Belfast in Marshall County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 24, 2022

1. J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store Marker

Inscription. This property has been
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1878.

Location. 35° 25.197′ N, 86° 42.159′ W. Marker is in Belfast, Tennessee, in Marshall County. It is at the intersection of Fishing Ford Road and Old Belfast Road on Fishing Ford Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1515 Fishing Ford Rd, Belfast TN 37019, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in the Highland Rim.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: John Medearis (approx. 4

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miles away); Joe Chase Adams House (approx. 5 miles away); Polk's Law Office (approx. 5.2 miles away); The Historic Ladies Rest Room (approx. 5.2 miles away); Marshall County Veterans Memorial (approx. 5.2 miles away); Founding of Lewisburg (approx. 5.2 miles away); Desert Shield / Desert Storm Monument (approx. 5.2 miles away); Civil War in Marshall County (approx. 5.2 miles away).

More about this marker. Marker is on the front door but behind a very weathered screen door; that is why the closeup photo is unreadable. A "private property" sign was posted, so we were unable to open the screen door for a clear view.

Regarding J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store. Excerpt from the National Register listing (it was submitted in 1978):

…In 1878 Robert Williams built the store and warehouse. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Tate now own and operate the store; he is the great-great grandson of William Williams. Five generations of the same family have owned the business and three of these have operated the store in the present building. This is the oldest commercial building in the Belfast area and the oldest business in the county.

Over the years
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 24, 2022

2. J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store Marker
the store has stocked patent medicines; food and yard goods; agricultural
implements, supplies, and seed; and coffin handles. Farmers sold their turkeys and
feathers, country butter, and animal pelts, and could obtain crop loans here. The
town's post office was for many years located in the building, and it has occasionally
been a polling place.…

J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store image. Click for full size.

Nick Fielder, Tennessee Historical Commission (public domain), May 1978

3. J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store

The store when it was still operating. It closed in 1990 after 112 years in business.

J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store image. Click for more information.

via NPS, unknown

4. J. C. Tate General Merchandise Store

NPGallery Digital Asset Management System website entry
Click for more information.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,086 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on April 26, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Clear closeup photo of marker. • Can you help?