Timeline of Murfreesboro Mural Wall Project

in Stories, Preservation Month, News, Murfreesboro History

1800s Formation of Murfreesboro

Artist: Gregory Lannom

Theme: Formation of Murfreesboro's downtown

This painting is based off a historical photo of one of the livery stations that was located where present-day Center for the Arts is located on West College Street.

1850s Murfreesboro Government

Artist: Justyna Kostkowska

Theme: Formation of Rutherford County government.

This painting is based on an original photograph of the first courthouse built on the Murfreesboro square.

1851 Industrial Growth - Transportation

Artist: Henry Jones

Theme: Industrial growth.

This painting depicts the first railroad and depot that was built a few miles from the public square. The railroad connection brought a connection to the small town of Murfreesboro to the rest of the state and nation. It created industrial growth for commerce and agriculture in our city. Traveling to the downtown became more accessible with the train depot.

1863 Civil War

Artist: Carol Berning

Theme: Civil War Era

With the encampment of Northern troops on the public square and the occupation of the historic courthouse, there is another story from this era to tell.

Carol portrays the story of William Holland in her painting.

"William Holland was born into slavery about 1834. He escaped slavery in 1862, sometime after the Union Army entered Tennessee, and joined the Union Army as a private in the 111th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops. Forrest captured him, escaped again, and returned to the Union lines. He helped to create the Stones River National Cemetery, where he and fellow black soldiers disinterred and reburied the remains of thousands of Union soldiers and began building a stone wall surrounding the cemetery. After the war, he purchased land near the cemetery, married, and left a legacy of descendants in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and beyond. He is buried outside the Hazen Brigade Cemetery wall at Stones River National Battlefield."

1800-1900s Religion

Artist: Mary Watkins

Theme: Religion and Churches downtown.

Mary paints the historic Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church located on 228 North Maple Street. This National Historic Registered Landmark has celebrated as an active congregation at this location for over 100 years.

1909 Government - Civic Service

Artist: Melinda Tate

Theme: Government and Civic Service

Melinda Tate paints the iconic building on 110 West College Street which was originally built as Murfreesboro's first Post Office. Later, remodeled for the first Rutherford County Public library, the building now serves as The Center for the Arts.

1911 Agriculture

Artist: Carol Berning

Theme: Agriculture

Carol used a historic postcard of a herd of Jersey Cattle and an African American farmer in Rutherford County to depict that Murfreesboro was a farming community focused on dairy cattle.

1920s Black Business District

Artist: Nadine Shillingford

Theme: "The Mink Slide" or Black Business District.

During the era of segregation the "Mink Slide" was a prominent downtown street with flourishing black businesses. The area was located on Walnut Street and Vine Street. The African American community would gather for socializing, business, and healthcare needs.

1930 Health

Artist: Robin Caddell

Theme: Health Department

This painting depicts the first Health Department building built at 303 N. Church Street.

The Commonwealth Fund of New York, a private philanthropic foundation whose goal was to improve the daily lives of rural Americans, selected Murfreesboro as the site for its first public health facility. This landmark building served white and black clients while regional workshops and training took place in the second story auditorium.

1936 Entertainment - Movies

Artist: Abby Reish

Theme: Entertainment with the movies.

Abby's painting is of the iconic Princess Theatre. The original theatre was located on Church Street, right on the public square. The second Princess Theatre was built on West College Street after the original burned down.

1946 Entertainment- Radio

Artist: Madison Pantuso

Theme: Entertainment and Radio

In 1946, WGNS went live for New Year's Eve out of the Elrod Building on Church Street downtown. Madison's depiction is of a historic photograph of John Hood speaking as an announcer for WGNS in the 1940s.

1965 Education

Artist: Pam Mack

Theme: Education

Pam was asked to paint the Kirksey Old Main on MTSU's campus. This building was the first building built when the campus became an official state university. Pam found a photograph of her mother standing in front of the Kirsely Old Main, her senior year of high school. Her mother was a Murfreesboro Central High School Junior on Maple Street when the school building burned down. Students had to finish the remainder of that year at McFadden School and the following school year at Kirksey Old Main. The painting is of her mother in her senior year of high school in front of Kirksey Old Main.

