African American history in Rutherford County predates the founding of this county in 1803.
The African American presence in Rutherford County, Tennessee follows the familiar path of so many Southern counties: slavery, Civil War, reconstruction, segregation, etc.
But most do not realize or appreciate the African American journey in Rutherford County.
The community once known as ‘Cemetery’ built from scratch farms into a thriving community.
Mary Ellen Vaughn and her newspaper. Holloway High School, Dr. Patterson, Bradley School, Willie McGowan. Oh, the list goes on and on.
If you are looking for any piece of history in particular, enter your search in the ‘search’ box in the upper right hand corner.
- Mr. Murfreesboro Minute: Preserving a Legacy; Tommy Martin Was the Original Mr. Murfreesboro
April, 8, 2022 – Bill Wilson, The Murfreesboro Pulse For more cool information concerning the Benevolent Cemetery, please click on: Black History Month, The Benevolent Cemetery Video Day at the Benevolent Cemetery (South Church Street) Benevolent Cemetery Re-dedication - African Americans Benevolent Cemetery Historical Marker Unveiling
December 9, 2021, Murfreesboro City TV Channel 3 The Benevolent Cemetery located off Church Street was covered in brush and broken headstones. Hundreds are buried there including members of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, a black cavalry regiment that fought in various battles including the Spanish-American War. Plans are underway to restore the site and preserve… - Ideal Social Club, 1953
The Rutherford Courier, August 18, 1953 The Ideal Society Club consisted of a group of community servants who believed in fun, fellowship and service! The first mention of the Ideal Social Club in the Daily News Journal was October 3, 1933 (the club began meeting in 1932) when the Club discusses an upcoming ‘musical revue… - America W. Robinson (1855-1920) of the Fisk Jubilee Singers
July 28, 2021, Carol Robertson White of the Rutherford County Historical Society In 1866, Robinson enrolled on opening day in the new Fisk Colored School at Nashville, founded by the American Missionary Association. Her teaching career began at the age of thirteen. She earned money for tuition and living expenses by teaching during the summer… - Cemetery School (Black), 1874-1962
CEMETERY SCHOOL BLACK 1874-1962 was on the southwest side of the old Nashville Highway and just northwest of Asbury Road. It was behind the Stones River Methodist Church. The site of the church is shown on the 1878 Beers Map. On February 9, 1874, Mrs. Eliza Burrus deeded one acre or school land to School… - “Unconstitutional” 231 School Had Short History
Frow Chips, March/April, 2021, Greg Tucker, Rutherford County Historian In 1962, eight years after the U. S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that segregated education was unconstitutional, the Rutherford County school system opened a new segregated school facility on U. S. Highway 231 South. The all black faculty taught black students from the Christiana area. The… - ‘It’s beyond time’: Effort underway to honor those enslaved at Murfreesboro’s Oaklands Plantation
March 10, 2021, Nancy DeGennaro, Daily News Journal In a far corner of Evergreen Cemetery on Highland Avenue near Murfreesboro Police Department headquarters is an open field. It’s lumpy in some places where the ground is visibly sunken. Beneath that fertile soil are the unmarked graves of at least 30 people once enslaved at Oaklands Plantation. “They don’t… - William Holland—Hero of the American Civil War
Carol Berning, RCHS Frow Chips, January/February, 2021 Just outside the Hazen Brigade Cemetery wall at Stones River National Battlefield stand two military grave stones. They mark the resting place of William Holland (1834-1909) and William Harlan (1895-1979). William Holland began his life as a slave. I have created a brief chronology which follows his life… - Cedar Grove School (Black), 1901-1967
CEDAR GROVE SCHOOL BLACK 1901-1967, also called the JOHN E. WINDROW SCHOOL, was near the Williamson County line. It was on the John Windrow Road about one-half mile north of its intersection with the Rocky Glade Road and across from the Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Church. On July 27, 1901, Deacons of the Church, R.… - Beech Grove School (aka Eagleville School Black), 1917-1953
