From Preservation Online, the online magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

www.preservationonline.org

Dear Preservation 911,

Morristown College has recently been added to the Tennessee Preservation Trust list of “Ten in Tennessee” most endangered sites. The campus sits on a picturesque hill close to downtown Morristown and lies about halfway between Knoxville and the Tri-Cities in upper east Tennessee.

Founded in 1881 by the national Freedman’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, it was originally known as Morristown Normal and Industrial College before evolving into Morristown College and later Knoxville College – Morristown Campus. The original building was constructed on the site of a former slave market from hand-pressed bricks made on site. Following the Civil War it became a secondary school at which freedmen were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. Often multiple generations of a single family attended simultaneously (artist Beauford Delaney had two brothers who attended the school). At the height of its enrollment the school occupied 12 buildings and encompassed 375 acres. Today the college property stands at 51 acres and 7 of the 9 buildings are listed on the National Register.

The buildings have remained vacant for a number of years, been thoroughly vandalized and left open to the elements for much of that time. The campus is privately owned and available for purchase; however the current owner has no interest in preserving the campus and even threatened to demolish the buildings at one point. Past development plans have fallen through because potential buyers were not able to come to a purchase price agreement with the owner.

I have to believe that this site poses an excellent opportunity for the right individual or organization. The campus is adjacent to a historic residential area currently undergoing a “clean-up” initiative and a new historic homeowners association has been formed. It is close to downtown and the city would be willing to work with a developer on infrastructure improvements. Past proposals have included using the site as a location for a new community recreation facility and performing arts center.

This is an important site in the heart of an economically vibrant city that needs a new owner immediately. My hopes are that by posting this letter on your site, the right person might see this as a great opportunity and preservation and development of the site will finally occur.

Sincerely,

Todd Morgan
City Planner
City of Morristown
Department of Community Development
P.O. Box 1499
Morristown, TN 37816-1499

Telephone: (423) 585-4624
Fax: (423) 585-4679

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Preservation 911 is a message board open to all readers. While National Trust staff will respond to the extent feasible, this will not be possible in all cases. We encourage other readers involved in state or local preservation to respond with advice or assistance. To contact either a regional office of the National Trust, a statewide or local nonprofit organization, or your state's historic preservation office, click here for a state-by-state list.

The National Trust's regional and field offices bring the programs and tools of the Trust to communities across the country. They offer technical assistance through consultations and field visits and financial help through small grants. They hold educational programs for professional preservationists and work to foster policies that help historic places. They also provide leadership on issues that concern entire regions, such as saving historic schools, fighting sprawl, and revitalizing cities.

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