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Early Years: 1800s-1909

“I was wounded in the battle of Murfreesboro, Tenn. on Dec. 31, 1862 in the ankle just above the joint: the ball breaking the front bone and remaining between two bones . . . February 24th. I went on parole to the home of John J. Lawing formerly of Mecklenburg Co, N.C. where I received every attention. I had a nice room and bed and excellent diet. I was often visited by ladies and therefore passed off the time very pleasantly.”

 

Prison Journal of Lt. Samuel Asbury, Confederate 45th Mississippi Regiment

As one of the original properties surveyed during the formation of Murfreesboro, this tract of land holds a long history of service to the community. One of the site’s earliest recorded references was around 1821, when local families established First Methodist Church in a house on this property. John Johnston “J.J.” Lawing and his family later moved into the house, and he operated a carpentry and undertaker’s shop on the corner of Church and College Streets. By the late 1880s, a livery stable stood on the lot, serving as a place to house or rent both horse and carriage.

Sanborn Maps

The Sanborn Maps of Murfreesboro, ranging from the 1890s through the 1940s, show how this plot changed over time. 
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