Summer 2007 http://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncivwar Vol. 5, No. 1 TENNESSEE CIVIL WAR NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA NEWS • Telling the Whole Story of America’s Greatest Challenge, 1860 – 1875 • Battlefield preservation is a hot issue across Tennessee as the state continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace. Across the state, battles and skirmishes took place in large cities, open fields, and small crossroads communities. Many of the larger battle names are famil- iar—Shiloh, Chattanooga, Stones River, Franklin. Others are familiar only to their communities and the most avid Civil War researchers and enthusiasts. Despite differences in size and recognition, Tennessee’s remaining Civil War battlefields have the potential to increase heritage tourism and economic development, help our communities retain a sense of place and identity, and protect green space. However, communi- ties must move quickly to document these historic sites and develop partnerships that will allow them to preserve their battlefields before they are lost. Saving historic battlefields goes beyond the impor- tance of saving “hallowed ground.” Well-preserved and interpreted Civil War battlefields, particularly when the experience of visiting them is authentic and memorable, draw her- itage tourists who frequently spend significant amounts of money in the battlefield communities. According to research by the Civil War Preservation Trust, every 702 tour- ists to a Civil War battlefield support one full-time job; the average family of four spends nearly $1,000 during its Civil War battlefield visits, which generates a steady stream of local and state tax revenue. Unfortunately, many historic battle- fields and sites are increasingly threatened. In 1993, a congres- sional study determined that 384 of the more than 10,000 battles fought during the Civil War were “highly significant influences on the course of our nation’s history.” Since that study more than 70 percent of these battlefields have already been lost, with less than 15 percent preserved. Tennessee had more battles and skirmishes on its soil than any other state except Virginia; however, the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association reports that almost 90 percent of our state’s battlefields remain in private hands. Private property owners have the right to do what they wish with their property, but this also provides an opportunity for battlefield preservation when land becomes available. Often, private stewardship plays an integral role in battlefield preserva- tion. Citizens in Tennessee have raised funds, established conserva- tion easements, and donated prop- erty to advance battlefield preserva- tion across the state, demonstrating that individuals can have a profound impact on this issue. How Battlefield Preservation Benefits Communities Little remains of the 1863 Battle of Beans Station site in upper East Tennessee’s Grainger County. In Memphis, the site of Fort Pickering, where 10,000 black Union soldiers were stationed, is unmarked and uninterpreted.
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Page 4 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Summer 2007
Summer 2007 http://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncivwar Vol. 5, No. 1
TENNESSEE CIVIL WAR
NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA NEWS
• Telling the Whole Story of America’s Greatest Challenge, 1860 –1875 •
Mark Your Calendar
Battlefield preservation is a hot issue across Tennessee as the state continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace. Across the state, battles and skirmishes took place in large cities, open fields, and small crossroads communities. Many of the larger battle names are famil-iar—Shiloh, Chattanooga, Stones River, Franklin. Others are familiar only to their communities and the most avid Civil War researchers and enthusiasts. Despite differences in size and recognition, Tennessee’s remaining Civil War battlefields have the potential to increase heritage tourism and economic development, help our communities retain a sense of place and identity, and protect green space. However, communi-ties must move quickly to document these historic sites and develop
partnerships that will allow them to preserve their battlefields before they are lost.
Saving historic battlefields goes beyond the impor-tance of saving “hallowed ground.” Well-preserved and interpreted Civil War battlefields, particularly when the experience of visiting them is authentic and memorable, draw her-itage tourists who frequently spend significant amounts of money in the battlefield communities. According to research by the Civil War Preservation Trust, every 702 tour-ists to a Civil War battlefield support one full-time job; the average family of four spends nearly $1,000 during its Civil War battlefield visits, which generates a steady stream of local and state tax revenue.
Unfortunately, many historic battle-fields and sites are increasingly threatened. In 1993, a congres-sional study determined that 384 of the more than 10,000 battles fought during the Civil War were “highly significant influences on the course of our nation’s history.” Since that study more than 70 percent of these
battlefields have already been lost, with less than 15 percent preserved. Tennessee had more battles and skirmishes on its soil than any other state except Virginia; however, the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association reports that almost 90 percent of our state’s battlefields remain in private hands. Private property owners have the right to do what they wish with their property, but this also provides an opportunity for battlefield preservation when land becomes available.
