From Historical Sites To Historical Web Sites

Bradley Academy Museum and Cultural Center, located at 415 South Academy Street in Murfreesboro, was built in 1917 as a school for African Americans.  A school by that name has been in Murfreesboro and on that site since 1811.  President James K. Polk was a graduate of the original Bradley Academy in 1814.  This National Register building serves as a multi-use cultural and heritage facility.

Oaklands Historic House Museum, located at 900 North Maney Avenue in Murfreesboro, was once the center of a 1500-acre plantation.  Oaklands was the home of the Maney family.  The house was built in four phases over a 40-year period; Oaklands was eventually transformed into an Italianate mansion with the fourth and final addition in 1857 just a few years before the beginning of the Civil War.  The home was the site of Forrest's Raid and Jefferson Davis' visit both in 1862.

Sam Davis Home and Museum, located at 1399 Sam Davis Road in Smyrna, tells the story of a young Tennessee Hero and the tumultuous time in Middle Tennessee before, during and after the Civil War.  The 168-acre historic site transports visitors back to mid-nineteenth century Tennessee with its rolling farmland and two-story Greek Revival home.  The tour includes a museum featuring exhibits on young Davis, his family, the Civil War in Middle Tennessee and life after the Civil War. 

A fierce battle took place at Stones River between December 31, 1862 and January 2, 1863. General Bragg's Confederates withdrew after the battle, allowing General Rosecrans and the Union army to control middle Tennesee. Although the battle was tactically indecisive, it provided a much-needed boost to the North after the defeat at Fredericksburg. Lincoln later wrote to General Rosecrans, "I can never forget [...] you gave us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat instead, the nation could scarcely have lived over."