MTSU Center for Historic Preservation

06/01/2026

For those of you who are planning to join us on Wednesday, June 3 from 4:00-6:00pm for Dr. West's retirement reception at the Miller Education Center Atrium at MTSU (503 East Bell Street), here are some helpful parking instructions. If you plan to attend, and haven't already, please RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/53z7e3cc

05/20/2026

YOU'RE INVITED!!

Join us on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 from 4:00-6:00pm for a retirement reception to celebrate Dr. Carroll Van West for his 41 years of dedicated service to Middle Tennessee State University! The event will be held at the Miller Education Center Atrium, 503 East Bell Street, in Murfreesboro. If you plan to attend, please RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/53z7e3cc

Photo courtesy of Kristen Luetkemeier.

05/15/2026

The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, administered by the CHP's Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, was pleased to support and host Dr. Valeria's Eadler's exhibit "A Century of Health: Transforming Lives in Tennessee," which won a Merit Award from the Tennessee Historical Commission today!

05/06/2026

The first days of May 2026 have been humbling. The Battle of Franklin Trust presented me with its Legacy Award on the 1st and then the East Tennessee Historical Society presented me with its Ramsey LLifetime Achievement Award on the 5th. Many thanks to both organizations, which are solid, constant CHP partners

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

We're grateful for the help and technical assistance of Kevin Overall with the MTSU School of Concrete and Construction Management in our restoration of Lulie's headstone for the East View Cemetery with the DeKalb County Historical Society. Watch our research professor Dr. Stacey Graham and graduate research assistant Paige Hurley learn how to make concrete firsthand throb this project. [And thanks to Aisha Karamustafic for the social media posts!] You can read more about Lulie's headstone at Dr. Graham's Southern Rambles blog post (https://chpblog.org/2025/10/29/bringing-lulies-tombstone-home-part-i/).

04/28/2026

Last week, Stacey Graham, CHP research professor, and Bryan Gilley, MA in Public History grad student, took part in a three-day cemetery preservation workshop at Lytle Cemetery in Murfreesboro. This workshop was set up through the Campaign for Historic Trades, at the invitation of Stones River National Battlefield and the TN Sons of the American Revolution. Part of the workshop was hosted by the CHP at the Heritage Center. Professional gravestone conservator Joni Morris led the workshop, demonstrating minimally invasive cleaning and repair techniques. This year marks 50 years of the SAR taking care of this cemetery.