Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro Fall 2003

CENTER GOES TO BATTE, UPDATE ON CENTER PROJECTS GETS SHARP

Leslie N. Sharp and Lauren Batte are recent additions to the Center’s staff. Lauren Batte joined the staff of the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area in January as the technical services coordinator. Her past work includes editing publications and developing a national workshop series for the American Association for State and Local History; directing educational programs for Historic Jessica Davis and Caneta Hankins Carnton Plantation; and serving as program Rutherford County assistant for Tennessee 200, a statewide Bicentennial Celebration, October 25 partnership commemorating Tennessee’s Hundreds of people visited the Public bicentennial. A Washington and Lee Square, Oaklands, Cannonsbugh, Bradley University graduate, Batte’s new role brings Academy, and the Sam Davis Home to view her back to the Center for Historic special exhibits, listen to a variety of musical Preservation, where she served as a groups, watch Civil War reenactors, hear graduate research assistant while working storytellers, and enjoy lots of food. Center towards a Master of Arts in Public History. GRA Jessica Davis and intern Meghan Dr. Van West commented that “Lauren Miller developed a Main Street History Batte brings invaluable organizational skills Scavenger Hunt which had people of all as well as public relations and networking ages looking for clues on monuments and abilities to the Center and the Tennessee historic markers. Additionally, Caneta Civil War National Heritage Area. That she Hankins compiled a special publication that has experience and featured the county’s Century Farms. training in many facets of historic Sarah Childress Polk Concerts preservation is In cooperation the MTSU Center for Popular another plus for the Music and the James K. Polk Home in Center.” Columbia, the Center assisted in the West explained that, research, planning, and production of a “Like the rest of the series of concerts featuring music from the life of Sarah Childress Polk, Murfreesboro Center staff, Sharp th and Batte will be out native, to commemorate her 200 birthday working with people in September. Lauren Batte Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 2 The Center for Historic Preservation at State University CENTER GOES TO BATTE, Contd. CENTER PROJECTS, Contd. and partnering with organizations across the Homer Pittard Campus School state to provide technical assistance and 75th Anniversary Celebration experienced advice on a lot of projects.” The Center has joined parents, alumni, teachers and students at the MTCU Campus Sharp is responsible for the coordination of School in the planning and research for the the Center’s National Register field work and 75th anniversary of the school to be held in documentation program. A doctoral February. Anne-Leslie Owens wrote text for a candidate and President’s Fellow at the Tennessee Historical Commission marker, Georgia Institute of Technology, she will installed in September, and advised on the receive her Ph.D. in the History of recent repainting of the foyer in period colors. Technology with an Emphasis in Gender, Race, Technology, and Architecture in 2004. National Register nominations approved Her dissertation is entitled “Seeking Shelter: x Natchez Street Historic District Women as Shapers of the Built Environment, Williamson County 1920-1950,” From 1995-1999 Sharp x Mt. Pleasant Commercial Historic District worked at the Georgia Historic Preservation Maury County Division where, primarily, she coordinated x St. Paul AME Church the National Register of Historic Places and Lincoln County the Georgia Women’s History Initiative (the x Logan Henderson Farm first such SHPO initiative in the country), and Rutherford County chaired the Georgia Centennial Farm x Hollywood and Riverside Cemteries Committee. Sharp has recently completed Madison County works for publication including “Finding Her x Fite-Ligon Farm Place: Integrating Women’s History into Smith County Historic Preservation in Georgia” for the book Restoring Women’s History Through INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN 2005! Historic Preservation published in 2003 by Johns Hopkins University Press. She taught The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage courses in United States History, Cultural Area and the Center have worked closely with Resources Management, and the National the Alliance of National Heritage Area (ANHA) Register at Georgia Institute of Technology to bring the 2005 International Heritage and Kennesaw State Development Conference to Nashville. We University. A native will host the leading professionals in heritage of Georgia, Sharp tourism, heritage education, and historical received her Bachelor administration at a four-day conference that of Arts in History from will celebrate successes and set new agendas the University of for the field. Mark your calendars now! Georgia and holds a Master of Science Grab your boots from Georgia Tech as and well as a Master of kick up our heels Arts in History with at the Emphasis in Historic Preservation from International Heritage Development Conference MTSU. Downtown Sheraton Hotel Nashville, Tennessee, June 5-8, 2005 Leslie Sharp The Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University 2 *5$'8$7(5(6($5&+ Steve Smith (B.S. in History, Austin Peay $66,67$176 State University) is doing work with the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. The Center is hosting a record number of graduate research assistants this fall Laura Stewart semester. Assisting staff in a wide range (B.A. in of project and activities are: Sociology and Child Jessica Davis (B.S. in History, Tennessee Psychology, Technological University), a returning University of student, is completing research for a Kansas) is National Historic Landmark nomination. completing an The Hamilton County site is associated on-line with James Brown, a Cherokee resource page detachment leader for the Trail of Tears. for historic Sarah Jackson Martin (B.A. University of schools and Kansas, History), a returning student, will developing a be working on various projects for the feasibility Laura Stewart Heritage Area. This fall, Sarah was part of study for the the team coordinating the Heritage Williams-House Property in Williamson Development Institute at the National Trust County. meeting in Denver. Jaime Woodcock (B.A. in History, MTSU) Nancy Morgan (B.A. in University Studies, is working on various projects for the MTSU), is working National Register Heritage Area. This fall, she was part of nominations for Cameron School in the team coordinating the Heritage Nashville and Fisher Farm in Williamson Development Institute at the National Trust County. for Historic Preservation meeting in Denver. Sarah Jane Murray (B.A. in University Studies, Liberal Arts, MTSU) has begun work on a National Register nomination for the Fleetwood Building in Chattanooga and exhibit design for the Heritage Area. Marian Scott Norris (B.A. in History, Centre College) is currently designing exhibits for the Heritage Area. She is also compiling a travel itinerary of public sites along each of the eight corridor in the Heritage Area. David Price (B.A. in American Studies, University of the South) will be working for the CHP at the Tennessee Preservation Trust office at TSU's downtown Nashville The Center’s Graduate Research Assistants are always ready for campus. He is completing a survey of Civil action. Pictured from left to right are Sarah Martin, Jaime Rights sites in Nashville. Woodcock, Steve Smith, Sarah Jane Murray, and Jessica Davis.

The Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University 3 ON THE CONFERENCE CIRCUIT The Center for Historic Preservation is a research and public service institute committed to the preservation, protection, enhancement, and sensitive promotion of our historic Center staff have attended and/or made environment. A Center of Excellence at Middle Tennessee State University, it is funded by the General Assembly and the presentations at the following conferences: university. Now in its twentieth year of service to Tennessee’s 95 counties, the Center administers several programs x International Conference on National including the: Heritage Areas (Pittsburgh) Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area (TCWNHA) x National Trust for Historic Preservation Tennessee Century Farms Program Town and Country Preservation Initiative (Denver) Tennessee Rural African-American Church Program x (Los Angeles) The Heritage Education Network (THEN) x Tennessee Conference of Historians CENTER FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION Box 80, MTSU (Nashville) Murfreesboro, TN 37132 x Annual Conference of Resource (615) 898-2947 (615) 898-5614 (fax) Conservation Districts of Tennessee [email protected] (Columbia) http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres x Tennessee Conference on Tourism Carroll Van West, Director Caneta S. Hankins, Projects Coordinator (Gatlinburg) Anne-Leslie Owens, Research Coordinator x Tennessee Preservation Trust (Memphis) Leslie Sharp, Associate Professor Nancy Smotherman, Executive Aide x Western History Association (Fort Worth) TENNESSEE CIVIL WAR NATIONAL AREA x Society for History of Technology (Atlanta) Box 80, MTSU Murfreesboro, TN 37132 (615) 898-2947 NATIONAL INTERNS (615) 898-5614 (fax) [email protected] This summer the Center initiated its national http://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncviwar internship program by inviting student Carroll Van West, Director Lauren Batte, Technical Services Liasion applicants to gain Center experience prior to Michael Thomas Gavin, Preservation Specialist continuing their graduate studies. Tiffany Godbey, Secretary Antoinette G. van Zelm, Interpretive Specialist Stacey Graham (B.A. in History, University of Michigan, and M.A. in History, UCLA) This summer, Stacey researched Fort Blount and EVENTS CALENDAR Nashville Christian Institute and wrote a brief February 11, Wednesday history of Rutherford County for African-American History & Culture Conference Murfreesboro Magazine. Tennessee State University, Downtown, Nashville For information, call the Metro Historical Commission, Jim Williams (B.A. in History, College of (615) 862-7970. William and Mary, M.S. in Modern History, March 6, Saturday “The Legacy of Stones River: Slavery and the Civil Oxford University) This summer, he War in Tennessee” Symposium prepared a legislative history of the 1960 Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro Tenn. Civil War Centennial Commission and For information, visit http://histpres.mtsu.edu/tncivwar developed a survey of the economic impact or call CHP at (615) 898-2947. of Heritage Area properties. April 15-17, Thursday-Saturday “Preserving Local Character: Neighborhoods, Town, and Country” Meghan Miller (B.A. in History, Rice Tennessee Preservation Trust Conference University) is the first non-student to receive Union Station Hotel, Nashville a year-long internship from the Center. She For more information, call (615) 259-2289. will be working on a survey for the Center’s Heritage Education Network, supported by the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. The Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University 4