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One of the best-preserved buildings downtown is The Law Firm’s office at 111 NW Atlantic Street between the American Legion and Downtown Avenues. The date stone at the top of the building shows its construction date as 1914. Looking back at photos from the 1920s through today, the building has remained remarkably and thankfully unmolested, though the ground floor window and door area has changed a little to reflect its uses. In a 1941 Cline postcard photo, it was Farmers & Merchants Bank. By 1952, it was a jewelry store. It remains an example of how attractive a 100+ year downtown can be given the proper respect for preserving history and its beauty.

Another downtown building that has held up well over the years is the 1950 Coop Building, on N. Jackson St. between Downtown Café and FMO Furniture. In 1950s and 1960s newspapers, businesses would often just show their address as a certain building, and some were in the Coop Building. One such was Peacock Jewelers. These days, only looking above the second floor would reveal the identity of that building.

Lastly, we look at First Baptist Church’s building on E. Grundy St. Like the Coop Building, it was erected in 1950. It has an actual cornerstone, which reveals that the congregation was founded in 1856, four years after Tullahoma’s founding. It met in a several different places and even in a different building at this location before the current building was built.

Next week, we’ll look at the motherlode of Tullahoma cornerstones and date stones, all in one location. Can you guess where that is?

Do any of our readers have old photos from Tullahoma Christmas Parades of past years, or photos of downtown businesses decorated for Christmas? I’d love to borrow them briefly. You can contact me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.