Often, private stewardship plays an integral role in battlefield preserva-tion. Citizens in Tennessee have raised funds, established conserva-tion easements, and donated prop-erty to advance battlefield preserva-tion across the state, demonstrating that individuals can have a profound impact on this issue.
Affair at Travisville: 2007 BivouacSeptember 21–23, 2007Byrdstown, TennesseeThis weekend-long event has activities for students and reenactors, and living history stations including a dramatization of the Affair at Travisville.www.theborderlands.org/Travisville.htm
How Battlefield Preservation Benefits Communities
Although battlefield preservation presents significant chal-lenges for many communities, there are statewide resources that specialize in battlefield preservation and interpretation. The 1996 legislation that created the Heritage Area does not allow it to acquire property or contribute funds for property purchase. However, Heritage Area staff can provide assis-tance and resources through feasibility studies, interpretive materials, nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, historic resource surveys, heritage tourism plans, and walking and driving tours.
The Tennessee Wars Commission, a department of the Tennessee Historical Commission, is able to acquire battle-field land. The Wars Commission coordinates planning, preservation, and promotion for sites and battlefields in the state and acquires or provides funds for the acquisition of battlegrounds and sites. The commission provides grants from state appropriations and other funding sources and may obtain land through donation or exchange.
The Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association is a state-wide, nonprofit agency also dedicated to battlefield preserva-tion and fundraising for land acquisition. The organization raises matching funds for communities looking to purchase and maintain battlefield property and takes applications for
Little remains of the 1863 Battle of Beans Station site in upper East Tennessee’s Grainger County.
funds each year. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to furnish matching funds and a local entity capable of pur-chasing and managing the property.
For additional information, please contact:Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area(615) [email protected]://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncivwar
Tennessee Civil War Preservation [email protected]/index.html
Tennessee Wars Commission(a department of the Tennessee Historical Commission)(615) 532-1550, ext. 104www.tennessee.gov/environment/hist/TnWarsCom.shtml
Civil War Preservation Trustwww.civilwar.org/
American Battlefield Protection Programwww.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/
Resources for Your Community
MTSU, a Tennessee Board of Regents university, is an equal opportunity, nonracially identifiable, educational institution that does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. AA001-0707
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage AreaCenter for Historic PreservationMiddle Tennessee State UniversityBox 80Murfreesboro, TN 37132
5-31412
Non-ProfitOrganization
U.S. POSTAGEPAID
Permit No. 169Murfreesboro, TN
Battle of Blue Springs: A Celebration of Upper East Tennessee’s Civil War HistoryOctober 12–14, 2007Mosheim, TennesseeThis event includes an Education Day for students, reenactments, the Battle of Blue Springs Reader’s Theater, and many more activities!www.battleofbluesprings.com.
In Memphis, the site of Fort Pickering, where 10,000 black Union soldiers were stationed, is unmarked and uninterpreted.
could eventually become a key part of a larger national battlefield preserving the site of that momentous struggle of November 1864. The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area partnered with the city to update and expand the National Historic Landmark study for the Franklin battlefield park plan. The city has made a public commitment to battle-field preservation by also purchasing additional properties closely associated with the battle, and the state’s Heritage Conservation Trust Fund recently awarded $900,000 to the effort. Using private, local, and state funds in conjunc-tion with national support from the Civil War Preservation Trust and the American Battlefield Protection Program, Franklin’s Charge and local partners continue to develop unique strategies to raise funds for battlefield reclamation.
In West Tennessee, the Parker’s Crossroads battlefield site has become another example of successful public and private partnerships. This area in Henderson County saw action in December of 1862. Although portions of the core battlefield remain threatened by continued development, the Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association and the Tennessee Wars Commission have successfully acquired and preserved over 200 acres. Equally important, the association continues to interpret the battlefield through a self-guided walking tour, interpretive signage, a trail system, and an application and plans to develop a visitor’s center using TEA-21 funds and support from the Civil War Preservation Trust.