BEECH GROVE SCHOOL BLACK before 1917-1953, also known as EAGLEVILLE SCHOOL BLACK, was on the south side of the Allisona Road about one mile from Eagleville. Emmett M. Johnson and wife Odie deeded to the County Board of Education one-fourth acre of land for a school house. The deed was not dated but was filed… - Mary Ellen Vaughn Marking
October 31, 2020 Mary Ellen Vaughn was one tough lady. Born February 24, 1893 near Montgomery, Alabama, Mary Ellen Vaughn moved to Murfreesboro as a young lady to become a force in the local early civil rights movement. From The Murfreesboro Post: “Mary Ellen Vaughn was an entrepreneur and skilled nurse who used her talents… - Vaughn’s Training School, (Black) 1933-1951
VAUGHN’S TRAINING SCHOOL BLACK 1933-1951 was located in the home of Mary Ellen Vaughn on the east side of South Highland Street in Murfreesboro. The site is now the intersection of Vaughn Street and South Highland Ave. Mary Ellen Vaughn, a graduate of Tuskegee College in Alabama and the holder of a bachelor’s degree 1931… - Mary Ellen Vaughn Honored With TN Historical Marker
October 31, 2020, Murfreesboro City TV, Michael Linn White Mary Ellen Vaughn’s legacy is honored with the unveiling of a Tennessee Historical Marker at the site where her home once stood. Vaughn was a journalist, nurse, teacher, and advocate for women and African Americans. - Robert L. Lewis, left, of Murfreesboro, unloading shells for the Battle of Brest
Compliments of the Library of Congress Shells for the Battle of Brest are unloaded from a freight car on a rail siding by Pfc. Robert L. Lewis, left, of Murfreesboro, Tenn. and Pvt. Mercie Gillmore, right of Holly Hill, S.C. The Battle of Brest occurred August 7 – September 19, 1944 on the western peninsula… - You May Have Been Near “Cemetery, TN” And Did Not Know It!
October 6, 2020, WGNS Radio - Holloway High School (Black), 1929-1968
HOLLOWAY HIGH SCHOOL BLACK 1929-1968 was built on the east side of South Highland Street. It was dedicated in December 1929 and was named in honor of E. C. Holloway who worked for the establishment of the school. The school served both city and county students. On April 27, 1929, Florence Burrus Vaughn sold land… - Morton School (Black), early 1900s
MORTON SCHOOL BLACK early 1900’s was on the east side of the present day Armstrong Valley Road and across from Ed Todd’s farm. A lane next to Rob Haynes’ farm led about 1/4 mile to the school. The Beers Map of 1878 shows the name W. H. Morton as owner of the land in 1878.… - Bradley School, Black 1884-1955
BRADLEY SCHOOL BL?CK 1884-1955 was a reorganization of BRADLEY ACADEMY for the exclusive use of Negroes. The school was located on the east side of S. Academy Street in Murfreesboro. The old BRADLEY ACADEMY building, which was used as a hospital during the war, was turned over to F. G. Carney, three teachers, and 150… - Overall School (Black) School, 1920-c1936
OVERALL SCHOOL BLACK f 1. 1920’s-c 1936 was east of Lofton. It was about one and one-half miles south of State Road 96 on the east side of Craddock Road. The schoolhouse was a one-room building which was used also by the Colored Overall Methodist Church. Known teachers were Odessa Gray, Mariah Douglas in 1930-1931,… - Lascassas School (Black), ?-1945
LASCASSAS SCHOOL BLACK (1945) was held in the Sycamore Grove Missionary Baptist Church on the west side of Valley View Road and just north of the Jefferson-Milton Road. The one-room frame building was warmed by a coal heater. Water was carried from the home of Mrs. Zula Norris. Both desks and church pews were provided.… - Shiloh School (Black), 1874-1967
SHILOH SCHOOL BLACK 1874-1967 was on the north side of Hall’s Hill Road about three and one-half miles from Murfreesboro. On July 30, 1874, Elizabeth Smith, Mary M. Harris, and Sam Harris deeded one acre of land on the Murfreesboro-Liberty Hill Pike to school commissioners. The lot was bordered by the property of Johnson. On… - 231 School (Black), Christiana, 1962-1967The 231 SCHOOL BLACK 1962-1967 was on the east side of U.S. 231. It was eight miles south of Murfreesboro. C. C. Ellis and wife May S. sold land to the Rutherford County School Commission in a deed dated August 16, 1961; Earl White and wife Christine, in a deed February 6, 1962. The yellow…
- Hickory Grove School, Kittrell (Black) 1880’s-1930’s
HICKORY GROVE SCHOOL BLACK 1880’s-1930’s was also called SEED TICK SCHOOL. It was on the east side of Cripple Creek Road and just south of the Woodbury Highway. In the 1900’s the lane to the school was through private property owned by the Swaffords and the school, as well as Hickory Grove Baptist Church, were… - Ice Man Likes Summer Heat
