MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation wins Award of Excellence for Heritage Center exhibit

Center for Historic Preservation TAM award

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation has received an Award of Excellence from the Tennessee Association of Museums, or TAM, for the newest exhibit, “Two Families, Two Revolutions,” on display at the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County.

“We are grateful to the Tennessee Association of Museums for this prestigious award for our exhibit,” said MTSU history professor Carroll Van West, director of the Center for Historic Preservation as well as the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, which sponsored and curated the exhibit.

Awards are based on creativity, originality, resourcefulness, success, support of museum mission statement, and utilization of staff and volunteers.

“Once again, Tennessee museums showed their creativity, resourcefulness, commitment and heart, while providing outstanding programs and opportunities for their audiences,” said Tori Mason, chair of the TAM Awards Committee. “Our state is fortunate to have so many excellent museums and historic sites that are committed to providing exceptional exhibitions, events and educational programming for visitors to enjoy.”

Middle Tennessee State University alumna Abby Jo Mullis, a 2024 public history graduate student, sits on the floor while working on assembling artifacts for the Center for Historic Preservation exhibit, “Two Revolutions, Two Families,” on display at the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The exhibit, on display through 2026, features heirlooms from two Tennessee families who were shaped by war. (Submitted photo) — Middle Tennessee State University alumna Abby Jo Mullis, a 2024 public history graduate student, sits on the floor while working on assembling artifacts for the Center for Historic Preservation exhibit, “Two Families, Two Revolutions,” on display at the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The exhibit, on display through 2026, features heirlooms from two Tennessee families who were shaped by war. (Submitted photo)

A team effort was needed to assemble the collection of artifacts. In addition to West, the exhibit team included Abby Coomes, Laura Holder, Kate Hughes, Taylor Means, Abby Jo Mullis and Amy NeeSmith.

Lasting legacies in the state

“Two Families, Two Revolutions” compares and contrasts the material lives of two Tennessee families — the Armstrongs and Gardners — who personified the spirit of the United States.

Laura Holder, federal liaison for the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area at Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation in Murfreesboro, Tenn., holds the Award of Excellence from the Tennessee Association of Museums for the exhibit, “Two Families, Two Revolutions,” on display at the Heritage Center, 225 W. College St. in Murfreesboro. (Photo illustration by Nancy DeGennaro)

In 1782 as the Revolutionary War was ending, William Armstrong Sr. traveled to the Holston River Valley in East Tennessee to search for new opportunities.

In 1865 just as the Civil War was ending, Mat Gardner moved into Middle Tennessee’s Duck River Valley as a newly emancipated freedman.

Both men and their families built lasting, influential farms and established institutions that nurtured and inspired their communities for generations.

“Here are two Tennessee families, one white from East Tennessee, one Black from Middle Tennessee, who experienced freedom in different ways and at different times,” West explained. “But they reflected values and traditions that everyone shares. They built farms, churches, schools, and served in the military.”

The Heritage Center display features handcrafted furniture the families acquired, books they read, handstitched quilts and textiles they produced, and the games and toys they provided for their children.

Through these tangible tokens of daily life, the exhibit exemplifies the rich stories of these civic-minded and hardworking families from the time of Tennessee’s early statehood to the present day.

A butter churn and latticework chair from the family of Mat Gardner, left, and a handmade cherry wood side table from the family of William Armstrong Sr. are all part of the Center for Historic Preservation exhibit, “Two Families, Two Revolutions,” on display at The Heritage Center, 225 W. College St. in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The exhibit was curated by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, a partnership unit of the National Park Service administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. (Submitted photos/MTSU photo illustration by Nancy DeGennaro)

How to see the exhibit

The exhibit, created as a lead-up to the 250^th birthday of the United States in 2026, is on display from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, 225 W. College Street in downtown Murfreesboro. Admission is free and open to the public.

For additional information, call 615-217-8013 and visit the website at bit.ly/3WWCCHx. The center features interactive exhibits, public programs and educational events spotlighting stories from the history of Rutherford County, Tennessee.

The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a joint venture with Main Street Murfreesboro/Rutherford County, Rutherford County government, and the city of Murfreesboro. The Heritage Center is managed by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, a partnership unit of the National Park Service administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)