Morristown Main Street Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Morristown Main Street Historic District
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Main Street, looking east
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 101-119 E. Main, 200-243 W. Main, 113-133, 118-134 N. Henry, 111-121 N. Cumberland, 110-128 S. Cumberland Streets., Morristown, Tennessee, United States |
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| Area | 8.2 acres (3.3 ha) |
| Built | 1875-1967 |
| Architect | multiple |
| Engineer | multiple |
| Architectural style | 19th-20th Century Commercial, Classical Revival, Neo-Classical Revival, Romanesque, Italianate, Queen Anne, Contemporary, Brutalist |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000120 |
| Added to NRHP | March 22, 2016 |
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U.S. Post Office (Henry Street Station)
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 134 North Henry Street, Morristown, Tennessee |
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| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Oscar Wenderoth |
| Architectural style | Classical revival |
| Part of | Morristown Main Street Historic District (ID16000120) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002253 |
| Added to NRHP | April 25, 1983 |
The Morristown Main Street Historic District is a special area in Morristown, Tennessee, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it has important historical value. This district mainly covers the downtown business area of Morristown.
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What is the Morristown Historic District?
This historic district was created by the City of Morristown. Its main goal is to keep and protect the unique and old buildings in the city's downtown. Most of these buildings are shops and businesses. You can find them along Main Street, and also on Henry and Cumberland Streets, which cross Main Street.
The Henry Street Station Post Office is a very important building in this district. It is even listed separately as a National Historic Landmark, which is a very high honor for a historic place. The City of Morristown and a group called the Crossroads Downtown Partnership help manage this historic district. This partnership is a non-profit group that works to make downtown Morristown better.
History of Morristown's Main Street
Morristown's Main Street area is about one square mile in size. It grew because two railroad lines met there a long time ago, starting in the late 1800s.
The 1962 Flood and the Skymart Project
In 1962, Turkey Creek, a stream that runs through Main Street, flooded. This flood badly damaged the shops and businesses downtown. Around the same time, a new shopping mall opened outside the city. This made it harder for downtown businesses to succeed.
To help downtown, the city came up with a plan to make Main Street modern. They decided to build an "overhead sidewalk" system, which they called the Skymart. This system allowed businesses to be on the second floor of buildings. The walkways also acted like a roof for people walking below.
Building owners spent almost $2 million (which would be about $16 million today) to improve their properties. They also connected their buildings to ramps leading to the Skymart. The government added over $5 million to build the elevated walkways. They also made the underground channel for Turkey Creek bigger and changed its path.
The Skymart project was finished in 1967. However, it mostly ended up being just a roof over the sidewalk. It shows how people in the 1960s had big ideas for urban renewal projects. Even though it didn't work exactly as planned, the Skymart is still there. It is the only walkway system of its kind left in the United States.
Becoming a Historic Place
On March 22, 2016, Main Street and the rest of Morristown's downtown area became officially listed. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. This happened after the Tennessee Historical Commission and the National Park Service approved it.
Bringing the Skymart Back to Life
Morristown is now working to bring the Skymart back to life. They want it to become a lively place for people to gather and for businesses. The Skymart is a key part of a bigger plan for greenways in the area.
To get people interested again, city officials, the Crossroads Downtown Partnership, and the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce hold events. These events happen in the downtown area, or "Skymart District," throughout the year. They are mostly held during the warmer months, from May to September.