Page 2 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Summer 2007
The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area (TCWNHA) is a statewide program dedicated to the interpretation and preserva-tion of Tennessee’s Civil War and Reconstruction resources. Partially funded by the National Park Service, the TCWNHA is one of several projects administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
Tennessee Civil WarNational Heritage AreaCenter for Historic PreservationMiddle Tennessee State UniversityBox 80Murfreesboro, TN 37132615-898-2947615-898-5614 faxhttp://histpres.mtsu.edu/[email protected]
A member of the Alliance of National Heritage Areaswww.nationalheritageareas.com
TCWNHA Staff
Carroll Van WestDirector
Laura Stewart HolderManager
Michael Thomas GavinPreservation Specialist
Antoinette G. van ZelmHistorian
Melissa ZimmermanHeritage Programming Specialist
Stacey GrahamResearch Professor
Jennifer ButtProgram Assistant
Battlefield Preservation (cont.)
Summer 2007 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Page 3
However, striking a balance between private property rights and preserva-tion can be challenging. As a result, building public/private partnerships is crucial for proactive battlefield preser-vation. The communities that are most successful coordinate local, state, and federal partners with private citizens, businesses, and preservation organiza-tions. Coordinating a variety of groups with multiple resources provides the best foundation for battlefield preservation. It is critical to engage elected officials, tourism professionals, and the busi-ness community to educate each group about the benefits and importance of battlefield preservation. Understanding their historical significance coupled with a recognition that battlefield preservation helps stimulate economic development is necessary to generate interest, funding, and support.
Threatened AreasAuthenticity is necessary for historic battlefields to become successful tourist and educational destinations. Today’s heritage tourists require experiences that are memorable, authentic, and interac-tive. It’s not enough to simply preserve a few acres of land; the surrounding land-scape is also important to successfully attract residents and visitors. However, our Civil War landscapes are increasingly threatened.
For example, the 700 acres of Stones River National Battlefield were once sur-rounded by pastoral Rutherford County farmland. Today, office, medical, and commercial development threatens to replace extensive tracts of green space and farmland with office buildings, shopping malls, and excessive traffic. Although park staff and local preser-vationists are working to preserve the
character of the landscape, this national battlefield is in danger of becoming an isolated oasis within a noisy, cluttered suburban landscape.
In East Tennessee, Knoxville’s Fort Higley remains threatened by develop-ment. The fort, built in 1863 to defend Knoxville from Confederate forces, is one of only two undeveloped remaining Civil War forts in the city. With develop-ment rapidly encroaching on the site, Fort Higley and the surrounding 105 acres of land are now for sale. This fort was recently listed on Knox Heritage’s 2007 Fragile Fifteen list to emphasize its value and threatened state. Supporters have called upon local government offi-cials to adopt historic overlay zoning on a small portion of the land that would still allow development on the rest of the site. Preservationists continue to work together to find options to protect this site. However, after being largely ignored for decades, Fort Higley’s remains stand as an example of reactive rather than proactive preservation efforts.
While many battlefields are threatened by development, neglect and natural forces can play an equally damaging role. An example is Fort Wright in Tipton County. The site’s brick powder magazine (one of the few remaining in Tennessee) and the land surrounding it are threatened by the structure’s instability and the encroaching river. Fortunately, the property owner has expressed interest in saving the site, and the Heritage Area, the Mississippi River Natural and Recreational Corridor, and the Tennessee Wars Commission are working together to evaluate preservation options.
TCWNHA Board of Advisors
Beverly BondUniversity of Memphis
Lee Curtis Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Vilma Scruggs FieldsChattanooga African American Museum
Jack FishmanLakeway Publishers
Glenn GallienThe Nature Conservancy
Jack GilpinTennessee State Parks
Brock HillCumberland County Executive
Stuart JohnsonStones River National Battlefield
Alton KelleyBelle Meade Plantation
Larry LoftonUSDA, Natural Resources Conservation Services
Bobby L. LovettTennessee State University
Randy LucasAttorney
Patrick McIntyreTennessee Historical Commission
Ben NanceTennessee Division of Archaeology
Dan PomeroyTennessee State Museum
Fred ProutyTennessee Historical Commission
T. Clark ShawCasey Jones Village
Michael ToomeyEast Tennessee Historical Society
Ann ToplovichTennessee Historical Society
Richard TuneTennessee Historical Commission
Ex Officio
Bart GordonU.S. Congress
Douglas HenryTennessee Senate
Steve McDanielTennessee House of Representatives
Success Stories Although many Civil War sites across the state are either developed or threat-ened, both private citizens and commu-nities in Tennessee are demonstrating that battlefield preservation in the midst of rapidly growing areas is both possible and beneficial. In Murfreesboro, prop-erty owners Charles and Joy Hord part-nered with the Heritage Area to greatly expand the National Register of Historic Places boundaries of their historic farm Elmwood, significant for its association with the Battle of Stones River.
