Lebanon in Wilson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Memorial Hall

1892

Photographed by Mark Parker, February 13, 2025

1. Memorial Hall Marker

Inscription.

Memorial Hall, 1892
The National Register of Historic Places
Tennessee Historical Commission

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.

Location. 36° 12.242′ N, 86° 17.993′ W. Marker is in Lebanon, Tennessee, in Wilson County. It is at the intersection of Cumberland Drive and West Spring Street, on the right when traveling south on Cumberland Drive. Memorial Hall is near the center of campus. Visitor parking is on Cumberland Drive at the campus entrance from West Spring Street. The plaque is to the right of the main entrance of the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Cumberland Drive, Lebanon TN 37087, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in Greater Nashville.

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

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the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cordell Hull (1871-1955) (a few steps from this marker); Evins Front Porch (within shouting distance of this marker); The WWII Years at Cumberland (within shouting distance of this marker); Cumberland University Headquarters Tennessee Maneuvers (within shouting distance of this marker); Wilson County's First Gym (within shouting distance of this marker); The Reverend Dr. Winstead Paine Bone (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); David Robert "Bobby" Ray (about 300 feet away); Cumberland University Founded in 1842 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lebanon.

Regarding Memorial Hall. Excerpts from the Memorial Hall Nomination Form:

Memorial Hall is the focal point and administrative center of the beautifully land scaped campus of Cumberland College of Tennessee in Lebanon, Wilson County. A complex, symmetrical building, its plan forms a T with a top-heavy crossbar. The main block of the three-story, brick Victorian-Italianate edifice is

Full front view of Memorial Hall image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, February 13, 2025

2. Full front view of Memorial Hall

divided into seven distinct bays, and the vertical bar of the T consists of three structural units. A rusticated, coursed limestone foundation and plain water table contain the full basement and support the eighteen-inch-thick walls. Except for the chapel, the original slate roofing has been replaced with composition shingles. Brick chimneys were located wherever they were needed to vent the numerous fireplaces in the building. A massive square tower dominates the main (east) facade. The slightly bellcast, pyra midal roof of the tower is ornamented with diminutive octagonal spires at each corner and two sets of paired brackets on each face. Stone belt courses and continuous sills divide the structure into vertical sections, and it contains both rectangular and round- arch windows. The Belgian clock was installed in the late 1960s. The stilted, round arch of the recessed main entrance has an elaborate headlight and cornice and stone imposts and plinths...

Memorial Hall, built during the administration of Chancellor Nathan Green, Jr., is the oldest and most impressive building on the Cumberland College campus. Dr. J.SE.D. Hinds, professor

Memorial Hall main entrance. The Belgian clock was added in the late 1960s image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, February 13, 2025

3. Memorial Hall main entrance. The Belgian clock was added in the late 1960s

of chemistry, drew the plans for the building, and William Crawford Smith was the project architect. The cornerstone was laid and dedicated in 1892, but because of limited funds and the institution's "pay as you go" fiscal policy, construction was repeatedly delayed. The College of Arts began holding classes on the first floor and the Theological School on the second in September 1896. The third floor remained unfinished for a year or more and the electricity and steam heat were not installed for several years.

Also see . . . Memorial Hall Nomination Form (pdf). Form prepared by Robert E. Dalton, Director of Field Services, Tennessee Historical Commission, 1976 (Submitted on February 18, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Memorial Hall main entrance. Marker indicated by arrow image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, February 13, 2025

4. Memorial Hall main entrance. Marker indicated by arrow

Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 18, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.