July 30, 1982, Jane Hamlin, The Daily News Journal The scorching summer days have got a lot of hot, sweaty people wishing autumn was already here – what with its dewy mornings and nippy nights. But there is one man in Murfreesboro who would probably like to hover around 95 degrees all year long. Hot… - Squirrel Hill School, (Black) 1910-1944
SQUIRREL HILL SCHOOL BLACK 1910’s-1944 was on the west side of the Hall’s Hill-Kittrell Road and about one mile south of the Hall’s Hill store. Land for the school, which was also called HALL’S HILL BLACK, was givenby Jim T. Richardson. The schoolhouse was a one-room frame building with one door at the front and… - Bethel School (Black), 1900-1967
BETHEL SCHOOL BLACK 1900-1967 a Rosenwald school, was first located on land which joined Little Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Holly Grove Road. The land was donated to Rutherford County by the United Sons of Relief Lodge. BETHEL SCHOOL was preceded by CRAWFORD SCHOOL in the area. The second location of BETHEL was on the… - Silver Spring School (Black), 1891-1959
SILVER SPRING SCHOOL BLACK 1891-1959 was on the east side of Florence Road which runs north of the Nashville Highway. The site was near the river, just south of the intersection of Wade Herrod Road. It was next to achurch. On August 28, 1891, a deed for one and one-half acres was signed to W.… - Charles Davis School (black), closed 1895
CHARLES DAVIS SCHOOL BLACK closed 1895 was “built in a green pasture before the creek to Guild Hill corner and on the property of Charles Davis.” It was in the area of Old Jefferson. The school was a one-room, one-teacher school. The last teacher was Kitty Howse. Turner Peebles, 87 years old in February 1983,… - Locke’s School (Black) 1878-1965
LOCKE’S SCHOOL was built on land given by Charles Locke for a school and a church. It was on the south side of Spanntown Road just west of its intersection with the Almaville Road. There have been several school buildings. At first the school was taught in the church. In 1919 a one-room frame building… - Bryant’s Grove School (Black) 1880-c1940
BRYANTS GROVE SCHOOL BLACK 1880-c1940 was on the south side of Couchville Pike near the Davidson County line. It was on land given for a school and church by Henry Bryant and wife on August 28, 1880 and by Will Bryant and wife Hattie on January 13, 1913. The two families gave one acre of… - African-American Athlete Tommy Haynes Reigns as Prime Challenger in Track and Field at MTSU
March 9, 2020, Susan Harber, The Daily News Journal I thoroughly enjoy researching living history as much as ancestral narratives. A favorite athlete is an African-American Olympian from MTSU, who forged everlasting history for the college in 1976. Thomas Zarlef Haynes was born July 14, 1952 in Nashville to parents Juanita and Thomas Haynes (1929-2014).… - Murfreesboro Storytellers (February, 2020) – African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County
February 1, 2020, Murfreesboro City TV Host John Hood interviews members of the African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County. The program was shot at the Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center. - True Blue Pioneers: First African American Athletes Honored
February 14, 2020, Michael Linn White, Murfreesboro City TV MTSU’s first African American Athletes were honored at a special event on campus. These trailblazing former students discussed what it was like to be a minority in the 1960’s and how their time at MTSU impacted not only them, but the university as a whole. City… - La Vergne School (Black), 1877-1884
LA VERGNE SCHOOL BLACK 1920’s-l952 was on a dirt lane which ran south of La Vergne and was between and parallel to the present Buster Mason and Waldron Roads. The lane is no longer there. The school was a one-room weatherboarded building. Grades taught were one through eight. Teachers were Mary Leva Buchanan, Cassie Mai… - Salem School (Black)
SALEM SCHOOL BLACK 1940 was on the east side of Kimbro Road and about one mile south of the Salem Road. The schoolhouse was a frame building with two rooms. Among the teachers were Catherine Jackson, Ollie B. Officer, Lillian Hammons, and Willa Morton Kimbro Foster. Picola Smith taught sewing to the girls. Family names… - Rockvale School (Black) 1870-1936
