Few People Know This Charming Town Is The Exact Center Point Of Tennessee
By Meghan Kraft|Published March 01, 2022
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
Tennessee has been a state since 1796, just a few years after the United States became its own independent country. President George Washington himself signed Tennessee into statehood, and the initial capital of the new region was Knoxville. It wasn’t until 1843, after a hot debate, that Nashville became the state’s permanent capital. Many folks don’t realize that Murfreesboro was in the running to become the permanent capital of the state, mainly due to its geographical location right in the heart of Tennessee.
The city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee is perhaps best known for its bustling community and family-friendly atmosphere. The area is steeped in Civil War history, with both the Stones River National Battlefield and Stones River Cemetery located in town. The intimate downtown may just remind you of a movie with a series of small shops and locally-owned restaurants.
Murfreesboro is also home to the largest college in Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University. Many Tennesseans have graduated from the acclaimed institution, and it is known for hosting entertaining sports games throughout the year.
Many parents choose to raise their children in town for the great Rutherford County schools and the natural areas that surround the city. Murfreesboro is only half an hour from Nashville, and it plays host to over 40 miles of greenway. Cannonsburgh Village is a period town constructed in the heart of the city to teach children all about life in the 1830s, and you’ll even find the largest cedar wood bucket in the world on display.
The exact geographic center of Tennessee is located just a half-mile from the main campus of Middle Tennessee University. There is an obelisk that marks the spot as well as a plaque that commemorates the significant location. Murfreesboro is so proud of its central location, in fact, that you may even find it cheekily referred to as "Heartnessee."
It may surprise some folks that Murfreesboro locals are so proud to be the center point of the state, but the history of the geographical honor runs deep. In 1834, Professor James Hamilton was hired by the Tennessee government to find the exact center of the state. Governor James Polk, the eventual president of the United States, wanted the capital of Tennessee to be located at its exact center, which ended up being Murfreesboro.
For different geopolitical reasons, the capital of Tennessee ended up staying at its initial location in Nashville, but that doesn’t mean folks forgot about the city to the south. In 1976 an obelisk was commissioned by the Rutherford County Historical Society to honor the city’s central location. The obelisk was erected in the same year on Old Lacassas Road.
Murfreesboro has exploded in population over its long and storied history, and now it’s a bustling city with a deep tie to Tennessee’s state history. Nashville and Memphis may draw the most tourists to the Volunteer State, but if you have the chance to visit, you may just find that there is something special about this southern town.
How fascinating! Did you know that Murfreesboro is located at the exact geographical center of Tennessee? It’s a wonderful place to visit no matter the time of year for both adults and children.
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