Residents in Franklin and Williamson County are showing how Civil War bat-tlefields can be reclaimed both for their history and for their potential to advance heritage tourism development. Franklin’s Charge, Inc., accepted the challenge of one donor to raise over $2.5 million (matching $2.5 million in funds from the City of Franklin) to purchase a former golf course built on a portion of the Battle of Franklin. Through pledges, fundraisers, and partnerships with indi-viduals and businesses, the organiza-tion has been remarkably successful in both preservation and raising aware-ness of the importance of this historic battle. Adjacent to the National Historic Landmark Carnton Plantation and the McGavock Confederate Cemetery, a plan is being developed to transform the acquired land into a Franklin battlefield park. A model public-private venture, the new Eastern Flank battlefield park
Battlefield Preservation (cont.)
Rapid development in Rutherford County encroaches on land surrounding Stones River National Battlefield.
Public-private partnerships have saved 110 acres of the eastern flank of the Battle of Franklin site in rapidly developing Williamson County.
The Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association has protected over 200 acres of land associated with the battle in Henderson County.
Preservationists strive to save the historic pow-der magazine at Fort Wright in Tipton County.
could eventually become a key part of a larger national battlefield preserving the site of that momentous struggle of November 1864. The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area partnered with the city to update and expand the National Historic Landmark study for the Franklin battlefield park plan. The city has made a public commitment to battle-field preservation by also purchasing additional properties closely associated with the battle, and the state’s Heritage Conservation Trust Fund recently awarded $900,000 to the effort. Using private, local, and state funds in conjunc-tion with national support from the Civil War Preservation Trust and the American Battlefield Protection Program, Franklin’s Charge and local partners continue to develop unique strategies to raise funds for battlefield reclamation.
In West Tennessee, the Parker’s Crossroads battlefield site has become another example of successful public and private partnerships. This area in Henderson County saw action in December of 1862. Although portions of the core battlefield remain threatened by continued development, the Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association and the Tennessee Wars Commission have successfully acquired and preserved over 200 acres. Equally important, the association continues to interpret the battlefield through a self-guided walking tour, interpretive signage, a trail system, and an application and plans to develop a visitor’s center using TEA-21 funds and support from the Civil War Preservation Trust.
Page 2 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Summer 2007
The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area (TCWNHA) is a statewide program dedicated to the interpretation and preserva-tion of Tennessee’s Civil War and Reconstruction resources. Partially funded by the National Park Service, the TCWNHA is one of several projects administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
Tennessee Civil WarNational Heritage AreaCenter for Historic PreservationMiddle Tennessee State UniversityBox 80Murfreesboro, TN 37132615-898-2947615-898-5614 faxhttp://histpres.mtsu.edu/[email protected]
A member of the Alliance of National Heritage Areaswww.nationalheritageareas.com
TCWNHA Staff
Carroll Van WestDirector
Laura Stewart HolderManager
Michael Thomas GavinPreservation Specialist
Antoinette G. van ZelmHistorian
Melissa ZimmermanHeritage Programming Specialist
Stacey GrahamResearch Professor
Jennifer ButtProgram Assistant
Battlefield Preservation (cont.)
Summer 2007 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Page 3
However, striking a balance between private property rights and preserva-tion can be challenging. As a result, building public/private partnerships is crucial for proactive battlefield preser-vation. The communities that are most successful coordinate local, state, and federal partners with private citizens, businesses, and preservation organiza-tions. Coordinating a variety of groups with multiple resources provides the best foundation for battlefield preservation. It is critical to engage elected officials, tourism professionals, and the busi-ness community to educate each group about the benefits and importance of battlefield preservation. Understanding their historical significance coupled with a recognition that battlefield preservation helps stimulate economic development is necessary to generate interest, funding, and support.
