Statements
Mission
The Friends of Lonesome Historic Site is a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to preserve and develop Lonesome Historic Site for present and future generations.
Background
Our parent organization, The Friends of Lonesome, was founded in 2015 to preserve Lonesome cabin and its site, which is located on Highway 96 in Burns, TN, about 30 miles west of Nashville. The current organization, The Friends of Lonesome Historic Site, Inc., was formed as a 501(c)3 non-profit in August, 2018. As a relatively new non-profit, we are a small organization, but we have the large mission of preserving and restoring Lonesome cabin and its site, and sharing it with the community and with visitors. Our organization includes both descendants of the original owners and local preservationists. The site has received an official Tennessee Historical Marker, and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Impact
The Friends of Lonesome Historic Site, Inc. seeks to preserve and restore the log cabin called Lonesome, a pioneer cabin built around 1820. The cabin, still in its original location and with a family cemetery on the property, is a time capsule of 200 years of Tennessee history. The significance of the site has already been recognized by the award of a Tennessee historical marker. The preservation of the site will positively impact historical understanding of the settlement of Middle Tennessee through public access to the cabin and its surroundings, educational programs for visitors, and school field trips created to align with state curriculum standards. The survival of the cabin will also enhance local historic preservation efforts, and provide an attractive, accessible venue for local events. In 2018 and early 2019, through grants from CFMT, two web-based programs for school field trips were completed, one dealing with the history of the site, and the second with nature and the environment. Both programs are aligned with TN curriculum standards, and are also accessible to all visitors through our website. Through the Big Payback program of CFMT in May 2020, the Friends of Lonesome raised over $15,000 toward the restoration of the cabin. Lonesome's official TN Historical Marker was installed in December 2018, and formally unveiled in June 2019, before a large crowd of supporters. School field trips expected to begin in the spring of 2020 were unfortunately delayed by the COVID 19 pandemic and the closing of schools. We hope to see those begin in the near future, and we have recruited a local historian to expand the program.. An Austin cousin, who is a geophysicist, donated his time and equipment to complete a preliminary survey of the Austin cemetery in June 2019, and has analyzed the data. Further surveys of the cemetery were carried out in 2020 and 2021, meeting the standards of the Tennessee Historical Commission. Our goals for 2023 build on past accomplishments. First, our application for listing on the National Register of Historic Places was approved by the TN Historic Commission in January 2021, and received final approval from the National Park Service in April 2021. In addition, a local donor has provided sufficient funds to restore the cabin, with work nearly complete in May 2023. Second, we have applied for and received a grant from CFMT to prepare a school field trip for the cemetery, entitled "If these graves could talk," which is currently nearing completion. Third, a generous donor has provided funds to support the creation of a professional Master Plan for the site which will reach well into the future, and was completed in the summer of 2022 . In October 2021, we celebrated the Bicentennial of the cabin, with participation from a number of local groups and a large number of visitors in attendance. Many local organizations and individuals are interested in using the site for various events.
Needs
The most important event of 2021 for Lonesome was the gift of sufficient funds to fully restore the cabin, so that eventually we can add artifacts and make it the museum of early Tennessee settlement we envision. With the restoration of the cabin complete, as well as a Master Plan, the future protection and development of the site is secure. However, we still need funds for capital improvements to make the site accessible, attractive and enjoyable for visitors including all-weather roads and parking, an improved pavilion, projected walking trails along Beaverdam Creek, and proper restrooms. To that end, we have raised more than $350,000 in matching funds for donations. The family cemetery, which contains the graves of the cabin's builders, William and Dicy Austin, and their descendants, is in need of attention. Some grave markers have disappeared under vines and soil. Two surveys to establish the location of all burials have been completed, but further research will be required. Work is now in progress, under the guidance of the TN Historical Commission, to provide appropriate fencing, including a rock wall and an antique iron gate.
CEO Statement
We have no CEO at this time. The President functions as CEO.
Board Chair Statement
These logs and stones have stories to tell, and it is our mission to see that those stories are told. Lonesome cabin has survived for 200 years in the hands of one family, whereas most pioneer cabins have been lost to the ravages of time. Our double goal is to preserve and restore the cabin as a museum of pioneer life, and to make it and its site a destination for schools, tourists, and the community. We have already had substantive successes. The TN Dept. of Transportation has installed an official state historical marker on Highway 96, and the cabin has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. We have received generous gifts for the restoration of the cabin and the development of a Master Plan for the entire site. Our commitment to education remains strong with a school field trip program aligned to state social studies curriculum standards and accessed by cell phone. Thanks to grants from CFMT, another program for the environment is now finished, and a further program focused on the cemetery, entitled "If these graves could talk" is nearing completion. We eagerly await the abatement of the Covid 19 pandemic, so that student field trips can begin. Although we have been fortunate to receive some generous gifts, fund raising continues, as substantial monies will be necessary to execute the Master Plan, as well as maintaining ongoing operating expenses. Public awareness is also a challenge. In addition to our web and social media presence, we will be working with the local Chamber of Commerce and preservation organizations to broaden awareness and appreciation of our little cabin in the hollow. Several local organizations are using the pavilion for regular open-air meetings. We hope that more groups will quickly discover it. Our recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places should open new avenues for publicity and funding.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - Historical Societies & Historic Preservation |
| Secondary Category: | Education - Elementary & Secondary Schools |
| Tertiary Category: | Environment - Natural Resources Conservation & Protection |
Areas Served
Although the site is most easily accessed from Dickson county, it is only 30 miles from Nashville, and we want to encourage schools and visitors from that area to make a day trip out to the country to visit the cabin and enjoy the natural beauty of the site.
| TN - Dickson |
