Centerville in Hickman County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Simplici Soap Factory
Historic Downtown Centerville
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, January 4, 2025
1. Simplici Soap Factory Marker
Inscription.
Simplici Soap Factory. . Around 1823, the Methodists built the first church in town near this location. Former slave John Johnson opened the First Class Barber Shop in this area in 1870. The first newspaper, Hickman Pioneer, began next door in 1878. The log church was torn down in 1881 and was replaced by a frame building in which J.F. Briggs opened a ladies clothing and shoe store. This brick building was constructed around 1920, Shouse and McBride Feed Store and Centerville Trucking Line was followed by Haskins Feed Store. The Haskins residence, later replaced by a parking lot, adjoined the feed store. The building to the west, which burned in 2002, was occupied by Bea's Dress Shop, Pierce TV Service, and Hair Reflections. Diane's Junk Shop operated briefly here in the 1980's, after which the building was used for storage until Simplici Soap Factory located here in 2018.
Around 1823, the Methodists built the first church in town near this location. Former slave John Johnson opened the First Class Barber Shop in this area in 1870. The first newspaper, Hickman Pioneer, began next door in 1878. The log church was torn down in 1881 and was replaced by a frame building in which J.F. Briggs opened a ladies clothing and shoe store. This brick building was constructed around 1920, Shouse and McBride Feed Store and Centerville Trucking Line was followed by Haskins Feed Store. The Haskins residence, later replaced by a parking lot, adjoined the feed store. The building to the west, which burned in 2002, was occupied by Bea's Dress Shop, Pierce TV Service, and Hair Reflections. Diane's Junk Shop operated briefly here in the 1980's, after which the building was used for storage until Simplici Soap Factory located here in 2018.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings.
Location. 35° 46.701′ N, 87° 27.954′ W. Marker is in Centerville, Tennessee, in Hickman County. It is at the intersection of Church Street and Mason
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Street, on the left when traveling east on Church Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 107 Church St, Centerville TN 37033, 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.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, January 4, 2025
2. Simplici Soap Factory Marker
(within shouting distance of this marker); The Local Place (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Centerville.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 29, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 137 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 29, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
