Six Tennessee Sites Added to the National Register of Historic Places

ANOTHER TENNESSEE LISTING IS REVISED TO SHOW NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Historical Commission has announced six Tennessee sites have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The listing for a seventh site already on the National Register was revised to be shown as a property of national significance. The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. It is part of a nationwide program that coordinates and supports efforts to identify, evaluate and protect historic resources. The Tennessee Historical Commission administers the program in Tennessee.

Three Tennessee sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places are associated with the Trail of Tears:

• Kelly’s Ferry Road and Crossing & Rocky River Road and Crossing – Kelly’s Ferry Road and Crossing in Marion County and the Rocky River Road and Crossing in Van Buren County were recently added to the National Register because they are important sites along the Trail of Tears. Each site provides excellent representation of what the Trail looked like. Many other similar sites have been lost to development.
• Brainerd Mission Cemetery - The National Register listing for the Brainerd Mission Cemetery in Chattanooga was revised to show the property as nationally significant. The cemetery is the only remaining resource from the mission, one of the most successful mission schools before the removal of the Cherokee.

Other sites recently added to the National Register of Historic Places include:

• Hallehurst – This house in rural Giles County is believed to have been built between 1878 and 1889. By the 1920s, property owner Newton Harris White hired Abe McKissack to remodel the house. McKissack was part of a prominent family of African American builders and architects. Today, the house stands as a good example of early twentieth century Dutch Colonial Revival architecture. In addition, the house is important for its association with White, a prominent Giles County businessman.
• Thomas W. Phillips Memorial – This building in Nashville was listed in the National Register for its architectural style and the detailed artwork of the building. More commonly known as the Disciples of Christ Historical Society building, the Collegiate Gothic style building houses the library and archives of the Society. Designed by the Pennsylvania architectural firm of Hoffman and Crumpton, the building was constructed between 1956 and 1958. Local artists Puryear Mims and Gus Baker were responsible for the stone and stained glass artwork, using religious and educational symbolism.
• Wilkinson-Keele House – This architecturally significant house in Manchester (Coffee County) was built around 1888 and is a fine example of the Queen Anne style. The exuberant detailing is seen in the sawn and turned wood porches, interior trim and historic wallpaper and lighting fixtures. The owners worked with the Tennessee Historical Commission and the National Park Service and used preservation tax incentives to rehabilitate the house. They now use it for law offices.
• Williamson Chapel C.M.E Church Complex – Located in Wilson County, the Williamson Chapel C.M.E. Church complex is comprised of the original circa 1896 church and the Needmore School, built in 1936. The property is an important example of African American ethnic heritage, religion, education and settlement patterns. In addition, John Henry Britton, Sr., pastor of the church from 1936 until 1962, is an important mid-twentieth century black minister and reformer in Wilson County. The church still maintains these historic buildings, but now worships in a new church adjacent to the Chapel.

For more information about the National Register of Historic Places or the Tennessee Historical Commission, please visit the Web site at www.tdec.net/hist.

For more information contact:

Tisha Calabrese-Benton
Office (865) 594-5442