Welcome to Murfreesboro
Since the 1990s, Murfreesboro has been Tennessee’s fastest-growing major city and one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Murfreesboro is home to
Middle Tennessee State University, with close to 20,000 total students.
History
On October 27, 1811, the
Tennessee General Assembly designated the location for a new county seat for Rutherford County, giving it the name Cannonsburgh in honor of
Newton Cannon, representative to the Assembly for the local area. At the suggestion of William Lytle, it was renamed Murfreesborough on November 29, 1811, after Revolutionary War hero Colonel
Hardy Murfree. The name was shortened to Murfreesboro in January 1812 when the town was formally chartered. Author
Mary Noailles Murfree was his great-granddaughter.
As Tennessee settlement expanded to the west, the location of the state capital in
Knoxville became inconvenient for much of the population. In 1818, Murfreesboro was designated as the capital of Tennessee and its population boomed. Eight years later, however, it was superseded by
Nashville.
Following the Confederate retreat after the drawn
Battle of Perryville in central Kentucky, the Confederate army moved through East Tennessee and turned northwest to defend Murfreesboro. General
Braxton Bragg’s veteran cavalry successfully harassed Union General
William Rosecran's troop movements, capturing and destroying many of his supply trains. However, they could not completely prevent supplies and reinforcements from reaching Rosecrans. Despite the large number of casualties, the battle was inconclusive. It is usually considered a Union victory, since afterward General Bragg retreated 36 miles (58 km) south to
Tullahoma. Even so, the Union army did not
move against Bragg until six months later, in June 1863. The battle was significant since the Union gained a base from which it could push its eventual drive further south, which enabled its later advances against
Chattanooga and
Atlanta. The Union eventually divided the territory into the
Eastern and
Western theaters, followed by
Sherman’s March to the Sea through the South. The
Stones River National Battlefield is now a national historical site.
General Rosecrans’ move to the south depended on a secure source of provisions, and Murfreesboro was chosen for his supply depot. Soon after the battle, Brigadier General
James St. Clair Morton, Chief Engineer of the Army of the Cumberland, was ordered to build
Fortress Rosecrans, some 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the town. The fortifications covered about 225 acres (0.91 km2) and were the largest built during the war. Fortress Rosecrans consisted of eight
lunettes, four
redoubts, and connecting fortifications. The fortress was built around the
Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad and the West Fork of the
Stones River; two roads provided additional access and transportation.
The fort’s interior was a huge logistical resource center, including sawmills, warehouses, quartermaster maintenance depots, ammunition magazines, and living quarters for the 2,000 men who handled the operations and defended the post. After the fortress was completed in June 1863, Rosecrans ventured to the south. The fortress was never attacked, in part because the Union troops held the town of Murfreesboro hostage by training their artillery on the courthouse. Major portions of the earthworks still exist and have been incorporated into the battlefield historic site.
Post-Civil War
Murfreesboro was first developed as a mainly agricultural community, but by 1853 the area was home to several colleges and academies, gaining the nickname the “Athens of Tennessee”. Despite the wartime trauma, the town’s growth had begun to recover by the early 1900s, in contrast to other areas of the devastated South.
In 1911, the state legislature created Middle Tennessee State Normal School, a two-year institute to train teachers. It soon merged with the Tennessee College for Women. In 1925 the Normal School was expanded to a full, four-year curriculum and college. With additional expansion of programs and addition of graduate departments, in 1965 it became
Middle Tennessee State University. MTSU now has the largest undergraduate enrollment in the state, including many international students.
World War II was an impetus for industrial development, and Murfreesboro diversified into industry, manufacturing, and education. Growth has been steady since that time, creating a stable economy.
Music
Murfreesboro hosts several music-oriented events annually, such as the Main Street Jazzfest presented by MTSU’s School of Music and the Main Street Association each May. For over 30 years, Uncle Dave Macon Days has celebrated the musical tradition of
Uncle Dave Macon. This annual July event includes national competitions for old-time music and dancing.
Murfreesboro also hosts an annual DIY not-for-profit music festival called Boro Fondo, which is also a bike tour and local artist feature.
Arts
The Murfreesboro Center for the Arts, close to the Square, entertains with a variety of exhibits, theatre arts, concerts, dances, and magic shows. Murfreesboro Little Theatre has provided the community with popular and alternative forms of theatre arts since 1962.
Murfreesboro’s International FolkFest began in 1982 and is held annually during the second week in June. Groups from countries spanning the globe participate in the festival, performing traditional songs and dances while attired in regional apparel.
Museums
The
Discovery Center at Murfree Spring is a nature center and interactive museum focusing on children and families. The facility includes 20 acres of wetlands with a variety of animals.
Bradley Academy Museum contains collectibles and exhibits of the first school in Rutherford County. This school was later renovated to become the only African American school in Murfreesboro, which closed in 1955.
The
Stones River National Battlefield is a national park which memorializes the
Battle of Stones River, which took place during the American Civil War during December 31, 1862, to January 3, 1863. The grounds include a museum, a national cemetery, monuments, and the remains of a large earthen fortification called Fortress Rosecrans.
Oaklands Historic House Museum is a 19th-century mansion which became involved in the Civil War. It was occupied as a residence until the 1950s, after which it was purchased by the City of Murfreesboro and renovated into a museum by the Oaklands Association.
Earth Experience: The Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History is the only natural history museum in Middle Tennessee. The museum opened in September 2014 and features more than 2,000 items on display, including a complete replica Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.
Shopping
There are two main malls located within the city limits.
Stones River Mall is a traditional enclosed mall, featuring stores and restaurants.
The Historic Downtown Murfreesboro district also offers a wide variety of shopping and dining experiences that encircle the pre-Civil War Courthouse.
Points of interest
Parks and Recreation
Cannonsburgh Village is a reproduction of what a working pioneer village would have looked like from the period of the 1830s to the 1930s. Visitors can view the grist mill, school house, doctor’s office, Leeman House, Caboose, Wedding Chapel, and other points of interest. It is also home to the
World’s Largest Cedar Bucket.
Old Fort Park is a 50-acre park which includes baseball fields, tennis courts, children’s playground, an 18-hole championship golf course, picnic shelters and bike trail.
Barfield Crescent Park is a 430-acre (1,700,000 m2) facility with eight baseball fields, 7 miles (11 km) of biking/running trails, an 18-hole championship disc golf course, and ten picnic shelters.
Murfreesboro Greenway System is a system of greenways with 12 miles (19 km) of paved paths and 11 trail heads. In 2013, the city council approved a controversial 25-year “master plan” to extend the system by adding 173 miles worth of new greenways, bikeways and blueways at an estimated cost of $104.8 million.
