History of Bradley Academy
To
build any structure one must have a solid foundation. Tennessee’s
recognition of that fact was legislation that decreed every
Tennessee county would have a public school. Built on land
donated by the Murfree family, Bradley Academy was one of
Rutherford County’s first schools. Students paid $24
dollars a session and were required to provide
firewood. The early curiculum included English,
grammar, Latin, Greek, arithmetic, writing, logic, and literature.
Bradley Academy graduated many who would later become important
members of both local and state society, including President
James K. Polk, and Senator John Bell.
Bradley Academy closed
in the 1850s when the classes and students were absorbed
into the newer Union University, also located in Murfreesboro.
During the Civil War, the building served as a hospital,
especially during the battle of Stones River. In 1884,
the building was repaired for use as a school for
African
American
children.
As Murfreesboro's only African-American school, Bradley
Academy became a source of community pride. Initially there were
three teachers
and 150 students. Six years later, there were 250 students.
An additional building was rented to handle to the extra
students. By 1917, new laws and requirements demanded a
new building, which was completed in 1918.
From 1918 until its closing in 1955,
the
new Bradley Academy building was the cultural center
of
the African
American
community. This building hosted musicals, plays, glee
club and band recitals, as well as community fairs.
Building Restoration
In 1990, the Bradley Academy Historical
Association (BAHA) was chartered for the purpose of reclaiming
and rehabilitating
the 1917 building to serve as a multi-purpose, multi-cultural,
and educational facility for the entire community. That same
year the building was placed on the National Register
of
Historic
Places. In
1991,
the
Tennessee Historical Commission erected a marker
in front of Bradley Academy to designate its importance
to the community. During the 1990s, BAHA, with substantial
assistance from the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation,
the City of Murfreesboro, the Tennessee Historical Commission,
and Congressman Bart Gordon succeeded in totally renovating
the historic building. Funding for the restoration came from
the Christy-Houston Foundation, the Tennessee General Assembly,
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and
private donations.
Reopened to the public in 2000, the Bradley
Academy Museum and Cultural Center now houses an exhibit
on the history of Rutherford County in the 1800s, an exhibit
on Rutherford County's African-American community including
Bradley Academy and Holloway High School memorabilia, a Civil
War and Colored Soldier exhibit, a restored heritage classroom,
a modern auditorium, kitchen, meeting room, and office space. |
James K. Polk
'Old' Bradley Building, c.1900
'New' Bradley Building, c.1925
Graduating Class, c.1919
Restored Bradley Academy Building
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