MURFREESBORO SEMINARY 1886-1890 was a school for young ladies and children. It was a private school held in the McFadden home at 502 North Maple Street in Murfreesboro. The Beers Map of 1878 shows that to be the residence of J. C. McFadden.
The L-shaped building was a two-story log house covered with weatherboarding. It had brick chimneys and a wing to the back. The floors were of yellow poplar.
Miss Anna McFadden was head of the school. In 1891 there were three other teachers with ninety pupils enrolled.
The degree of M. D. L. was granted.
In 1890, James D. Nelson said, “We have some of the best schools of the state in our county – . . Murfreesboro Seminary for Girls.”
The school probably closed when the MURFREESBORO FEMALE ACADEMY was donated to the City of Murfreesboro in 1891.
Anna E. McFadden was later a teacher under Miss Virginia O. Wardlow at SOULE COLLEGE. She also taught at TENNESSEE COLLEGE, MURFREESBORO PUBLIC SCHOOL, the TRAINING SCHOOL, and CRICHLOW.
The house was later owned by John Sims Tolbert and then by John Broiles, who converted it into a boarding house. In January 1956, the building was bought by Mr. and Mrs. T. F. Church, who operated it for twenty-five years as the Maple Inn.
In 1983, Mr. Morton bought the property at auction and is restoring the house.
SOURCES: *Gene Sloan, “Soule College” Rutherford County Historical Society, Summer 1978 , p. 74. *Homer P. Pittard, “Famous Institutions Once Taught Local Students 100 Years Ago,” The Daily News Journal, Nov. 13, 1963, p. 12. *C. C. Sims, A History of Rutherford County Sims, 1947, pp. 158, 159. Report by *Elizabeth Schardt on “Anna E. McFadden and the Murfreesboro Seminary on Maple Street” as recorded in the minutes of Delta Chapter, Delta Kappa Gamma, Feb. 9, 1945. *Frances Hunter contributed the reference. Interview, Nov. 5, 1984, with Mrs. T. F. Church.