ROCKVALE SCHOOL BLACK 1870-1936 or 1937 was on the west side of Versailles Road about one hundred yards south of the Rockvale Store. On May 24, 1870, Francis Jackson gave one acre of land to the School for Colored People, Church of God, or African Branch of the M. E. Church. The building was behind… - Burnt Hill School (Black), late 1800’s
BURNT HILL SCHOOL BLACK late 1800’s was one mile west of Eagleville and in the woods north of what is now Allisona. It was named BURNT HILL because the grounds had to be burned and cleared. That property in the 8th District was owned by Mr. Chesley Williams, “a wealthy white citizen.” On the 1878… - Mt. Moriah School (Black) 1936
MT. MORIAH SCHOOL BLACK -1936 was on the west side of the present Plainview Road between Epps Mill Road and Sledge Road. MT. MORIAH, because of its location, was sometimes referred to as PLAINVIEW BLACK. The school was a one-room frame building for grades 1-8. Teachers included Viola Mack Batts, Emma Lee Halliburton, a Bowling,… - Tennessee Manual Labor University (Black), 1872
TENNESSEE MANUAL LABOR UNIVERSITY BLACK 1872 was to have been located in District 13 on the old Nashville-Murfreesboro Road. The property was bounded by James M. Tompkins west of the Cemetery, by the river on the north, and by the railroad. On July 9, 1872, N. C. Collier, for consideration of $1,042.67, the balance of… - Haynes School (Black), 1909-1946
HAYNES SCHOOL BLACK 1909-1946 was on the north side of Shores Road and about two and one-half miles west of Beasley Road. It was on a lane that at one time led to the house and cemetery of the Blackman plantation. On August 28, 1909, Charles Haynes and wife Caroline sold land for a school… - Hickory Grove School (Black) 1925-1955
Hickory Grove School (black) 1925-1955 was off the west side of Hickory Grove Road which runs north off Jefferson Pike. The first building was torn down around 1925. The second schoolhouse was a one-room frame building with a door and steps at the front. A kitchen was added later to the back. It had a… - Rocky Fork School (black), 1878-1945
ROCKY FORK SCHOOL BLACK 1878-1945 was on the present Del Thomas Road. The school was on the first hill to the south after the bridge. On August 26, 1878, J.T. Neal and wife sold land to colored Trustees Claiborne Coleman, Gene Sneed, Percy Davis, Allen Ridley, and William Paschal for a colored school and church.… - Holloway High School Marking
August 24, Holloway High School, Murfreesboro, TN Saturday saw a crowd of more than 200 celebrate the old Holloway High School. Holloway High School, aka, ‘The School on the Hill’, was so much more than a school. Holloway was a place of empowerment for the African American community. - Lawrence Chapel School (Black) Salem, 1898-1936
LAWRENCE CHAPEL SCHOOL BLACK 1898-1936, was located between Salem and Windrow. It was on the north side of Windrow Road just before Windrow Hill and behind the John Haynes’ house. It was in the vicinity of LEATHERS SCHOOL. On August 17, 1898, W. T. Haynes and wife N. A. deeded five acres for a school… - Happy Hill Remembered
Wendi Watts, the Daily News Journal, February 22, 1995 Black education changed through the years in Rutherford County Black Education in Rutherford County has gone through a lot of changes in the past 50 years. In the 1930s and 1940s, Thelma Marie Turrentine Marshall went to class in a one-room school house called Happy Hill… - Juneteenth Celebration held in MurfreesboroJune 14, 2019,Michael Linn White, Murfreesboro City TV Channel 3
- Celebrating African American Freedom in Murfreesboro
June 12, 2019, WGNS Radio Celebrating the freedom of African Americans will be the focus of an event in Murfreesboro this month. Local resident Mary Watkins helps to organize the annual event. The JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION will be at Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center (415 South Academy Street). This year’s theme is “Breaking the chains,… - Quinn’s Chapel School (Black), 1941
QUINN’S CHAPEL SCHOOL BLACK – about 1941 was first located between the properties of Henry Roberts and Tony Manier on the east side of Morgan Road. Later it was moved about 3/4 of a mile north from Morgan Road to Patterson Road on land that had been owned by Frank Thomas. When the last school… - Black History Month-Women of MurfreesboroMurfreesboro City Channel 3, February 6, 2019 The Murfreesboro Union provided news to African Americans in the early and mid-20th century. Copies of the newspapers are scarce as only a handful are known to exist. The Rutherford County Archives is in search of copies to add to their collection. Please call (615) 867-4609 if you…
