Historic Downtown Murfreesboro

Take a quick stroll through history in downtown Murfreesboro!

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Historic Downtown Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130, United States

Created By: The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County

Tour Information

This walking tour, created by Heritage Center staff and MTSU graduate students, takes participants through 150+ years of Murfreesboro history! Learn about Murfreesboro's early years as Tennessee's state capital, life in antebellum Murfreesboro, the Civil War years, commercial developments in the 20th century, and recent histories of Murfreesboro's downtown. This tour takes approximately one hour, and has plenty of opportunities for rest breaks. Join us and learn about Murfreesboro's downtown history!


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What You'll See on the Tour

In 1837, the Northern Route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears passed through Murfreesboro. This route served as an alternate route that did not feature tolls. It saw both forced and voluntary migration of the Cherokee people. The road served a... Read more
Mt. Zion’s Gothic Revival sanctuary was built in 1884. A strong African American congregation since its creation, Mt. Zion experienced racial hardships from the Reconstruction period through the Civil Rights era. This church developed whe... Read more
Murfreesboro was established as county seat in 1811; originally named “Canonsburgh” for Newton Cannon, a state legislator and changed to “Murfreesborough” in honor of Revolutionary War veteran Hardee Murfree at the request of Willia... Read more
The Battle of Murfreesboro occurred July 13, 1862; Union troops held the Courthouse as it provided a strategic height location for marksmen and communication needs; Confederate troops moved in towards the courthouse, took heavy casualties, ... Read more
Murfreesboro Center for the Arts was originally an undertaker and carpentry shop; then livery stable on site; became site for the US Post Office; current building built in 1909-1910; designed by James Knox Taylor-architect of the US Treasur... Read more
Completed in 1931 in the Colonial Revival Style, the Rutherford Health Department was funded by the Commonwealth Fund of New York- program started by the Rockefellers. Murfreesboro/Rutherford County was 1 of 4 places selected for the Commo... Read more
This building was constructed as the new building for the Princess Theatre in 1914 following the destruction of the popular attraction’s original building. Then, in 1925, Cecil Elrod opened Cecil Elrod’s French Shoppe which remained ope... Read more
Murfreesboro’s oldest documented restaurant and a notable local landmark, City Cafe first opened its doors in 1900 under the ownership of Henry & Dorsey Cantrell at 11 S. Public Square. The establishment changed hands several times du... Read more
Following emancipation at the end of the Civil War, this part of town became a thriving African American community that included both neighborhoods as well as numerous businesses—many of which remained open until the mid-twentieth century... Read more
After urban renewal in the mid-20th century uprooted Murfreesboro’s downtown landscape, the square endured a period of stagnation. Disinvestment in the Square as Murfreesboro’s cultural anchor culminated in the destruction of the landma... Read more

 

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