NPP RECEIVES GRANT TO PRESERVE BROWN’S FERRY TAVERN
NATIONAL PARK PARTNERS AWARDED $150,000 GRANT FROM TENNESSEE HISTORICAL COMMISSION TO SUPPORT RESTORATION OF BROWN’S FERRY TAVERN
by Jennifer Crutchfield
National Park Partners of Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and Moccasin Bend (NPPCHA) is honored to announce that it has been chosen as a recipient of a $150,000 grant from the Historic Property / Land Acquisition Fund from the State of Tennessee as administered through the Tennessee Historical Commission. The grant award will be used to fund a historically authentic restoration of Brown’s Ferry Tavern, the oldest standing structure in Chattanooga, erected prior to the city’s foundation. Cherokee businessman John Brown operated Brown’s Ferry from Moccasin Bend to Lookout Valley, and constructed the tavern bearing his name in 1803.
The Tennessee Historical Commission made available $2 million in funding for the 2024-2025 fiscal year from the Historic Property / Land Acquisition Fund (TCA § 4-11-113). These grants, which come from real estate transfer tax growth funds that have been allocated to the Commission by the General Assembly, will be used to fund historic restoration and rehabilitation projects for National Register-listed properties in Tennessee that have a public benefit. In total, the Tennessee Historical Commission received 43 applications, totaling $6.7 million and 23 projects were funded.
“This new state grant program is an important component of our mission of revitalizing historic places across Tennessee,” said Patrick McIntyre, Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer and Executive Director of the Tennessee Historical Commission, adding “from historic courthouses to museums, this program will help a variety of time-honored landmarks that make our communities unique.”
Brown’s Ferry Tavern is an important witness structure to the American Indian Removal of 1838 and is located along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The tavern and surrounding property also featured prominently during the Civil War Campaign for Chattanooga. The Battle of Brown’s Ferry on October 27, 1863 re-opened the vital “Cracker Line” or food supply route for thousands of U.S. Army forces in Chattanooga who were at risk of being starved into surrender while that route was closed.
The Brown’s Ferry Tavern property hosted camps of US Army soldiers in the weeks following the Battle of Brown’s Ferry and witnessed additional Campaign for Chattanooga events including the Battle of Wauhatchie on October 28-29 and the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24. Restoration of Brown’s Ferry Tavern will allow NPPCHA to work with the National Park Service, the National Trails of Tears Association, and many other local, state, and national partners to interpret the many layers of history and complex stories embodied by this structure.
“We are grateful to the Tennessee Historical Commission for recognizing the place Brown’s Ferry Tavern holds in telling the stories of our city, our state, and our country,” says Tricia King Mims, executive director of National Park Partners. “Our organization stepped in where others wouldn’t or couldn’t to save this nationally-significant structure, and we need everyone who believes in preserving Chattanooga’s history and its irreplaceable buildings to join us in the effort.”
National Park Partners recently contracted New South Associates to conduct an archaeological survey, required by Tennessee Historical Commission grant, prior to the structural restoration. NPP estimates an additional $300-$500,000 will be required to match the HPLAF grant and fully fund the project. Visit NPPCHA to enjoy a video tour of this fascinating structure and visit here to support this important restoration effort as a donor or a volunteer.
National Park Partners preserves and promotes the landscapes and stories of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, including Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. We believe the park belongs to everyone and everyone belongs in the park, and we engage the community in growing Chattanooga’s National Park legacy for current and future generations. Visit nppcha.org for more information.
The Tennessee Historical Commission is the State Historic Preservation Office. Our mission is to protect, preserve, interpret, maintain, and administer historic places across Tennessee. For information on the HPLAF grant program, please contact Dan Brown or Bobby Cooley. For more information about the Tennessee Historical Commission, please visit the website.
