February 26, 2019, WGNS Radio
(MURFREESBORO) A grant from the Tennessee Historical Commission is enabling Stones River National Battlefield to acquire the 42-acres of battle land that once housed General Electric and Cummings Signs.
$1,827,502 has been awarded for the acquisition of 42 acres of the Stones River Battlefield, formerly the O’Reilly AutoParts distribution center, which represents one of the largest land acquisitions at the site since the National Battlefield was designated in 1960.
This is part of the Tennessee Historical Commission and Tennessee Wars Commission’s $2.5 million dollars in grant funding to the American Battlefield Trust. It will preserve over 180 acres of critical Civil War battlefield land in five counties through the Tennessee Civil War Sites Preservation Fund (TCWSPF).
In addition to this major land acquisition here in Murfreesboro, the grant also acquires land associated with Jackson, Chattanooga, Franklin, and Shiloh.
Tennessee Historical Commission Executive Director Patrick McIntyre noted, “This is a tremendous accomplishment for historic preservation in Tennessee that will also protect open space, farms, and wildlife habitats.”