- Monday, Feb. 18, 7PM, Madelyn Scales Harris will focus on African American history in Rutherford County
Monday, February 18, 7PM, Rutherford County Archive, 435 Rice Street: Rutherford County Historian Greg Tucker will present special guest Murfreesboro Vice mayor Madelyn Scales Harris with a focus on African American history in Rutherford County. - Rucker Hill Elementary School (Black), 1896-1927
RUCKER HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BLACK 1896-1927 was built on the old Nashville Highway. It was on John Sneed property on a hill southeast of the present Sam Davis Road and near Rocky Fork Road. There is no longer aroad up to the site of the school. The school was a small frame building. Enrollment for… - Christiana School (Black)
CHRISTIANA SCHOOL BLACK 1890-1918 was in Christiana on the north side of the present Miller Street and across from the home of Joe McCrary. The land was given by Martha Miller for as long as it was used for school purposes. Parents of the school children constructed the one-room building. The school term was for… - Antioch School (Black), 1889-1946
ANTIOCH SCHOOL BLACK 1889-1946 was on the north side of the present Joe Brown Road. On October 9, 1889, James E. Stockard deeded to School Directors James W. Hunt and John W. Putman the land for a school. The parcel was bounded on the east by the Antioch Church lot. The church is shown on… - Mt. Pleasant School (Black), 1883-1962
MT. PLEASANT SCHOOL BLACK 1883-1962 was on the north side of Elam Road between the present U.S. 41 and the Interstate 24. On September 1, 1883, J. A. and W. A. Ransom sold for a school .25 acre of land to School Directors of the 28th School District, T. J. Elam, Welcome Mankin, and William… - Patterson Park to celebrate namesake at 15th anniversary
Scott Broden, The Daily News Journal, August 17, 2018 Patterson Park Community Center will honor its namesake dentist when it celebrates the 15th anniversary of the expanded recreation center Saturday. “He was a servant leader to the community,” said Gloria Bonner, a retired Middle Tennessee State University administrator. As a child at Bradley Elementary, Bonner… - Emery School (Black), 1882-1958
EMERY SCHOOL BLACK 1882-1958 was on the west side of Emery Road which is to the west of Lascassas Road, between Osborne and Compton Roads. The school was in the Emery community and next to the Emery Methodist Church which still holds services as of 1986. On November 11, 1882, Trustees of Emery Colored Methodist… - Revolutionary soldier retired to MurfreesboroSusan Harber, The Daily News Journal, June 19, 2018 The history of our county reveals few Revolutionary War soldiers returning to live in our midst. Yet one outstanding soldier, Peter Jennings (1752-1842), returned as a contributor to community and friend to all. Jennings was an African-American born in Pequonnock, Connecticut, on April 2, 1752. As…
- Local history documentary earns Telly Awards
The Murfreesboro Post, May 30, 2018 The 39th Annual Telly Awards has recognized the City of Murfreesboro’s local documentary “The House Still Standing” as winner in two categories – General Documentary and Biography. “The House Still Standing” tells the stories of Burrell Gannaway, one of Murfreesboro’s first aldermen, and King Daniel Ganaway, a descendant of a… - Bradley Academy set for Centennial Celebration
Mariah Timms, The Daily News Journal. May 10, 2018 It has been 100 years since the first class sat at their desks in Bradley Academy’s current structure on Murfreesboro’s Academy Street. To celebrate that anniversary, and the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1968, Bradley Academy’s Centennial Celebration will host all alumni for an event-packed… - “The House Still Standing” Gannaway/Ganaway Documentary v.2
City of Murfreesboro, May 8, 2018 “The House Still Standing” documents the local and family history of the Gannaway/Ganaway name. Burrell Gannaway (1785-1853) was a slaveholder and Rutherford County pioneer who fought in the war of 1812 and served as one of Murfreesboro’s first alderman. King Daniel Ganaway (1884-1944) was a descendant of a slave,… - Sand Hill School (Black) 1920s-1952
SAND HILL SCHOOL BLACK 1920’s-1952 was to the north off Sand Hill Road. There was no road to the school itself. Presently there is a dead end road to the site. The schoolhouse was a one-room frame building. Among the teachers were Willie Alexander, Josephine Pruett, Rev. A.M. Hampton, Louise Hall, William Butler, Sarah A.… - Remembering George Smith, who led by example
