Educators walk through Gilliland history

A little more than a decade ago, the rundown house at 803 Lipscomb St. was nothing more than, well, a rundown house.

But the man who once lived in that house, the late James Gilliland, a self-taught stone mason, would no doubt be proud to see what's become of his former home.

Through the efforts of a small group of people who saw a need to preserve Gilliland's memory, the stone home he created himself, and Bedford County's black history in general, the Gilliland Historical Resource Center was created in 1996.

Now, the center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is enriched with cultural heritage and history -- and people are starting to notice.

Teachers visit home

"I get to see things here that I thought had gone out of style," laughed Richard Britton, who toured the center, and a log cabin that sits behind the center (an exact replica of Gilliland's original log home), Wednesday afternoon.

Britton was among a group of about 20 members of the Retired Teachers' Association that received a tour of the facility by Mai D. Hendricks, a retired teacher and committee president of the Gilliland House.

"They asked me if they could come tour the Gilliland home," Hendricks said. "They visit different places and had heard about the Gilliland house and had seen some of the progress that's been made."

While many of the teachers had heard about the progress that has been made over the last few years, for many, like Nancy Crowell, Wednesday was their first time to actually see the inside of the center and the cabin.

"I'm impressed that Mai D. and others have done so much to preserve history," Crowell said. "And I've learned a lot today."

Preserving history

Inside the center, Crowell and the group saw interesting pictures, articles, fixtures and furnishings that display black history from Gilliland's lifetime, 1858 to 1949. The cabin, a more recent addition to the center, shows the way a typical home would look during that time frame, with a rope bed, kitchen table and fire place in the one-room home.

The cabin also features a display of Frank Thompson, a professional baseball player from Bedford County who played in Negro League Baseball.

While inside the cabin, Hendricks gave the teachers seeds to plant, along with a glove embroidered with "Gilliland House," as a way for them to remember their tour Wednesday.

"We want them to plant these seeds and be a part of the Gilliland House," said Hendricks, who explained the Middle Tennessee State University Historical Society has provided great advice in showing Gilliland House supporters how to preserve cultural history.

Upcoming programs

As the center continues to develop and people continue to hear about it, Hendricks said she and other supporters of the center have an array of things planned in the upcoming months, including an open house for log cabin for the community to enjoy.

Also, Hendricks said they are raising money for a scholarship fund, in memory of her late husband, Frederick Hendricks.

"There's a lot of progress to come, but we need donations," Hendricks said. "We are trying to accomplish a (scholarship) program for young people."

This year will mark the first year for the scholarship program.

At 6 p.m. Saturday, an awards banquet will be held at the People's Church on Madison Street honoring high school students who participated last month in a Black History Month essay contest.

Donna Phillips, activities and events chairman for the Gilliland House, said she was very pleased with the contest. Twenty-one students from Community, Cascade, Central and Webb schools wrote essays on the topic, "Has Dr. King's dream been fulfilled?"

The winner of the contest, to be announced Saturday, will receive $500, and the teacher of that winning student will receive a $100 gift certificate.

Proceeds from the banquet benefit the Gilliland House.

About the cabin

Hendricks said she is trying to raise community awareness about the Gilliland House and its log cabin. They are hoping that local schools, individuals and groups, including horse show guests in town, will come take a tour of the log cabin and the historical center.

Committee members meet at the historical museum, which is actually Gilliland's former home about once a month. While the center has received some renovations over the years, the committee decided to build the log cabin replica of his home a couple of years ago to honor the late Gilliland and serve as a reception area and meeting place for locals who want to learn about Shelbyville's African American history.

Gilliland was well known for his abilities in detailed stone work and his abilities as a brick mason.

"Gilliland's stone and brick work became an integral part of many public, commercial and residential buildings in Shelbyville," according to an entry written by Edward A. Johnson in the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. "Gilliland died in 1949, after a long life dedicated to his masonry craft and to civic affairs."

What you can do

For more information, or to make a donation to the Gilliland House, call 294-2268.

If you go

The cost to attend the Black History Awards Banquet Saturday, at the Peoples Church on Madison St., is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5 to 10, and free to all essay contest participants. All proceeds benefit the Gilliland House.