News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Overton County Commissioners are donating a piece of history to the Fair Board, including historic logs from the Moses Fisk House.
The home used to sit near the entrance of Standing Stone. Moses Fisk, a pioneer of the late 1700s, established the first school for girls in the south in Hilham. The county also donated lumber from the old Livingston Church of Christ building. The Overton County Fair Association’s Bob Matthews said they are going to build two walls out of the material and put them on display under the grandstands.
“It’s just a part of history, and we would like to display them at the fairgrounds during our fair,” Matthews said. “When people come through viewing the exhibits underneath the grandstand, they’ll see that and learn a little bit more about Overton County.”
The Livingston Church of Christ building burned during the Civil War. Fisk’s house was demolished due to its poor condition. Celina was named after Fisk’s daughter.
Matthews said preserving this piece of Overton County history is important for the entire community.
“It brings the community together, and we need more people especially young people to get more involved and more interested in that,” Matthews said. “As we get older we do get more interested in it. Sometimes you don’t realize it as a young person as you get older you get more interested in it because you become part of history.”
Commissioners considered auctioning off the lumber before donating it to the fair board. Matthews said he hoped the project would be on display for fair-goers to see next year.
“I think we should all learn about the history,” Matthews said. “Knowing more about where your family roots came from. Knowing what went on in the county. Myself and the Fair Board feel like that that’s important. We need to preserve our history and just not forget it.”