Threatened AreasAuthenticity is necessary for historic battlefields to become successful tourist and educational destinations. Today’s heritage tourists require experiences that are memorable, authentic, and interac-tive. It’s not enough to simply preserve a few acres of land; the surrounding land-scape is also important to successfully attract residents and visitors. However, our Civil War landscapes are increasingly threatened.
For example, the 700 acres of Stones River National Battlefield were once sur-rounded by pastoral Rutherford County farmland. Today, office, medical, and commercial development threatens to replace extensive tracts of green space and farmland with office buildings, shopping malls, and excessive traffic. Although park staff and local preser-vationists are working to preserve the
character of the landscape, this national battlefield is in danger of becoming an isolated oasis within a noisy, cluttered suburban landscape.
In East Tennessee, Knoxville’s Fort Higley remains threatened by develop-ment. The fort, built in 1863 to defend Knoxville from Confederate forces, is one of only two undeveloped remaining Civil War forts in the city. With develop-ment rapidly encroaching on the site, Fort Higley and the surrounding 105 acres of land are now for sale. This fort was recently listed on Knox Heritage’s 2007 Fragile Fifteen list to emphasize its value and threatened state. Supporters have called upon local government offi-cials to adopt historic overlay zoning on a small portion of the land that would still allow development on the rest of the site. Preservationists continue to work together to find options to protect this site. However, after being largely ignored for decades, Fort Higley’s remains stand as an example of reactive rather than proactive preservation efforts.
While many battlefields are threatened by development, neglect and natural forces can play an equally damaging role. An example is Fort Wright in Tipton County. The site’s brick powder magazine (one of the few remaining in Tennessee) and the land surrounding it are threatened by the structure’s instability and the encroaching river. Fortunately, the property owner has expressed interest in saving the site, and the Heritage Area, the Mississippi River Natural and Recreational Corridor, and the Tennessee Wars Commission are working together to evaluate preservation options.
TCWNHA Board of Advisors
Beverly BondUniversity of Memphis
Lee Curtis Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Vilma Scruggs FieldsChattanooga African American Museum
Jack FishmanLakeway Publishers
Glenn GallienThe Nature Conservancy
Jack GilpinTennessee State Parks
Brock HillCumberland County Executive
Stuart JohnsonStones River National Battlefield
Alton KelleyBelle Meade Plantation
Larry LoftonUSDA, Natural Resources Conservation Services
Bobby L. LovettTennessee State University
Randy LucasAttorney
Patrick McIntyreTennessee Historical Commission
Ben NanceTennessee Division of Archaeology
Dan PomeroyTennessee State Museum
Fred ProutyTennessee Historical Commission
T. Clark ShawCasey Jones Village
Michael ToomeyEast Tennessee Historical Society
Ann ToplovichTennessee Historical Society
Richard TuneTennessee Historical Commission
Ex Officio
Bart GordonU.S. Congress
Douglas HenryTennessee Senate
Steve McDanielTennessee House of Representatives
Success Stories Although many Civil War sites across the state are either developed or threat-ened, both private citizens and commu-nities in Tennessee are demonstrating that battlefield preservation in the midst of rapidly growing areas is both possible and beneficial. In Murfreesboro, prop-erty owners Charles and Joy Hord part-nered with the Heritage Area to greatly expand the National Register of Historic Places boundaries of their historic farm Elmwood, significant for its association with the Battle of Stones River.
Residents in Franklin and Williamson County are showing how Civil War bat-tlefields can be reclaimed both for their history and for their potential to advance heritage tourism development. Franklin’s Charge, Inc., accepted the challenge of one donor to raise over $2.5 million (matching $2.5 million in funds from the City of Franklin) to purchase a former golf course built on a portion of the Battle of Franklin. Through pledges, fundraisers, and partnerships with indi-viduals and businesses, the organiza-tion has been remarkably successful in both preservation and raising aware-ness of the importance of this historic battle. Adjacent to the National Historic Landmark Carnton Plantation and the McGavock Confederate Cemetery, a plan is being developed to transform the acquired land into a Franklin battlefield park. A model public-private venture, the new Eastern Flank battlefield park
Battlefield Preservation (cont.)
Rapid development in Rutherford County encroaches on land surrounding Stones River National Battlefield.
Public-private partnerships have saved 110 acres of the eastern flank of the Battle of Franklin site in rapidly developing Williamson County.
The Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association has protected over 200 acres of land associated with the battle in Henderson County.
Preservationists strive to save the historic pow-der magazine at Fort Wright in Tipton County.
Page 0 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Fall 2003 Page 0 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Fall 2003
Van West, Laura Holder, and graduate student Ashley Tate met with Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill to discuss developing a museum plan and new Civil War exhibit for the county’s Military Museum in downtown Crossville. The museum, housed in the beautifully restored original county courthouse, contains a variety of powerful exhibits and artifacts from the Civil War era through the Iraq conflict. The Heritage Area will partner with museum and county staff to create plans for the Civil War exhibit and a rede-sign of the museum.
Hoofbeats in the Heartland, a partnership project between the Heritage Area and the Tennessee State Museum, made its debut at Travellers Rest in Nashville. This exhib-it, featuring the crucial role of the cavalry in the Civil War in Tennessee, incorporates many of the Tennessee State Museum’s unique and intriguing artifacts and will travel to communities across the state. For a list of future venues or to book the exhibit, please contact Myers Brown, cura-tor of History and Extension Services, at [email protected].
Van West, Elizabeth Moore, and the Mississippi River Natural and Recreational Corridor staff conducted a site visit to Fort Wright, a rare Civil War–era brick powder magazine located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in Tipton County. The magazine has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and the Heritage Area will complete the nomination for submit-tal to the state review board this fall. The Friends of Fort Wright Association, with support from the Tennessee Wars Commission, is working on site development plans for the fort.
Franklin’s Charge, in partnership with the Heritage Area; the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County; Save the Franklin Battlefield; Historic Carnton Plantation; Carter House, Inc.; the African-American Heritage Association; the Civil War Preservation Trust; and the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association held “Why Franklin Matters! Exploring the Preservation and Interpretation of Franklin’s Civil War Story” in June. The two-day symposium attracted almost 200 attendees. Participants enjoyed two days of presentations, round-table discussions, battlefield tours, and evening events,
Helping Communities and Citizens Preserve the Best of the Past
with addresses by Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker and Widow of the South author Robert Hicks. Blending scholarly presentations with guidance in battlefield pres-ervation and heritage tourism, the symposium provided an outstanding model for experiencing Franklin’s history firsthand while learning how communities can benefit from battlefield preservation and put ideas into practice.
The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County hosted a group of real estate professionals from Russia who traveled to Murfreesboro as part of an exchange program to learn about community and heritage development. The visitors toured the historic square and antebellum courthouse, viewed exhibits, and participated in presentations and dialogue about how Civil War and heritage tourism generates regional economic devel-opment. The Heritage Center is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with advance reservations for tours of 10 or more available Monday–Saturday. Please call (615) 217-8013 for information.
Antoinette van Zelm and Melissa Zimmerman presented “Free at Last! Period Perspectives on Slavery’s End” at the Summer Teacher Institute in Chattanooga spon-sored by the Civil War Preservation Trust. The interac-tive session used Tennessee as a case study to explore emancipation’s profound effect across the South. Teachers received copies of unique and in-depth hands-on activi-ties, based on historical primary documents, to use in the classroom.
Heritage Area staff members are partnering with the Southeast Development District to develop a Civil War driving tour. Encompassing Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn, Polk, Bradley, Grundy, Sequatchie, Hamilton, and Marion counties, the tour will offer detailed informa-tion about the region’s Civil War and Reconstruction-era resources and the impact of the war on this diverse part of the state. The tour—which will include maps, photographs, and historical synopses of the area’s Civil War history—will be available in 2008.
Helping Communities and Citizens Preserve the Best of the Past
Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill takes Heritage Area staff through the museum.
Heritage Area and Mississippi River Corridor staff members tour the Fort Wright powder magazine.
Heritage Area student assistant Brian Heffron leads Russian visitors on a tour of Murfreesboro’s ante-bellum courthouse.
Hoofbeats in the Heartland is a traveling exhibit that incorporates interactive experiences.
Historians Mauriel Joslyn, Sam Elliott, and Tim Smith discuss the impact of the Battle of Franklin.
