Centenary Avenue Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Centenary Historic District
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Centenary Avenue is a historic districts in Cleveland, Tennessee. The private residences are built in Tudor Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman and Colonial Revival architectural styles.
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bounded by Eighteenth, Harle, Thirteenth and Ocoee Streets., Cleveland, Tennessee |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival, Bungalow / Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000172 |
| Added to NRHP | April 1, 1993 |
The Centenary Avenue Historic District is one of the oldest and most interesting neighborhoods in Cleveland, Tennessee. It's a special area with many historic homes. This district is found between Eighteenth, Harle, Thirteenth, and Ocoee Streets. It's also right next to the Ocoee Street Historic District. Centenary Avenue is known for being one of the widest streets in Cleveland.
The houses in this district were built over a long period, from 1850 to 1949. They show off different styles of architecture. You can see homes built in the Tudor Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, and Colonial Revival styles. The Centenary Avenue Historic District was added to the city's historic list in 1993.
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The Legend of Tall Betsy
The Centenary Avenue area became famous because of a spooky Halloween legend. From 1980 to 1998, a house at 150 Centenary Avenue NW was where the famous Tall Betsy goblin appeared. This mysterious figure stood over 7 feet, 6 inches tall!
Tall Betsy's Story Begins
Tall Betsy was started in 1980 by a businessman named Allan Jones. At the time, he was a single dad raising his daughter, Courtney, in the Centenary Avenue house. Jones had heard stories about Tall Betsy from his mother, Gincy Slaughter Jones, when he was a child. She told him about a very tall woman who walked the streets of Cleveland, TN in the early 1920s. This woman always wore black and was called Tall Betsy, Black Betsy, or the Lady in Black by the townspeople.
The first time Tall Betsy appeared was on Halloween day in 1980. Jones first showed up as Tall Betsy at Johnston Park downtown. Later, he went to a Halloween party his mother was hosting for Courtney at their Centenary Avenue home. He surprised the kids in the backyard, becoming the first Tall Betsy they saw. As the kids left to go trick-or-treating, Tall Betsy stood in front of the Jones house, waiting for young trick-or-treaters.
Tall Betsy's Popularity Grows
As Tall Betsy became more and more popular, people from all over Tennessee and even other states came to see her. Thousands of people visited Jones's house each year. Many more simply drove by the Centenary home to catch a glimpse.
The goblin became so well-known that in 1986, Jones started the downtown Halloween Block Party. This event included games, costume contests, and treats. It was created to help manage the huge crowds that gathered on Centenary Avenue after 8 p.m.
In 1993, the Jones house even set a world record! They gave away 11,201 pieces of bubble gum, one at a time, to kids visiting the Centenary Avenue home between 5 and 8 p.m.
After attracting a crowd of 25,000 people in 1998, Allan Jones decided to retire Tall Betsy. He also moved away from Centenary Avenue. It was said that the goblin had vanished forever to a special place at Cleveland's Fort Hill Cemetery.
Tall Betsy Returns in 2016
On October 31, 2016, a new version of the Tall Betsy goblin appeared at the famous Centenary Avenue address. This was the first time in 18 years that Tall Betsy had been seen there! This return gained attention from across the country.
The new Tall Betsy was created by Allan Jones's son, Bailey. This updated version had a fresh, spooky look. Allan Jones told the Cleveland Daily Banner, "Tall Betsy has fans worldwide, but Cleveland is where the legend started. We wanted to do something to honor this city and the generations who saw the original goblin." He added, "The new Tall Betsy looks and feels like a real person. We took the goblin to the next level of spookiness."
The new look for Tall Betsy was designed by Hollywood Mask Masters in Van Nuys, California. They even used real human hair! The face and hands were originally made for a big Hollywood movie that was never finished.
