Battle of Stones River, and Elvis' favorite roller coaster  have in common? All were among the diverse imperiled historic places featured on the Tennessee Preservation Trust's annual "Ten in Tennessee" endangered roster, released Wednesday, May 31st. "The list is a yearly opportunity to spotlight a few of Tennessee's most unique and important historic sites that are especially fragile and vulnerable," said Executive Director Patrick McIntyre. "This is a call that we Tennesseans have to do something now-- or these time-hallowed places may slip away forever." Unfortunately, McIntyre's words rang ironically true within the month. Within ten days of the listing, Murfreesboro's Hiram Jenkins House was demolished (see story below) and later in June the Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster was sold to two Nashville men. The coaster's future remained uncertain at press time.  

A rundown of the complete  2006 list is as follows:  the Hawkins County Courthouse in Rogersville, built in 1836 and threatened by deferred maintenance; the c. 1923 Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster and c. 1909 Carousel at Libertyland Park in Memphis, which were in danger of being sold; the  c. 1853 Hiram Jenkins House in Murfreesboro used as a field hospital during the Battle of Stones River; the c. 1868 East Side of the Brownsville Court Square in Haywood County (already partially demolished;) and the c. 1950 Colored Hotel in Union City, a rare remaining example of segregation-era lodging for African-Americans.  Also included is the c. 1890s Commonwealth Hall, which is the last remaining building associated with the former Utopian community of Ruskin in Dickson County; the c.1840s Boyhood Home of Sen. Estes Kefauver in Madisonville, damaged by fire last year; the Jacob Brown Historic Site in Washington County, a property that belonged to the founder of the Nolichucky settlement and dates back to 1771; the c. 1830 Walker-Sherrill House in Knoxville, one of the last remaining brick Federal-style homes in the county; and the c. 1870s Harrson-Goyer-Lee-House in Memphis (pictured at left,) a once-opulent mansion in the heart of Victorian Village that has been unused since the late 1950s.  

The Tennessee Preservation Trust (TPT) has announced the list each year since 2001, and the list is based on nominations received from the public. The program highlights urban and rural places across the state to help garner public support for saving threatened historic resources. Since last year's listing, the c. 1790s Evergreen Place in Nashville,  listed in 2004,  became the second  designated property to demolished. It was torn down in violation of a stop work order last September by Robert N. Moore, Jr. of Franklin to make room for a Home Depot. (Home Depot had optioned the property prior to the destruction.) On the plus side, the state budget for 2006 contains a major increase in funding for the upkeep of Tennessee's State-owned Historic Sites, also listed in 2004. Other good news includes word that the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU is undertaking the National Register nomination process now for the Shake Rag community in Marion County, listed in 2005, and that the Terminal Hotel in Chattanooga (2004) is under new ownership and being evaluated for reuse potential.

For a complete summary of the listings, please go to www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org.

  

Welcome Bud Alley

In May TPT hired J.L. "Bud" Alley as the organization's first administrative assistant. No stranger to TPT, Bud has served as  graduate intern since January under the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU's generous ongoing  partnership with TPT. During his internship this spring, Alley was responsible for helping plan  this year's conference in Knoxville.  He also completed a mini-practicum with TPT in the fall of 2004.  "Bringing Bud on board is a great step forward as an organization" noted director Patrick McIntyre. "He  brings a wealth of experience from the business world and is really helping streamline our office operations. "  Alley has assumed responsibility for addressing inquiries from the public, keeping the books, and is leading in the acquisition and implementation of a new membership software program for TPT. 

 

Alley, a native of South Carolina, is a 1964 graduate of Furman University. He was an Army Infantry officer in Vietnam, serving with the renowned Seventh Cavalry of the First Cavalry Division. His decorations include the Combat Infantry Badge, the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and the Air Medal. Following his military service, Alley enjoyed a long career with the packaging industry. He founded several companies, including Associated Packaging in Greenville, SC. He also served as General Manager of the Old Dominion Box Company in Dayton, TN for ten years. In 2004 Alley enrolled in the Public History program at MTSU.