Page 0 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Fall 2003 Page 0 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Fall 2003
Van West, Laura Holder, and graduate student Ashley Tate met with Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill to discuss developing a museum plan and new Civil War exhibit for the county’s Military Museum in downtown Crossville. The museum, housed in the beautifully restored original county courthouse, contains a variety of powerful exhibits and artifacts from the Civil War era through the Iraq conflict. The Heritage Area will partner with museum and county staff to create plans for the Civil War exhibit and a rede-sign of the museum.
Hoofbeats in the Heartland, a partnership project between the Heritage Area and the Tennessee State Museum, made its debut at Travellers Rest in Nashville. This exhib-it, featuring the crucial role of the cavalry in the Civil War in Tennessee, incorporates many of the Tennessee State Museum’s unique and intriguing artifacts and will travel to communities across the state. For a list of future venues or to book the exhibit, please contact Myers Brown, cura-tor of History and Extension Services, at [email protected].
Van West, Elizabeth Moore, and the Mississippi River Natural and Recreational Corridor staff conducted a site visit to Fort Wright, a rare Civil War–era brick powder magazine located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in Tipton County. The magazine has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and the Heritage Area will complete the nomination for submit-tal to the state review board this fall. The Friends of Fort Wright Association, with support from the Tennessee Wars Commission, is working on site development plans for the fort.
Franklin’s Charge, in partnership with the Heritage Area; the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County; Save the Franklin Battlefield; Historic Carnton Plantation; Carter House, Inc.; the African-American Heritage Association; the Civil War Preservation Trust; and the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association held “Why Franklin Matters! Exploring the Preservation and Interpretation of Franklin’s Civil War Story” in June. The two-day symposium attracted almost 200 attendees. Participants enjoyed two days of presentations, round-table discussions, battlefield tours, and evening events,
Helping Communities and Citizens Preserve the Best of the Past
with addresses by Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker and Widow of the South author Robert Hicks. Blending scholarly presentations with guidance in battlefield pres-ervation and heritage tourism, the symposium provided an outstanding model for experiencing Franklin’s history firsthand while learning how communities can benefit from battlefield preservation and put ideas into practice.
The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County hosted a group of real estate professionals from Russia who traveled to Murfreesboro as part of an exchange program to learn about community and heritage development. The visitors toured the historic square and antebellum courthouse, viewed exhibits, and participated in presentations and dialogue about how Civil War and heritage tourism generates regional economic devel-opment. The Heritage Center is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with advance reservations for tours of 10 or more available Monday–Saturday. Please call (615) 217-8013 for information.
Antoinette van Zelm and Melissa Zimmerman presented “Free at Last! Period Perspectives on Slavery’s End” at the Summer Teacher Institute in Chattanooga spon-sored by the Civil War Preservation Trust. The interac-tive session used Tennessee as a case study to explore emancipation’s profound effect across the South. Teachers received copies of unique and in-depth hands-on activi-ties, based on historical primary documents, to use in the classroom.
Heritage Area staff members are partnering with the Southeast Development District to develop a Civil War driving tour. Encompassing Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn, Polk, Bradley, Grundy, Sequatchie, Hamilton, and Marion counties, the tour will offer detailed informa-tion about the region’s Civil War and Reconstruction-era resources and the impact of the war on this diverse part of the state. The tour—which will include maps, photographs, and historical synopses of the area’s Civil War history—will be available in 2008.
Helping Communities and Citizens Preserve the Best of the Past
Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill takes Heritage Area staff through the museum.
Heritage Area and Mississippi River Corridor staff members tour the Fort Wright powder magazine.
Heritage Area student assistant Brian Heffron leads Russian visitors on a tour of Murfreesboro’s ante-bellum courthouse.
Hoofbeats in the Heartland is a traveling exhibit that incorporates interactive experiences.
Historians Mauriel Joslyn, Sam Elliott, and Tim Smith discuss the impact of the Battle of Franklin.
Page 4 Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area News Summer 2007
Summer 2007 http://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncivwar Vol. 5, No. 1
TENNESSEE CIVIL WAR
NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA NEWS
• Telling the Whole Story of America’s Greatest Challenge, 1860 –1875 •
Mark Your Calendar
Battlefield preservation is a hot issue across Tennessee as the state continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace. Across the state, battles and skirmishes took place in large cities, open fields, and small crossroads communities. Many of the larger battle names are famil-iar—Shiloh, Chattanooga, Stones River, Franklin. Others are familiar only to their communities and the most avid Civil War researchers and enthusiasts. Despite differences in size and recognition, Tennessee’s remaining Civil War battlefields have the potential to increase heritage tourism and economic development, help our communities retain a sense of place and identity, and protect green space. However, communi-ties must move quickly to document these historic sites and develop
partnerships that will allow them to preserve their battlefields before they are lost.