Mike Sparks, The Daily News Journal, March 28, 2018 It’s been said that “those that do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.” Dr. George Smith knew his history, and he certainly didn’t want others to repeat it. Smith had a love for Tennessee history and telling those old stories, but most importantly… - Editorial by State Rep. Mike Sparks on a local leader who passed away
March 27, 2018, WGNS Radio By State Rep. Mike SparksDr. George Smith, He led by Example Edmund Burke once stated, “Those that do not know their History are Doomed to Repeat it.” Dr. George Smith knew his history and he certainly didn’t want others to repeat it. Dr. Smith had a love for Tennessee history… - Rutherford County community leader Dr. George Smith diesScott Broden, The Daily News Journal, March 24, 2018 For more than 30 years, Dr. George Smith devoted his time to securing scholarship funds for high-achieving black students in Rutherford County. Smith died Friday after an illness. An active member of the community, he gave his time to the Murfreesboro Breakfast Rotary Club, the MidSouth…
- Dr. George W. Smith Passed Away Friday – WGNS Radio
WGNS Radio, March 24, 2018 Murfreesboro lost a great physician, historian, community leader and friend with the passing of Dr. George W. Smith on Friday (3/23/2018). Dr. Smith practiced family medicine and his big smile always gave encouragement to those with whom he came in contact. He grew-up in Decherd, Tennessee and loved history. His undergraduate degree… - Bradley Museum celebrates 100th year with Willie McGowan BanquetMarch 12, 2018, WGNS Radio Willie McGowan will be remembered at a banquet in his honor, Saturday,March 24, 2018, as supporters of Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center celebrate 100 years of African-American education. The Willie McGowan Banquet will be held at the museum, 415 S. Academy St. in Murfreesboro, beginning at 6 p.m. “We…
- Descendant of Frederick Douglass speaks at MTSU Unity lunch
Nancy De Gennaro, The Daily News Journal, February 15, 2018 Kevin Douglass Greene, great-great-grandson of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, encouraged the community to help youth turn dreams into goals at Middle Tennessee State University’s Unity Luncheon on Thursday. “We encourage them to dream. We need to provide the tools for them to plan. Don’t tell them… - Celebration of the Community Once Known as ‘Cemetery’
Saturday, February 18, 2018 The 3rd annual tour of the community once known as ‘Cemetery’ was an unqualified success. Two motor coaches loaded to local history supporters visited the historic Stones River United Methodist Church and Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church. We enjoyed history, entertainment, education and fellowship. - Honoring Hometown African-American HeroesFebruary 5, 2018, WGNS Radio The deadline for purchasing tickets to MTSU’s annual homage to unsung African-American community heroes is approaching quickly. Wednesday, Feb. 7, is the final day to buy tickets to the Unity Luncheon, which is slated for 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, in the Student Union Ballroom. The keynote speaker will be…
- Special event detailing slavery in the Civil War Era in Murfreesboro
January 30, 2018, WGNS Radio On Saturday, February 10, 2018, at the Stones River Battlefield, the African American Heritage Society and the Stones River Battlefield staff will provide two buses for the Living History Tour of the Cemetery Community. During the tour you will learn some of the challenges that free slaves faced during the… - Little Hope School (Black) 1894-1965
LITTLE HOPE SCHOOL BLACK 1894-1965 was in the Little Hope area. It was on the west side of the present Baker Road and about one mile north of the BROWN’S CHAPEL SCHOOL. On September 8, 1894, Bird Peebles colored deeded one-half acre of land for a school. It bordered the property of L. Rowlett and… - Halls School (Black), ? – 1949
HALLS SCHOOL BLACK -1949 , was in District 7 and then in District 13 on the west side of Gresham Lane, and about three-fourths mile north of the Franklin Road. The school was on land originally bought by Flemmon Hall on December 15, 1877 from the heirs of John Henderson. In recent years it was… - St. Clair Street Senior Center: Researching African American HistoryMurfreesboro City Television, August 29, 2017 John Lodl with the Rutherford County Archives talks about researching African American history.
