Skip to main content

Springfield, TN Walkabout

Image
By


Springfield is a community of about 18,000 and the seat of Robertson County.  It sits about an hour north of Nashville - allowing for the benefits of a small town but close enough to travel to and enjoy the luxuries of a large city.

Springfield was chartered as the Robertson County seat by the newly formed Tennessee General Assembly in 1796.  The town was laid out and established two years later; however, Springfield would not incorporate as a town until 1819.

Woodard Hall, built in 1899, is one of Downtown Springfield's oldest buildings.

Springfield was laid out on 50 acres of land.  The town included a public square, ten streets, and 66 lots available for purchase at $8/each.  The Springfield Public Square is where the Robertson County Courthouse sits today.

Roberston County Courthouse Clock Tower.

The current Robertson County Courthouse was constructed in 1879 with additions that included the clock tower built in 1929.  Since 1978, the courthouse has been on the National Register of Historic Places.


For decades, Springfield was known for its agriculture, specifically tobacco.  The community celebrated its notoriety as the home of the "World's Finest Dark Tobacco."  During the early and mid-20th century, a lit sign arched over US 41 (Dixie Highway) that boasted Springfield's claim.  Today, a building mural honors that sign.

116/118 6th Ave West in Springfield's Courthouse Square

Like many small towns throughout the country, Springfield's Downtown has numerous historic buildings.  About ten years ago, during the restoration of 116 & 118 6th Avenue West - developers came across a window transom with a unique design.  Through research, the building restoration crew discovered that the glass prism design was done by a young Frank Lloyd Wright when he was a designer at the Luxfer Prism Company in 1895.  The tiles and entire transom have been restored and are now prominently featured.

The restored transom featuring the Frank Lloyd Wright designed prisms.

Springfield has numerous local restaurants in and around town.  My personal favorite is Willie Mae's Barbecue, located at 200 8th Avenue East.  The town's local BBQ spot - Willie Mae's is run by a husband and wife team that serves lunch Tuesday through Fridays from 11:00 to 2:30 pm or - if it's a busy day - even earlier when they run out of food!

Lunch time at Willie Mae's.

The brisket is delicious, and my personal favorite is adding their BBQ sauce to the mac 'n cheese side.  You are always served with a friendly smile, and you'll always want to come back for more.

All photos taken by post author.

Further Reading:

How To Get There:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tale of Tollhouse Road, western California State Route 168 and failed Piute Pass Highway

By
Western California State Route 168 is entirely located in Fresno County and is linked historically to the Tollhouse Road corridor.   Tollhouse Road is one of the oldest highways in the Sierra Nevada range of Fresno County. The corridor presently begins in at Clovis Avenue in downtown Clovis and extends northeast to Huntington Lake. In 1866 the Woods Brothers established mining claims on Pine Ridge. In 1867 Fresno County would grant the brothers a toll franchise to construct a roadway to the desirable logging areas atop Pine Ridge and near Dinkey Creek. The Woods would establish a tollhouse at the start of their franchise road and lumber mill. The lumber mill attracted settlers which led to the establishment of the mountain town of Tollhouse. Fresno County would purchase the Tollhouse Road in 1878 and make it a public highway. The county would remove the tolls and incorporate the corridor into the existing county road network. Prior to the establishment of Clovis in 1...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old Dunlap Road (former California State Route 180 in Yokuts Valley)

By
When California State Route 180 was commissioned in August 1934 the alignment in took in Sierra Nevada range was very different than from today.  The original highway alignment from Squaw Valley (now Yokuts Valley) to east Grant Grove (then part of General Grant National Park) originally followed what is now Ruth Hill Road, Dunlap Road, Pinehurst Road (modern California State Route 245), Dark Canyon Road (partially now Forest Road 14S45).  After funding fell through for the planned Kings Canyon Road the was corridor eventually picked up as a 30-mile-long cooperative project between the Division of Highways and Federal Government.  Much of current alignment of California State Route 180 bypassing Squaw Valley (now Yokuts Valley) and Dunlap was complete by 1941.  The post-1941 alignment of California State Route 180 in Squaw Valley was shifted onto what was once Dunlap Road in Squaw Valley.  This alignment itself was later bypassed by modern California State Route...
Post a Comment
Read more

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Thurmond

By
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is best known for whitewater rafting and other forms of adventure tourism.  Yet, found in the hollows and isolated valleys are quiet farms and former coal mining towns.  Well off the beaten path and isolated from much of its surroundings, Thurmond provides a unique view into Central West Virginia's industrial past. Thurmond began as a railroad town in the late 1800s.  Sparked by the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the local coal industry, Thurmond quickly grew into a sizeable transportation and coal center.  When it incorporated as a town in 1903, Thurmond was a full-fledged community - home to two banks, two hotels, and many other services and stores. A CSX freight train passes the old coaling tower in Thurmond.  It was here that many steam locomotives would refill and refuel. Thurmond was home to a C&O railyard which serviced the numerous steam engines passing through the narrow valley.  Thu...
Post a Comment
Read more