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Rutherford County, Tennessee, with its government seat at Murfreesboro, sits on the banks of the Stones River in the geographic and population center of the Volunteer State, as Tennessee is known. That's why it's home to Middle Tennessee State University, now Middle Tennessee's oldest and largest public university with 23,000 students. MTSU also hosts the largest undergraduate student body in the state.
Named for Hardy Murfree, who fought in the American Revolution, Murfreesboro served as the state's capital from 1819-1826. A young city, with an average age of just 32 years, Murfreesboro's population has passed the 215,000 mark.
, and is the fastest-growing city in the state. In fact, Murfreesboro has growth rate that is more than five times the national average. And it's a well-educated community, as more than half of all adults have college degrees or higher, surely one of the university's influences.
Mainly an agricultural town in its early years after being founded in 1811, Murfreesboro was famous for its corn, cotton and tobacco crops. Before the Civil War, when Tennessee seceded from the Union, Murfreesboro had three colleges and several academies, prompting its being known as the "Athens of Tennessee."
Middle Tennessee saw serious action during the Civil War, with a battle at Stones River when Confederate forces withdrew, allowing the Union army to control the region. Of the original 4,000-acre battlefield, some 600 acres forms the Stones River National Battlefield, just outside Murfreesboro. It includes a cemetery and the Hazen Brigade Monument, which some believe is the oldest, intact Civil War monument still un its original location. Although East Tennessee held many Union sympathizers, Middle Tennessee was strongly Confederate.
The post-Civil War period was a difficult era for Murfreesboro, and its economy and education suffered. By the turn of the 20th century, however, both were beginning to turn around for Murfreesboro. The Tennessee College for Women opened in 1907, and MTSU in 1911.
In addition to MTSU, the city also is home to the Tennessee Technology Center, while Motlow State Community College, Vanderbilt University, David Lipscomb University and others are just a few minutes away.
After World War II, agriculture yielded to industry as the most important component of the region's economy. Attracting industry to Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee is made easy thanks to the quality-of-life values the city offers, especially in medical care, education, services, recreation and housing.
Transportation values attract commerce, providing jobs. Drive north along I-24 from Chattanooga, and you reach Murfreesboro about two-thirds of the distance between Chattanooga and Nashville, the capital, just 35 miles northwest. Besides I-24, soon-to-be-completed TN840 is a loop connecting I-24, I-40 and I-65, providing a direct link to Memphis to the west and Knoxville to the east along I-40. I-65, which passes through the capital, heads south to Birmingham, AL and north to I-90, just east of Chicago.
While much cultural life in Middle Tennessee takes place in Nashville, Murfreesboro has developed some independent resources. Established in 1995, the Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Center for the Arts is supported by the City of Murfreesboro and the Tennessee Arts Commission along with public and private funding.
This facility hosts a variety of cultural enterprises, including a theater and an art gallery.
Families will want to know about the Discovery Center at Murphree Springs, an interactive museum and environmental center. Hands-on exhibits and programs are designed to appeal to younger children ad well as teens.
Based in Murfreesboro, the Tennessee Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra is a community symphony drawing some of its members from the Nashville Symphony and the balance from the local community, including a few university students. It performs most of its concerts at the Tucker Theatre on the campus of MTSU.
Murfressboro, TN, presents its residents a well-rounded quality of life, with cultural, economic and educational values that make the city appealing.
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