- Readyville School (Black), 1900-1940
READYVILLE SCHOOL BLACK early 1900’s-1940 was in Cannon County at Readyville near the Rutherford County line. It was on the east side of Porterfield Road about one block north of Tilford’s saw mill and the Woodbury Road. Children from both Cannon and Rutherford Counties attendedthe school. The school, which at one time had been the… - Crawford School (Black), ____ – 1900
CRAWFORD SCHOOL BLACK -1900 was built on the Richard Crawford lot on Rocky Hill Road which runs north off Holly Grove Road. The school was a one-room frame building with Novella Crawford and Mrs. Johnnie Scales as teachers. Susie Rucker Rucker, who did some private teaching in the community, may have taught here. CRAWFORD SCHOOL… - Willie McGowan Annual Banquet
Cynthia Jones, VIP Murfreesboro Magazine, May, 2017 Bradley Academy hosted the annual Willie McGowan Banquet honoring those who have made a positive impact in Rutherford County. The father of Bradley Academy Historical Association, Mr. Willie McGowan, fought to preserve the old Bradley Academy Structure. The building now host artists such as Zavier Marable Ashley Buckham,… - Floyd School (Black), 1911 – ?
FLOYD SCHOOL BLACK 1911- was located on a now abandoned county road between Floyd Road and Greenwood. It was in the corner of the woods. On April 7, 1911, Martha Clardy deeded the land for a church and school house to Trustees Edward Sutton, Jr., Salem Hughes, Sam Garrett, Fate Lytle, KrinOwen, Shade Melord, and… - Dillard Rosenwald School (Black), Barfield, 1910-1962DILLARD ROSENWALD SCHOOL BLACK 1910’s-1962 was located the west side of the Barfield-Crescent Road near the Webb’s Chapel Methodist Church. It was on the same site as the previous WEBB’S CHAPEL SCHOOL. The school was at first a one-room building which parents of the children helped to build. Later a wing consisting of a dining-room…
- Smyrna Rosenwald School (Black), 1960-1967
SMYRNA ROSENWALD SCHOOL BLACK 1960-1967 was on the southwest side of the Old Nashville Highway, and north west of Sam Davis Road. It replaced the 1927-1960 school but was not on the same site.On March 21, 1959, Emit E. Bishop and wife Elizabeth deeded 8.15 acres of land to theRutherford County School Commission for the… - Smyrna Rosenwald School (Black), 1927-1960
SMYRNA ROSENWALD SCHOOL BLACK 1927-1960 was on the old Nashville-Murfreesboro Road at Hill Top in District 3. On April 28, 1927, John and James Sneed signed a deed for three and one-half acres for a school. This school took the place of the RUCKER HILL SCHOOL. The frame building had four rooms, one of which… - Mt. View School (Black), 1870-1918
MT. VIEW SCHOOL BLACK 1870-c1918 met in the old Mt. View Baptist Church on the northwest side of Rocky Fork Road and about two miles southwest of the old Nashville Turnpike. According to a history kept in the church, Clem Ross gave the land in 1870. Teachers were Marie Bright, Cordelia Etta, and Vertress Woodson.… - Historians search for pieces of Black history
Michelle Willard, the Daily News Journal, February 28, 2017 MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Local historians are searching for long lost pieces of African-American history in Rutherford County. Rutherford County Archivist John Lodl is on the hunt for copies of The Murfreesboro News, the town’s newspaper for the African-American community. The paper was printed from the 1920s… - Battlefield tour spotlights Cemetery Community
Nancy De Genarro, The Daily News Journal, February 19, 2017 It’s hard to imagine that homes, barns, vineyards and churches once stood on the stark landscape of native grasses and woods at Stones River National Battlefield. The Cemetery Community settled shortly after the end of the Civil War and was home to freed African Americans,… - Scales Funeral Home: African-American owned businesses still going strong after 101 yearsLarry Flowers, WRKN.com, Nashville Channel 2, February 18, 2017 Scales and Sons Funeral Home, was one of the first African-American owned businesses in Rutherford County. To really understand the total impact the Scales family has made on the Rutherford County community, we have to go way back. The year was 1916, a time when African-Americans…
- Celebration of the community of Cemetery at the Stones River National Battlefield
Saturday, February 18, 2017, Frank Caperton, President of the Rutherford County Historical Society Saturday, February 18, 2017 was an incredible celebration of the community once known as ‘Cemetery’. The African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County, the Friends of the Stones River National Battlefield, MTSU and the Stones River National Battlefield shared memories with almost 100… - A Celebration of the Community of Cemetery
