The Murfreesboro Post, January 3, 2009
Bradley Academy is kicking off the bicentennial celebration of the historical building Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 .m. with a country ham breakfast.
The breakfast is a prelude to a yearlong celebration of the legacy of Bradley Academy and heritage of the citizens of Middle Tennessee. Bradley Academy is located at 415 S. Academy St. As an institution founded in 1809, Bradley Academy has the distinction of contributing to the early education of James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States. Bradley Academy was the first institution of education in Rutherford County, and the first to educate African Americans in the county in 1884.
The current Bradley Academy was restored and opened to the public in 2000. The building is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. It served as a field hospital for Union and Confederate soldiers during the Battle of Stones River. For more information, call 867-2633.