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For the third installment of the series, we’re going to look at the another of eight sites in Tullahoma listed on the National Register of Historic Places – the North Atlantic Street Historic District. This is the second of two historic districts in Tullahoma listed on the National Register, added in 1988.

The North Atlantic Street Historic District ranges through the 200-500 blocks of North Atlantics Street, and now all on the east side of the railroad tracks. The district is comprised of ten properties, beginning at 214 NE Atlantic Street and ending at 500 NE Atlantic Street, plus the old railroad depot. Per the nomination documents: “The North Atlantic Street Historic District is one of the best […] collection[s] of late nineteenth and early twentieth century homes that remain in a group in a relatively unaltered state in Coffee County.” These homes were built by the city’s leaders of the time, both political and business.

Continuing from the nomination documents: “The North Atlantic Street Historic District in Tullahoma, Coffee County, Tennessee, is being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places under criterion C because it contains an intact collection of buildings that represent several architectural styles being adopted by the town leaders during the period from 1883 to 1938.

“The district is situated along the northeast side of the old Nashville, Chattanooga, & St. Louis Railway/Louisville & Nashville Railroad (now CSX Transportation) tracks in the heart of the city of Tullahoma. The location of the depot serves as a focal point in the district, reminding the viewer that the railroad was the major impetus for the establishment of this area as an attractive residential neighborhood.”

The house at 214 NE Atlantic Street is known as the Archibald Yell Smith House. It was built circa 1885 and is of the “regionally uncommon” Second Empire style. Smith was the Station Agent for the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, and later served as the Director of First National Bank. He was the grandson of Archibald Yell, the first governor of Arkansas.

Other contributing properties to the North Atlantic Street Historic District include the Thoma House at 500 N. Atlantic Street (Classical Revival/Colonial Revival, ca. 1915), and the Hicks House at 300 N. Atlantic Street (Colonial or Classical Revival style, ca. 1907), both built by men who served as mayors of Tullahoma during the period from 1900 to 1920. The Wilkins House at 409 N. Atlantic Street (ca. 1905) is no longer there. It was torn down for a parking lot. Captain B. H. Wilkins also built the house at 406 N. Atlantic Street during his term as mayor to be used as rental property.

Two adjacent houses at 308 and 312 were built in 1891 for two sisters who married Raht brothers, large commercial tobacco buyers. Both of these houses are classified as Queen Anne with Eastlake details. They are the oldest houses in the district.

Also part of the district are 304 (ca. 1910), 400 (the McNutt House, ca. 1900), 412 (the Campbell House, ca. 1900) and the railroad depot (ca. 1889).

The accompanying photo of the Raht-Couch House at 308 NE Atlantic is by Amy Edmiston (www.prettyoldplaces.com).

Do you have some old Tullahoma photos and accompanying stories to share? You can contact me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.