Jenkins House Destruction Leads to Renewed Murfreesboro Preservation Effort

In a move reminiscent of last fall's demolition of Evergreen Place in Nashville, Murfreesboro's Hiram Jenkins House was demolished suddenly on Saturday, June 10.  Built in 1853, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 11 acre tract that included the house  was listed as "subdividable," and preservation supporters hoped that a buyer could be found to purchase at least a parcel that surrounded the house.   The Friends of the Jenkins House, a local grass-roots group led by Kay Morrow,  led a valiant effort to save the house and nominated the property to the endangered list.   TPT staff were initially concerned that the listing had brought about the demolition of the building, but it was discovered that unknown to preservationists the demo permit had actually been issued in April.  The property and its owners, Roy Jaeger and Char Fontane, were well-known to TPT.  In 2003, staff members attempted to work with the owners and offered to discuss preservation options for their property. Those requests went unanswered.  In the wake of substantial public outcry over this avoidable destruction of a significant property, locals are vowing to strengthen area preservation efforts. As a first step, on Friday, July 21st at 1PM at St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, 1267 Rutherford Blvd,  Nancy Tinker from the National Trust and Patrick McIntyre will join with other outside preservation advocates, including Mary Pearce of Franklin, to discuss how to work to form a successful local preservation advocacy organization.  All interested parties are encouraged to attend.  

                                                                       TPT Briefs 

Of Course They Were Born during Preservation Month!......

Executive Director Patrick McIntyre and his wife Ellen welcomed twins on May 9th. Charles Patrick and Kathleen Campbell McIntyre (pictured right) arrived in Nashville happy and healthy. Already historic neighborhood residents, the two are now making plans to become the newest generation of heritage-oriented tourists--just as soon as they figure out what that means. 

 

Calling Volunteers: TPT To Host Workday at Nashville Historic Site

On Saturday, July 22 from 8:30 -1 PM TPT volunteers are  joining with staff and volunteers of Better Tomorrows for a hands-on workday at the historic c. 1840s McGavock House, located at 908  Meridian Street in Nashville.  Better Tomorrows is an adult literacy program that will be headquartered in the house once the rehab work is complete.Go to http://www.better-tomorrows.com/ to learn more about this worthy organization's work, and the unique landmark that will soon become their future home.  We are asking for 10 volunteers to help scrape and paint and possibly do some light carpentry work.  Volunteer Dan Brown is helping lead TPT's work at the house. Please contact the TPT office to sign up. 

 

List Your Historic Real Estate on Our Website

As a reminder, for the past several years, TPT has encouraged listing available historic properties in Tennessee on our website.  Current TPT members can have up to two free listings per year as a membership benefit. For more information, please see www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org/properties

 

TPT Partners With Scenic Tennessee for Annual Photo Competition

Scenic Tennessee and TPT have joined together to help present Scenic Tennessee's 13th annual photo contest. This year's theme is "Viewing History: Celebrating the Scenic Character of Tennessee's Historic Places."   Submissions must be received by October 21st, 2006. To learn more about Scenic Tennessee and this exciting contest, please visit their website at http://www.scenictennessee.org/

 

 

Save the Date for the TPT Ramble and Annual Meeting

Come to Union City on October 14th  for the 2006 Ramble Tour and Annual MembershipMeeting! TPT Board member and Ramble Chair Emily Elliston is putting together an excellent program, and this is an exciting and unique way to see places not ordinarily open to the public. Please look for more details in the next newsletter.

 

Register Today for the National Preservation Conference in Pittsburgh

The National Preservation Conference takes place from October 31-November 5th, 2006. This year's theme is "Making Preservation Work!" Tennesseans always turn out in force for the conference, and we expct that this year will be no exception.  www.nthpconference.org/

 

 

Land Trust Rally 2006 Comes To Nashville

This October Nashville is hosting the National Land Trust  Conference.  Rally 2006 brings together land trust advocates and conservationists from across the U.S. The conference takes place  October 12th-15th, and TPT is proud to serve as a member of the local Host Committee. For more information, please see

www.lta.org/training/rally.htm 

 

Dates for 2007 Statewide Preservation Conference Set

The 2007 Statewide Preservation Conference will take place in Franklin and Williamson County from March 29-31, 2007. Mary Pearce, Rudy Jordan, and Shanon Wasielewski will serve as Co-Chairs.