STATE NEWS — Eight locations including a bank in Loretto and a church in Lewisburg have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to a press release from the Tennessee Historical Commission. The Register is the official list of our country’s historic buildings, districts, sites, structures, and object worthy of preservation. It’s been overseen by the National Park Service since its inception in 1966.
Other examples of previously listed sites in the state include the Bobo Hotel in Lynchburg, the Bedford County Jail in Shelbyville, and the historic Depot in Cowan. This year’s inductees included:
1 | Bank of Loretto in Lawrence County – Built in the 1920’s, the Bank of Loretto served as a central part of the thriving lumber town’s city scape. Nana’s Pizzeria bought the structure and renovated it in 2013. It now houses the restaurant.
2 | Presbyterian Church U.S.A. in Lewisburg – Built in 1910, the late Gothic Revival style church is better known today as the Water Street Abbey. It’s the first known church of Lewisburg and is currently being renovated and rehabilitated into an events venue. It features a domed ceiling, original pews, stained glass windows, and five rolling oak doors.
3 | Hardwick Farms in Cleveland – Built around 1932, a Spanish Revival style home is the centerpiece of a historic 758-acre farm. It still stands as an example of modern farming in the 1930’s. The original owner C.L. Hardwick grew tobacco and was world-renown for his Aberdeen-Angus livestock. It’s hosted celebrities such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller.
4 | Charles L. Lawhon Cottage in Knoxville – This traditional English cottage was built in the Revival and Tudor Revival styles in the early 1900’s. The designer, Charles L. Lawhon, died in 1926 but his family retained ownership until the 1940’s. It’s currently being renovated.
5 | Frierson Chapel in Coopertown – Locals established this African-American church in 1870. A tornado destroyed it in 1943 and then it was rebuilt by then pastor, Reverend W.D. Frierson. It now belongs to the City of Coopertown who plans to rehabilitate and renovate it.
6 | Barksdale Mounted Police Station in Memphis – This historic police station once housed both officers and horses. Located in Midtown, the 108-year-old two-story brick building features ornate flourishes like pediments and arches typical of public facilities erected in the early 20th century. Jail cell bars can still be seen from some windows. It has new owners who plan to rehabilitate the building using a historic preservation tax credit.
7 | Wooten Fallout Shelter in Memphis – Designed and built by engineer, designer, and radio/TV station owner Hoyt Wooten in the 1960’s, this Cold War era shelter sat in the backyard of his 27-acre home. He designed it to hold up to 65 people for a month in case of a nuclear bomb. It featured a kitchen, male and female dormitories, recreation room, bathrooms, radio communication room, and a morgue. The shelter is now used as a community center in a gated community.
8 | Jonesborough Historic District – Previously listed on the register in 1969, Jonesborough received a grant to update and revise the original nomination.
{The Lynchburg Times is an independently owned and operated newspaper that publishes new stories every morning. Covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}