Courthouse clock being painted - History of the Rutherford County Courthouse

Jul 24, 2014 at 09:43 pm by bryan


If you have driven past the historic Rutherford County Courthouse in recent days, you have probably noticed the workers on the top of the clock. The courthouse clock is being painted. 

The courthouse in Murfreesboro is one of only six remaining pre-civil war courthouses in the state of Tennessee. Murfreesboro, once the capital of Tennessee (1818 - 1826), used the courthouse for the state legislature up until 1822 when the structure burned down. A new courthouse was built after the old structure was properly cleared. The new courthouse opened in 1859. By that time, Nashville had long been deemed the new capital of the state. 

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In 1862 and 1863 (Battle of the Stones River), Confederate troops used the courthouse under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest. At one point during the Civil War, the courthouse served as the headquarters to the Union Army up until the end of the war.

The above pictures were captured by Bill Shacklett of Shacklett's Photography.  

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