1970 Music on the Square

Artist: LeAndra Crystal Richardson

Theme: Musical events downtown

This painting depicts the many musical events and gatherings that have been held in the historic downtown, including Uncle Dave Macon Days, starting in 1970.

1985 Revitalization of the Square

Artist: Yakruti Patel

Theme: Revitalization of the Historic Downtown

This painting symbolizes the revitalization and historical preservation of Murfreesboro Square during the mid-1980s, focusing on the discovery of the old well, and subsequent construction efforts. The composition is divided into distinct sections, each representing key elements of this transformation. The clock tower, a prominent feature in the lower left, stands as a symbol of time, endurance, and the historical legacy of the square. The red and dark tones surrounding it evoke both the richness of the past and the challenges of preserving heritage amid modernization. Above, the row of horses represents the spirit of progress and movement, reflecting both the town’s historical roots and its forward momentum during revitalization. On the right, a pair of hands gently cradles a tree, symbolizing growth, renewal, and the community's responsibility to nurture its future while respecting its roots. The green canopy signifies the positive outcomes of the Main Street program, which aimed to restore the square’s vibrancy through thoughtful development and preservation. The textured golden framework acts as both a visual boundary and a metaphor for structure and support, representing the collaborative efforts that helped shape Murfreesboro’s evolving identity. Together, these elements tell a story of rediscovery, resilience, and the enduring connection between place, time, and community.

Thank you to contributing partners!

Main Street Murfreesboro thrives on collaborative projects with the community. The Mural Wall project was a dream of Ricky Martini, with The Walnut House, and a desire to keep their mural wall continuing to showcase local artists' talent.

Main Street Murfreesboro was invited to join in planning something for the mural wall in 2025 to celebrate the program's 40th anniversary.

A group of individuals from different arenas in the community sat down one cold January day and brainstormed how to make the mural wall come to life for Main Street.

I want to thank the following people for providing their talents, creative storytelling skills, historical knowledge, and love for the arts community! This project was a collaborative effort of many. Special thanks to the 13 artists who, with only three weeks' notice, agreed to paint an "assigned" theme to fit our timeline of Murfreesboro's history in the downtown.

Special thanks to:

Carol Berning - who led the call for the artists, assigned themes, and even painted two panels! We owe everything to your leadership, Carol!

Bill Jakes - our downtown historian and fact checker!

Kara Kemp - the official Murfreesboro Storyteller

Jeff Lysyczyn - Rutherford Arts Alliance Executive Director and contributing advisor.

Tom Womack - not pictured (he is always the one behind the camera documenting the projects). A contributing advisor for the project.

Ricky Martini - Curator and Creator of the Walnut House Mural Wall project! He not only designed the project but preps the panels and hangs them for viewing. Check out The Walnut House located at 116 North Walnut House for your entertainment venue needs!

Special thanks again go to the artists who freely contributed their talents to be a part of this project for Main Street Murfreesboro:

Gregory Lannom, Justyna Kostkowska, Henry Jones, Carol Berning, Mary Watkins, Melinda Tate, Nadine Shillingford, Robin Caddell, Abby Reish, Madison Pantuso, Pam Mack, LeAndra Crystal Richardson, and Yakruti Patel.

Mural artwork to be auctioned at "Taste of Rutherford" event in July

The mural project will stay on The Walnut House until the end of June. The individual paintings will be auctioned in a live auction event during the Main Street Murfreesboro's "Taste of Rutherford" fundraising event held outside of Oakland's Mansion on Saturday, July 19th. All money raised through the auction will be used for a 2026 arts related project for the historic downtown.

Originally posted by Main Street Murfreesboro via Locable

4.9 (9 Reviews)
Main Street Murfreesboro

225 West College Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(615) 895-1887
www.mainstreetmurfreesboro.org