What's New

Winter 2009 Newsletter
This month’s newsletter looks at our commitment to the preservation of Civil War and Reconstruction resources in the mountains of East Tennessee. Exciting partnership projects in this region include the effort to open Fort Higley in Knoxville as a Civil War park, the “Divided Loyalties: The Civil War, Brother Against Brother” exhibit at the East Tennessee Historical Society, preservation of the Longstreet Headquarters in Hamblen County, a preservation plan for historic Reconstruction-era African American cemeteries in three cities, and a driving tour of the ten-county region of the Southeast Tennessee Development District. Updates on other partnerships throughout the state are also included in this quarter’s newsletter.

Legacy of Stones River Symposium: Pathways to Freedom
The fifth Legacy of Stones River Symposium in Murfreesboro took place on Saturday, October 18, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Held at the Rutherford County Courthouse in the morning and at Stones River National Battlefield in the afternoon, “Pathways to Freedom” took a fresh look at wartime emancipation through the experiences of men and women who were enslaved, Union officers and soldiers, and civilians. The symposium was coordinated by the Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield.

The morning’s speakers were Barbara J. Fields of Columbia University, William W. Freehling of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, and Robert E. Hunt of Middle Tennessee State University. Music was provided by the Nashville Old-Time String Band. In the afternoon, re-enactors portrayed members of the Thirteenth U.S. Colored Infantry drilled at Fortress Rosecrans, and a tour was provided of the Cemetery community near Stones River National Battlefield. Summaries of their talks are available here.

The Heritage Center of
Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is Open!
Discover the stories of Murfreesboro’s downtown square and the historic Rutherford County Courthouse through exhibits, public programming, and guided tours of the square (available daily).
Current exhibits include:

The Occupied City, which tells how the square became an armed Federal camp during the Civil War and explores the era that changed Tennessee forever.
Community Building Blocks: Downtown Murfreesboro’s Historic Architecture, which highlights twelve of the county seat’s architectural landmarks.
From the Nation’s Capital to Neighborhood Classrooms: Rutherford County Women, Past and Present, which pays homage to the contributions of ten local women from among the thousands of prominent educators, artists, professionals, housewives and farmwives who have made a difference.
Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age explores early twentieth-century life in Rutherford County, from the growth of local industry and business in the era of Jim Crow to the burgeoning field of higher education in town.

The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a partnership effort of the Heritage Area and Main Street Murfreesboro / Rutherford County, Inc. Additional sponsors include the City of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University, Rutherford County, and State Farm Insurance.
HOURS:
Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Walking tours available on the hour. Group tours available Monday-Saturday by advance registration.
ADMISSION:
Free. Advance reservations required for groups of 10 or more.
LOCATION:
225 W. College Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
DIRECTIONS:
From I-24, exit 81-B, travel toward Murfreesboro to the Public Square. Go through the Square to the next traffic light at College Street, and turn left. The Heritage Center is located in the second block on the left, at the corner of College and Walnut.
For more information, or for group reservations, please call (615) 217-8013.

Williamson County Labor Contract Book Illustrates Transition from Slavery to Freedom
In a partnership with the Heritage Area, the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County has published Freedom and Work in the Reconstruction Era: The Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts of Williamson County, Tennessee. The illustrated book contains 476 of these fascinating documents from 1866, as well as two introductory essays and a comprehensive proper name index. For information on how to obtain a copy, please contact Rick Warwick at the Heritage Foundation (615-591-8500).

Tennessee Historical Quarterly Features Battle of Nashville
With support from the Heritage Area, the Tennessee Historical Society has published a special issue of the Quarterly devoted to research presented during "The Battle of Nashville, December 1864: 140th Anniversary Symposium." The special issue features articles on David G. Cooke joining the United States Colored Troops, Gibson's Louisiana Brigade during the 1864 Tennessee Campaign, the Civil War experience of General Joseph A. Cooper, perceptions of Hood's Tennessee campaign, and a study of Civil War Battlefield preservation in Tennessee. For information on obtaining copies of this issue, please contact the THS office (615-741-8934).

Information on Matching Funds Available
Guidelines and an application form for our Collaborative Partnership Program can now be downloaded from our funding page. Through this program, we provide matching funds for qualified partnership projects. Applications for the next funding cycle are due January 30, 2008. Please contact us about your potential projects, or if you need any additional assistance.

Tennessee Civil War Sourcebook Available Online
The Tennessee Historical Commission has announced the availability of a new, online sourcebook of primary documents about all aspects of the Civil War in Tennessee. More than 7,000 entries document the military and social history of the war throughout the state. Researched and designed by historian James B. Jones, the documentary collection has a topical search engine and tips for conducting searches. The sourcebook can be found at www.tennessee.civilwarsourcebook.com.

IHDC 2005 a Huge Success
The 2005 International Heritage Development Conference, held in the culturally distinctive city of Nashville, Tennessee, explored how heritage development equals economic development by creating an interactive forum on best practices

, public-private partnerships, and new heritage tools.

Almost 350 international, federal, state, and local heritage development professionals gathered at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown for several days of pre-conference tours, interactive mobile workshops, innovative sessions, and evening events in some of Nashville's most historic venues.

In addition to exploring best practices in heritage development, the conference showcased Tennessee’s history, culture, and future. Through workshops, tours, and evening events, the visitors experienced how Tennessee’s towns have developed their cultural and historic resources, made suggestions for how to proceed in the future, and discussed ideas for their own locations. Read more.

Our Management Plan
The Heritage Area's Management Plan, authored by Philip L. Walker of the Walker Collaborative and Dr. Carroll Van West of the Center for Historic Preservation, outlines the planning context, lays out the planning alternatives, and provides information on the Heritage Area environment and environmental consequences.

Several historic transportation routes, with cultural resources related to Tennessee's Civil War and Reconstruction story, define the major cultural landscapes of the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. Maps of these heritage routes are available by clicking on the links below:

The 60+ pages of appendices are available by request; simply e-mail us at civilwar@mtsu.edu.

"Occupied Murfreesboro" Exhibition Available Locally
“Occupied Murfreesboro: Historic Photographs from the Civil War Era,” a traveling exhibition funded by the Heritage Area in partnership with the Center for Historic Preservation, the Albert Gore Research Center, and Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center, is available for display locally. The exhibition, which is based on the oldest known photographs of Murfreesboro, brings the mid-1860s to life. For an example of one of the photos, click here. Please e-mail us at civilwar@mtsu.edu if you are interested.

Traveling Exhibition on the Cumberland Gap Available
Learn more about the Civil War in East Tennessee through the exhibition "In the Shadow of the Pinnacle: Actions at the Cumberland Gap," organized by the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum in Harrogate and partially funded by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. For information about bringing this informative and beautifully designed exhibition to your area, please click here.

Heritage Development Institute Activities
The HDI, a training initiative coordinated by the Alliance of National Heritage Areas and MTSU's Center for Historic Preservation, in partnership with the National Park Service, provides comprehensive training opportunities for novices and practitioners in the heritage development field. To learn more about the HDI, please e-mail us at HDI@mtsu.edu.