Saving historic battlefields goes beyond the impor-tance of saving “hallowed ground.” Well-preserved and interpreted Civil War battlefields, particularly when the experience of visiting them is authentic and memorable, draw her-itage tourists who frequently spend significant amounts of money in the battlefield communities. According to research by the Civil War Preservation Trust, every 702 tour-ists to a Civil War battlefield support one full-time job; the average family of four spends nearly $1,000 during its Civil War battlefield visits, which generates a steady stream of local and state tax revenue.
Unfortunately, many historic battle-fields and sites are increasingly threatened. In 1993, a congres-sional study determined that 384 of the more than 10,000 battles fought during the Civil War were “highly significant influences on the course of our nation’s history.” Since that study more than 70 percent of these
battlefields have already been lost, with less than 15 percent preserved. Tennessee had more battles and skirmishes on its soil than any other state except Virginia; however, the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association reports that almost 90 percent of our state’s battlefields remain in private hands. Private property owners have the right to do what they wish with their property, but this also provides an opportunity for battlefield preservation when land becomes available.
Often, private stewardship plays an integral role in battlefield preserva-tion. Citizens in Tennessee have raised funds, established conserva-tion easements, and donated prop-erty to advance battlefield preserva-tion across the state, demonstrating that individuals can have a profound impact on this issue.
Affair at Travisville: 2007 BivouacSeptember 21–23, 2007Byrdstown, TennesseeThis weekend-long event has activities for students and reenactors, and living history stations including a dramatization of the Affair at Travisville.www.theborderlands.org/Travisville.htm
How Battlefield Preservation Benefits Communities
Although battlefield preservation presents significant chal-lenges for many communities, there are statewide resources that specialize in battlefield preservation and interpretation. The 1996 legislation that created the Heritage Area does not allow it to acquire property or contribute funds for property purchase. However, Heritage Area staff can provide assis-tance and resources through feasibility studies, interpretive materials, nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, historic resource surveys, heritage tourism plans, and walking and driving tours.
The Tennessee Wars Commission, a department of the Tennessee Historical Commission, is able to acquire battle-field land. The Wars Commission coordinates planning, preservation, and promotion for sites and battlefields in the state and acquires or provides funds for the acquisition of battlegrounds and sites. The commission provides grants from state appropriations and other funding sources and may obtain land through donation or exchange.
The Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association is a state-wide, nonprofit agency also dedicated to battlefield preserva-tion and fundraising for land acquisition. The organization raises matching funds for communities looking to purchase and maintain battlefield property and takes applications for
Little remains of the 1863 Battle of Beans Station site in upper East Tennessee’s Grainger County.
funds each year. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to furnish matching funds and a local entity capable of pur-chasing and managing the property.
For additional information, please contact:Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area(615) [email protected]://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncivwar
Tennessee Civil War Preservation [email protected]/index.html
Tennessee Wars Commission(a department of the Tennessee Historical Commission)(615) 532-1550, ext. 104www.tennessee.gov/environment/hist/TnWarsCom.shtml
Civil War Preservation Trustwww.civilwar.org/
American Battlefield Protection Programwww.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/
Resources for Your Community
MTSU, a Tennessee Board of Regents university, is an equal opportunity, nonracially identifiable, educational institution that does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. AA001-0707
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage AreaCenter for Historic PreservationMiddle Tennessee State UniversityBox 80Murfreesboro, TN 37132
5-31412
Non-ProfitOrganization
U.S. POSTAGEPAID
Permit No. 169Murfreesboro, TN
Battle of Blue Springs: A Celebration of Upper East Tennessee’s Civil War HistoryOctober 12–14, 2007Mosheim, TennesseeThis event includes an Education Day for students, reenactments, the Battle of Blue Springs Reader’s Theater, and many more activities!www.battleofbluesprings.com.
In Memphis, the site of Fort Pickering, where 10,000 black Union soldiers were stationed, is unmarked and uninterpreted.
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