Rutherford County Courthouse (Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rutherford County Courthouse
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Public Square, Murfreesboro, Tennessee |
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| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Built | 1813 original, 1859 current building |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001826 |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1973 |
The Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is a beautiful building built in 1859. It has a style called Classical Revival. This courthouse is special because it's one of only six county courthouses in Tennessee that were built before the Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
History of the Courthouse
Early Days
The first courthouse was built in 1813 on the same spot where the current building stands. It was part of a group of buildings that included a jail. This first courthouse was very important because it served as the meeting place for Tennessee's state lawmakers until 1822.
Sadly, the first courthouse burned down in 1822. After that, the state legislature met in a local church. In 1826, the state capital moved to Nashville. This caused Murfreesboro's population to shrink. The county continued to use the church as their courthouse until a new building was finished in 1859.
During the Civil War
A new, much larger courthouse was built in 1859. It cost $50,000, which was a lot of money back then! The top part of the building, called the cupola, was designed to look like the Tennessee State Capitol building. In 1860, a new bell and clock tower were added.
During the Civil War, the courthouse was used by both sides. First, Confederate soldiers, led by General Nathan Bedford Forrest, were in charge of the area from July 1862. Then, after the Battle of Stones River in early 1863, the courthouse became a headquarters for the Union army. It stayed that way until the war ended.
Recent Times
The courthouse almost got badly damaged by a tornado in 1913. Luckily, it only caused minor damage to the clock tower.
During World War II, the courthouse played a role in keeping people safe. On June 9, 1942, the courthouse bell rang at 9:00 PM to announce the first statewide blackout. This meant all lights had to be turned off to hide from enemy planes. The courthouse also became a place for air raid alarms. The town square around the courthouse was even used for military training.
In the early 1960s, new sections were added to the sides of the 1859 building. This gave the county more space. Even though no big new parts have been built since then, the inside of the courthouse was updated in 1998. It was made to look like it did in the 1800s.
There's a fun local story about secret tunnels under the courthouse. People say these tunnels might have been used to escape or move money to nearby banks. But no one has ever found these tunnels! There are some small underground pipes, but nothing like a secret tunnel system.
Today, the historic courthouse no longer holds court cases. A new building, the Rutherford County Judicial Building, opened in 2018. All the county's courts are now held there.
Around the Courthouse
The area around the courthouse has many important statues and markers. In 1901, a monument was put up on the courthouse lawn to honor the Confederacy.
On the west side of the courthouse, a special stone tablet was placed in 1912. It was put there by a group called the Daughters of the American Revolution. This tablet remembers that Murfreesboro used to be the state capital. Another monument was added in 1949 on the southwest lawn to also remember the city's time as the state capital.
Other monuments around the courthouse include:
- A monument for Revolutionary War General Griffith Rutherford.
- A monument honoring Rutherford County law enforcement officers who have died while on duty since 1946.
- Two plaques that remember Forrest's Raid on Murfreesboro, which happened on July 13, 1862.
- A memorial for Veterans of Foreign Wars.
- A plaque honoring those from Rutherford County who served the Confederacy.
- A monument put up in 2011 by the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #33. This one honors people from Rutherford County who served in the Army of Tennessee.
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