Join us on our journey into the past as we celebrate the rich African American history that shaped the Rutherford County we know today. Take a tour of essential African American sites and exhibits and attend special Black History Month programming.
African American History in Rutherford County
As in much of the South, African American history in Rutherford County spans all the way back to the earliest eras of colonization and expansion in the United States. With the involvement in the slave trade, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement, there are many historical markers and stories that are unique to Rutherford County.
Before you visit these sites and exhibits, check out the section of our Visitors Guide titled “The Whole Story,” beginning on page 18, which examines some of the more complicated histories of Rutherford County historical sites. From plantations to Civil War battlefields, many are making a conscious effort to tell more complete stories of African American history that reflect the truths of the entire county, not just a select few.
To experience a historical site that spans many historical eras of the county, pay a visit to the Benevolent Cemetery in Murfreesboro. The Benevolent Cemetery was established in 1897 to serve Murfreesboro’s African American community. Now, the cemetery is the final resting place for formerly enslaved community members, Black Civil War veterans, Civil Rights activists and other professionals in the area. The Benevolent Cemetery, with a recently erected plaque honoring its history, offers its visitors an opportunity to educate themselves on the many livelihoods of Black Rutherford County residents throughout the years.
Times of Enslavement in Rutherford County
Oaklands Mansion, a former plantation in Murfreesboro that housed about three generations of enslaved people, would be a notable place to start your exploration of Black History.
Oaklands Mansion has recently unveiled a memorial to those who were enslaved on the property and buried in Evergreen Cemetery. The cemetery was established in 1872 when enslaver James Maney sold acres of his land. Through both oral tradition and scientific methods, we now know that Evergreen Cemetery holds many unmarked graves of the enslaved on Oaklands Mansion. For this reason, the African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County and Oaklands Mansion have erected a memorial to honor those buried there, and to ensure that, though their graves are unmarked, they’re never forgotten.
Another invaluable piece of the enslaved community’s history is a new monument honoring them on the Civil-War era County Courthouse grounds in downtown Murfreesboro. The African American Heritage Society of Rutherford County proposed this monument “in remembrance of the African American men, women and children who were auctioned as slaves at the Market House and on the Rutherford County Courthouse steps.” Here, you’ll be confronted with the complexity of African American history, as you encounter the very site of local slave trading and the Black resilience that ensures that this history is never forgotten.
Education and the Civil Rights Movement In Rutherford County
Alongside Rutherford County’s history of enslavement, it is also essential to learn about the rich culture of activism and resistance demonstrated by the Black community.
One of the foremost spaces of commitment to Black education and African American leadership in the Civil Rights Movement is the Bradley Academy Museum & Cultural Center. As detailed in our History Comes Alive blog, the Bradley Academy Museum provides visitors with the opportunity to explore the first school in Rutherford County that accepted African American students in 1884. The museum houses five different sections of essential history, including the Underground Railroad Section, the Century of Change Room, the Bradley/Holloway High School Room, the United States Colored Troops/Civil War Room, and the Heritage Classroom.
The Heritage Room is an exhibit named in the honor of Myrtle G. Lord, a former student of Bradley Academy. After teaching in the county for 42 years, Lord was so well respected and involved in her community that she earned the Lifetime Achievement Award, just one of a long list of honors. Her legacy, and the legacies of so many other Black leaders, live on here in the Bradley Academy Museum. This is an unmissable opportunity to educate yourself on the experiences and triumphs of African Americans in Rutherford County for hundreds of years.
Another space of African American educational and Civil Rights advocacy is the Hilltop-Rosenwald Park in Smyrna. In the early 1900s, Black thought leader, educator and author Booker T. Washington worked with Julius Rosenwald to improve education for African Americans across 15 states. As a result, the Smyrna Rosenwald School was opened and went on to serve as the largest school for African Americans in the county.
The current Hilltop-Rosenwald Park is home to its very own Historical Committee, formed by a group of former Rosenwald School students and community members. In the early 2000s, this committee came together to create a community center as a memorial to the legacy of the Rosenwald School. This community center still stands in a beautiful park open to the public.
Upcoming Black History Month Celebrations
Katie Wilson, activist and Secretary of the Murfreesboro Branch of NAACP, tells us that in honor of Black History month, there will soon be a number of community events open to the public.
On February 24, the NAACP is sponsoring a Black Gospel Program at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church (214 N. Maple Street, Murfreesboro, TN). This program will be completely free and open to the public, and the NAACP will be accepting donations to support the critical work they do in the Rutherford County community.
Finally, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm on the 29th of February, Murfreesboro City Schools are sponsoring a Black History program at Patterson Park Community Center. This, too, will be free and open to the public, and it’s sure to be an event you won’t want to miss.
Visit to Learn About and Celebrate African American History
Now, during Black History Month, is the perfect time to visit and get in touch with the rich African American history and culture in Rutherford County. Don’t miss the historical sites that you won’t find anywhere else and the one-of-a-kind events arranged by the county’s Black leaders.