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The Center for Historic Preservation
Box 80 • Middle Tenne~see State University • Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132
April 21, 1995
Terry Wallace
Marshall County county Executive
Marshall County courthouse
Lewisburg, TN 37091
Dear Mr. Wallace:
I enjoyed very much meeting you as we gathered information and
photographs about the historic "Ladies Rest Room" in Lewisburg.
I appreciate your interest, and that of other citizens and county
officials in Marshall County, in recognizing the history of this
unique place and considering ways of preserving the building and
keeping it in use so future generations will recall the rural
traditions, history, and values of Marshall County into the next
century. By part of our on-going programs to assist local
governments in the identification, preservation, and enhancement
of their own unique places of history, we will be happy to
prepare a nomination of the "Ladies Rest Room" to the National
Register of Historic Places.
As you well know in Lewisburg, this building is a rare type of
historic property. After World War I and through the 1920s,
rural reformers, agricultural extension agents, and home
demonstration experts urged rural Tennesseans to become more
active consumers and participants in town life. Your building
was constructed in 1924 by the county court as a special attempt
to give rural women who came to shop on the Lewisburg square, or
who accompanied their husbands to town when the men had business
at the courthouse, a respectable place to stay and "rest" after
their shopping was complete and as they waited for their husbands
to finish their business in town. I am the Senior Editor of the
Tennessee Historical Quarterly and have researched agricultural
life in Tennessee. I know of no other remaining "rest rooms"
tnat were designed as separate, complete buildings in Middle
Tennessee; they may not be any in the entire sta.te!
The 1920s were an important period of change in rural life in
Tennessee. The "Ladies Rest Room" is a very significant place
associated with progressive attempts to improve rural life, to
give women a chance to come to town, and to help local merchants
better sell their wares. I believe it is clearly eligible for ,
the National Register of Historic Places. I welcome the ·
opportunity to help you preserve this building for the future and
I look forward to working with you to develop plans for its
future use as county offices, meeting rooms, and other useful
community functions.
(615) 898-2947
Object Description
Description
| Title | LadiesRestroom018 1 |
| Transcript | The Center for Historic Preservation Box 80 • Middle Tenne~see State University • Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132 April 21, 1995 Terry Wallace Marshall County county Executive Marshall County courthouse Lewisburg, TN 37091 Dear Mr. Wallace: I enjoyed very much meeting you as we gathered information and photographs about the historic "Ladies Rest Room" in Lewisburg. I appreciate your interest, and that of other citizens and county officials in Marshall County, in recognizing the history of this unique place and considering ways of preserving the building and keeping it in use so future generations will recall the rural traditions, history, and values of Marshall County into the next century. By part of our on-going programs to assist local governments in the identification, preservation, and enhancement of their own unique places of history, we will be happy to prepare a nomination of the "Ladies Rest Room" to the National Register of Historic Places. As you well know in Lewisburg, this building is a rare type of historic property. After World War I and through the 1920s, rural reformers, agricultural extension agents, and home demonstration experts urged rural Tennesseans to become more active consumers and participants in town life. Your building was constructed in 1924 by the county court as a special attempt to give rural women who came to shop on the Lewisburg square, or who accompanied their husbands to town when the men had business at the courthouse, a respectable place to stay and "rest" after their shopping was complete and as they waited for their husbands to finish their business in town. I am the Senior Editor of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly and have researched agricultural life in Tennessee. I know of no other remaining "rest rooms" tnat were designed as separate, complete buildings in Middle Tennessee; they may not be any in the entire sta.te! The 1920s were an important period of change in rural life in Tennessee. The "Ladies Rest Room" is a very significant place associated with progressive attempts to improve rural life, to give women a chance to come to town, and to help local merchants better sell their wares. I believe it is clearly eligible for , the National Register of Historic Places. I welcome the · opportunity to help you preserve this building for the future and I look forward to working with you to develop plans for its future use as county offices, meeting rooms, and other useful community functions. (615) 898-2947 |
