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South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society, Inc.
History:
The rich history of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, like most small towns and cities in America, has led to the establishment of numerous non-profit organizations by local citizenry wishing to preserve the heritage and history directly associated with their individual communities. In many cases these organizations/groups are formed to preserve a single historic structure, which is threatened due to neglect or new development. Such was the case in South Pittsburg, Tennessee and a historic downtown theater.
In this small Marion County town, an old theater building known as the “Princess” was in serious disrepair and threatened with being razed. The impending doom of this important part of the city’s heritage prompted many concerned citizens to push the local government into developing a plan to save the historic structure.
In 1999, City of South Pittsburg officials, realizing the history of the theater building, acquired ownership and appointed a commission to oversee its restoration and seek workable solutions to bring the theater back to its former grandeur as a place of civic interest. Shortly afterwards, the commission met and begun to devise a plan for saving the dilapidated theater building.
Over the last six years the commission has evolved into an independent non-profit organization known as the South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society, Inc. During this time the preservation group, with close ties to the city government, has developed a working plan and had a full set of architectural drawings for the theater building drawn.
They have also stabilized the theater building by rebuilding a portion of its north wall and installing steel joists and metal decking for a new roof. Many other phases of restoration have also been completed.
Today, work on acquiring the necessary funding for this project’s remaining phases of restoration are ongoing through numerous fund raising events and grant applications. One project is a cookbook compiled by the Society. In a working partnership with Lodge Manufacturing Company who retails the book, the Society receives a commission from its sales.
Another successful Society fund-raiser is the reprint of an 1899 South Pittsburg Hustler newspaper. This project served every purpose for which this organization was first founded. It not only preserved a part of the local history in the reprint itself, but it preserved for posterity a record of some current events, retail advertisements, articles and pictures that were added to the reprint in a supplement section. In addition to the Society’s annual “Trash and Treasure” sale and Christmas Tour of Homes, it also generates additional funds for the Society’s projects through its sale. And most recently (2005) we published four new South Pittsburg picture post cards.
The volunteer member Society has adopted other projects, which include having much of the downtown district including the theater and a large portion of the residential district placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This thrust along with the restoration of old Primitive Baptist Church building, known today as the “Chapel on the Hill” has sparked new interest in the preservation of the city’s rich heritage for future generations.
The Society invites every person interested in preserving South Pittsburg’s historical resources to join with them in a team effort to complete the ongoing projects and adopt new ones. It is said that: “In order to know where you are going you must first know where you have been.” The Society believes that preservation of the city’s historic resources will educate the city’s youth about local history and show how the reuse of historic buildings can play an important part of the city’s future.
We, the members of the South Pittsburg Historical Preservation Society, Inc., would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our preservation efforts. Without your support, we would not accomplish our goals of giving our future generations the opportunity to see first hand the fruits of labor from generations long since past. Let us continue to work together towards a common goal of preserving our city’s rich heritage; for it is up to us all to pass the city’s torch to the next generation along with its heirlooms.
The rich history of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, like most small towns and cities in America, has led to the establishment of numerous non-profit organizations by local citizenry wishing to preserve the heritage and history directly associated with their individual communities. In many cases these organizations/groups are formed to preserve a single historic structure, which is threatened due to neglect or new development. Such was the case in South Pittsburg, Tennessee and a historic downtown theater.
In this small Marion County town, an old theater building known as the “Princess” was in serious disrepair and threatened with being razed. The impending doom of this important part of the city’s heritage prompted many concerned citizens to push the local government into developing a plan to save the historic structure.
In 1999, City of South Pittsburg officials, realizing the history of the theater building, acquired ownership and appointed a commission to oversee its restoration and seek workable solutions to bring the theater back to its former grandeur as a place of civic interest. Shortly afterwards, the commission met and begun to devise a plan for saving the dilapidated theater building.
Over the last six years the commission has evolved into an independent non-profit organization known as the South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society, Inc. During this time the preservation group, with close ties to the city government, has developed a working plan and had a full set of architectural drawings for the theater building drawn.
They have also stabilized the theater building by rebuilding a portion of its north wall and installing steel joists and metal decking for a new roof. Many other phases of restoration have also been completed.
Today, work on acquiring the necessary funding for this project’s remaining phases of restoration are ongoing through numerous fund raising events and grant applications. One project is a cookbook compiled by the Society. In a working partnership with Lodge Manufacturing Company who retails the book, the Society receives a commission from its sales.
Another successful Society fund-raiser is the reprint of an 1899 South Pittsburg Hustler newspaper. This project served every purpose for which this organization was first founded. It not only preserved a part of the local history in the reprint itself, but it preserved for posterity a record of some current events, retail advertisements, articles and pictures that were added to the reprint in a supplement section. In addition to the Society’s annual “Trash and Treasure” sale and Christmas Tour of Homes, it also generates additional funds for the Society’s projects through its sale. And most recently (2005) we published four new South Pittsburg picture post cards.
The volunteer member Society has adopted other projects, which include having much of the downtown district including the theater and a large portion of the residential district placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This thrust along with the restoration of old Primitive Baptist Church building, known today as the “Chapel on the Hill” has sparked new interest in the preservation of the city’s rich heritage for future generations.
The Society invites every person interested in preserving South Pittsburg’s historical resources to join with them in a team effort to complete the ongoing projects and adopt new ones. It is said that: “In order to know where you are going you must first know where you have been.” The Society believes that preservation of the city’s historic resources will educate the city’s youth about local history and show how the reuse of historic buildings can play an important part of the city’s future.
We, the members of the South Pittsburg Historical Preservation Society, Inc., would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our preservation efforts. Without your support, we would not accomplish our goals of giving our future generations the opportunity to see first hand the fruits of labor from generations long since past. Let us continue to work together towards a common goal of preserving our city’s rich heritage; for it is up to us all to pass the city’s torch to the next generation along with its heirlooms.