How many of realize there was a thriving community located on present day Stones River National Battlefield? How many of us realize this community, known as ‘Cemetery’ was created by freed slaves after the Civil War? Yes, a Freedmen’s community known as Cemetery emerged on the landscape where the Battle of Stones River had raged.… - Bradley students taking part in demonstration following classes in home hygiene and care of sick
- The Cemetery Community
February 3, 2017 The African America Heritage Society, the Stones River National Battlefield and the Friends of the Stones River National Battlefield created this three-panel brochure helping keep the memories of of the community once known as Cemetery alive. - Bracey School (Black), late 1800’s
BRACEY SCHOOL BLACK late 1800’s was located about 1.5 miles north of Midland. It was on the west side of the road on the property of Wright Bracey, a school teacher, preacher, and farmer. The building was a one-room log cabin. The benches were hewn logs, flat on top and with legs. Wright Bracey the… - Brown’s School (Black), 1888-1949
BROWNS SCHOOL BLACK 1888-1949, sometimes called ANTNEY BROWN SCHOOL, was in the woods east of TWELVE CORNERS. There was no road to the school. The site today would be at the dead end of Ball Park Road which runs north off Ruel McKnight Road which in turn runs north off State Road 96. The school… - St. Paul School (Black), 1889-1912
ST. PAUL SCHOOL BLACK 1889-1912 was in Old Jefferson in District 6. It was about one-fourth mile east of the square toward the river and on the left side of the road. On January 30, 1889, John M. Reese and wife Mary H. signed a deed for one square acre to School Commissioners L. A.… - Bradley Academy Museum 20 Year Celebration (March 26, 2016)Murfreesboro City Television, March 31, 2016 Bradley Academy Museum celebrates it’s 20th year as a museum.
- Bradley Academy: A Historical PerspectiveMurfreesboro City Television, March 28, 2016 Bradley Academy served as a school for Murfreesboro’s African-American community in 1800’s and early/mid 1900’s. In the 1990’s, citizens joined together to turn the site into a museum.
- African-American history preserved at BradleyNancy De Gennaro, Daily News Journal, March 20, 2016 MURFREESBORO — One of the most vivid childhood memories 92-year-old Ernestine Tucker has is her first day at Bradley Academy, an elementary that was Rutherford County’s first school for African-Americans. “My aunt walked us to the school. That’s the way she did every morning,” said Tucker,…
- African-American History Celebration at the Stones River National BattlefieldFrank Caperton, Friends of the Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, February 20, 2016 Saturday witnessed a grand celebration of the contribution of the USCT (United States Colored Troops) make during the War Between the States and a continuation of the celebration of the community once known as Cemetery.
- Carter’s Chapel School (Black, Bradyville), 1878-1916
CARTER’S CHAPEL SCHOOL BLACK 1878-about 1916 was on the east side of Cripple Creek Road, about one-fourth mile north of Donnell’s Chapel which was on the Bradyville Road. It was next to Carter’s Chapel Baptist Church. Jim Carter gave the land for the school, the site of which is shown on the Beers Map of… - Holloway Class of ’65 marks 50th
Nancy DeGennaro, Daily News Journal, December 23, 2015 MURFREESBORO — Holloway High School Class of 1965 held it’s 50th reunion celebration earlier this year. The main event was held over the Memorial Day weekend at Garden Plaza Hotel. Theme was “The 50th Reunion Prom.” Cclass president Jack Winsett as the speaker. Donald Drew served as… - Gladeview School (Black), Dilton, 1884-1958
GLADEVIEW SCHOOL BLACK 1884-1958 was first located on the west side of Mt. Herman Road at the intersection of Veals Road. F. G. Carney on September 13, 1884, deeded one-half acre to School Directors J. C. Coleman, W. J. Knox, and M. Frank Overall for “schoolhouse now standing on the lot.” On September 17, 1909,… - Remembering the Eldorado Club: Sax Player Takes us Back to 1960s Murfreesboro Music Scene
Bracken Mayo, The Murfreesboro Pulse, November 4, 2015, photos by Scott Walker of WGNS Radio An abandoned structure sits off of Asbury Road, near Old Nashville Highway in the outskirts of Murfreesboro. Surrounded by tall weeds, fallen hedgeapples and a small mountain of glass bottles out back, cinder blocks stand strong and tall, but otherwise… - Jimi Hendrix once played at a club in Murfreesboro!
From www.WGNSRadio.com, October 21, 2015 The legendary Jimi Hendrix once wandered into a small club in Murfreesboro and did what he did best, played the guitar. The Eldorado Club, which was also known as Dance Land, was mainly attended by African Americans in the 1950’s and 60’s. It was located on Asbury Road near the…