Rock Castle [TN]

Description

In 1773 Daniel Smith married Sarah Michie in North Carolina. Subsequently, he received a land grant from that state. In 1784 the Smiths brought their family to this site and commenced construction on Rock Castle. Much of the construction supervision and plantation management was taken care of by Mrs. Smith, since her husband was gone for long periods on surveying trips. A blend of the Federal and Georgian architectural styles, the house was once the center of a 3,140-acre plantation which today is but 18 acres. In addition to the house, there is a family cemetery and a smokehouse.

The house offers tours.

Crockett Tavern Museum [TN]

Description

The Crockett Tavern Museum is located in Morristown, TN, on the site of Davy Crockett's birthplace. The museum is focused on chronicling the life and times of famed explorer and pioneer Davy Crockett, and features a variety of pioneer and Davy Crockett historical artifacts.

The museum offers guided tours and historical exhibits. The website offers visitor information, a history of the museum, and a brief biography of Crockett.

Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Inc. [TN]

Description

The Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville, TN, is located in the Beck family home. The Becks were leaders in Knoxville's black community from the 1920s through the 1960s, and the center was established in 1975 in honor of their contributions to eastern Tennessee African-American culture.

The center offers exhibits on African American culture, guided tours, after-school programs for local students, and research resources. The website offers general information regarding the center, visitor information, and access to the center's research resources.

Wynnewood [TN]

Description

Wynnewood is the largest extant log structure in Tennessee. It was built in 1828 by A. R. Wynne, William Cage, and Stephen Roberts as a stagecoach inn on the Nashville-Knoxville Road. In 1834, Wynne purchased his partners' interests and moved his family into the inn, where he resided until his death in 1893. Throughout Wynne's lifetime, guests were received at the house, attracted partially by the reputed medicinal powers of the mineral waters and the scenic beauty of the area. Today the spring waters still flow and visitors may see the site where Thomas Sharp ("Big Foot") Spencer spent the winter of 1778–79 in a hollow sycamore tree.

The site offers tours.

National Civil Rights Museum [TN]

Description

The National Civil Rights Museum is located in the Lorraine Motel, the site of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The museum is focused both on preserving the site of King's assassination as well as chronicling the history of the Civil Rights Movement as a whole.

The museum offers field trip programs, guided tours, exhibits, and special events. The website offers visitor information, an events calendar, and resources for teachers including curriculum guides, primary sources, and worksheets.

Sparta Rock House [TN]

Description

The small, stone Rock House, originally built to collect tolls on a private road, was built between 1835 and 1839 by Barlow Fiske, who operated a stagecoach inn and stables nearby. It played an important role in the early development of Tennessee's transportation system. Andrew Jackson often stopped here on trips from Nashville to Washington. Other notable visitors included James K. Polk, Sam Houston, and Frank Clement, all once governors of the Volunteer State.

The house offers tours.

Cragfont [TN]

Description

Cragfont was the home of General James Winchester, a protagonist of the American Revolution, a pioneer in the Middle Tennessee wilderness, a soldier against indigenous Americans, a brigadier general in the War of 1812, and co-founder of the City of Memphis. The construction of Cragfont was started in 1798 and finished in 1802. It was the finest mansion on the Tennessee frontier and typified the grandeur and style of the best architecture of the late Georgian period. Named Cragfont because it stood on a rocky bluff with a spring at its base, the house is furnished with Federal antiques, some of which are original to the Winchester family. The basement holds an authentic weaving room.

A second website for the site can be found here.

The house offers tours and occasional recreational and educational events.

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame [TN] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:37
Description

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame presents the history and modern state of women's basketball—at all levels of play and prominence. Collection highlights include the 1901 rulebook and a jersey worn by Georgeann Wells, first female player to score a dunk at the collegiate level.

The hall offers exhibits, a 15-minute introductory video, self-guided tours, audio recordings of famous coaches giving pre-game and halftime talks, basketball courts, an athletic playground, and a hall of honor. Educational programs are offered for kindergarten through fifth grade students; and focus on nutrition, sportsmanship, and exercise.

Rocky Mount Living History Museum [TN]

Description

Rocky Mount is a large log house built by William Cobb around 1772. Cobb was one of the first permanent settlers of the western frontier that became the State of Tennessee in 1796. His home became the temporary capitol of the Southwest Territory during Governor William Blount's residence with the Cobb family between 1790 and 1792. Today, visitors step back into the year 1791 and gain an appreciation for the daily lifestyle of a frontier family. First-person costumed interpreters invite guests into the restored house and dependencies as guests of the Cobb family. Visitors discover members of the Cobb family, who perform daily chores in the kitchen, barn, weaving cabin, and gardens. As the seasons change, visitors encounter work in the field crops area and can view farm animals.

A second website for the museum can be found here.

The museum offers tours, exhibits, demonstrations, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.

The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson [TN]

Description

The Hermitage is the rural home of former US President Andrew Jackson. The 1,000 acre property was purchased in 1804, and Andrew Jackson's Federal style home was finished in 1821. The home now stands as a historic house museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The home offers guided tours, field trip programs, and special events such as workshops and interpretive events. The website offers visitor information and a history of The Hermitage.