Budget
$363,000.00
Description
The Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) has a strategic five-year plan to complete the total restoration of Pickett Chapel by 2027 for the 200th anniversary year of the slave-built 1827 sanctuary in Lebanon. On the National Register of Historic Places since 1977, Pickett Chapel must adhere to the National Park Service (NPS) Secretary of the Interior Standards for the work under the Tennessee Main Street Program in the Historic Square District.

WCBHC's main projects are repairing the barrel-vaulted ceiling by late fall 2022, and installing an HVAC system before early spring 2023 in the building. As a multi-functional space, Pickett Chapel will have archival museum displays along its walls that can be concealed when leased for public and private events.

Until that can be finished, WCBHC dedicated its new Annex with a gallery for arts, culture, and humanities programs on June 18, 2022, along with a learning library, conference area, offices, and restrooms.
Program Successes
The new Annex was given rave reviews by the public officials who dedicated it on June 18, 2022, during the Juneteenth Street Festival, and the visitors who came through on guided history tours of Pickett Chapel.

Pickett Chapel also has visible signs of the restoration since the installation of the double front doors through a grant in 2017 from The Community Foundation, and the roof and cupola that were supported by a grant beginning in 2016 from the State of Tennessee.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Historic Preservation & Conservation 
Beneficiaries
General Public
Black/African American
Families
Long-term Success
Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) expects to have Pickett Chapel fully operational with staff by 2027 after its completion, and to revitalize the traditional African American neighborhood of Market Street toward the economic development in Lebanon.

Through historic preservation, Pickett Chapel will become a community cultural center for year-round education, events, and exhibits for generations from MLK Day in January, Black History Month in February, Women's History Month in March, African American archeology and architecture in April and May, Juneteenth in June, black sports and athletes in July, kids back-to-school activities in August, African American farmers and gardening in September, folk tales and storytelling in October, Friendsgiving in November, and Kwanzaa in December.

Pickett Chapel will also have a sustainable income for the future, since the WCBHC can lease it to other groups for their activities during off-hours for the museum.
Short-term Success
Five years in the planning, Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) achieved a milestone on June 18, 2022, with the opening of its new $95,000 Annex during its Juneteenth Street Festival.

An interior designer volunteer for the WCBHC lined the walls of its gallery with African-American oil paintings and prints, and laid out the reading room and offices with in-kind donations of furniture. In the Annex, WCBHC can now have monthly meetings in its 950 square feet of space instead of having to gather in homes or other locations.
Program Success Monitored By
Historical preservation architects, structural engineers, contractors, and departments of federal, state, and local government to the established National Park Service Secretary of Interior Standards.
Program Areas Served
None

Budget
$2,000.00
Description
The Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) is undertaking two grounds projects for agriculture and archeology during the restoration of Pickett Chapel.

WCBHC intends for landscaping around the slave-built 1827 sanctuary to be a Heritage Peace Garden with native plants about African American farming in Wilson County, and black art installations as to the religion, Civil Rights, and education background at Pickett Chapel through the years.

WCBHC will conduct the site exploration through primary sources, county and city records, oral histories, and interviews. Two local archeologists began digs in 2013 at Pickett Chapel, and found artifacts from the 1800s as to worship and other activities on the property. They have supporting materials from 1900 to 1930 from the Nashville Globe newspaper for African Americans and denominational data from the Central Conference for the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Program Successes
The Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) recruited 33 employees of FedEx for a volunteer work day on May 10, 2022, to do some clean-up around Pickett Chapel of the bricks from 1827 and brush on the grounds. They donated a total of 78 hours, while also planting four trees and other flowers for the Heritage Peace Garden.

The artifacts were discovered from the 1800s with undergraduate students during 2013 from Middle Tennessee State University, and the archeologists have conducted guided site tours of Pickett Chapel and made presentations about their digs at the Mt. Juliet Public Library and Lebanon Public Library.
Beneficiaries
Black/African American
Adults
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Long-term Success
The Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) will rely on the expertise of a historic preservation landscape designer for the projects at the Heritage Peace Garden on the grounds. The WCBHC will seek assistance from the University of Tennessee-Tennessee State University Agricultural Extension Services, the Wilson County Master Gardeners, the Future Farmers of America, and the 4-H Clubs for maintenance.

WCBHC will continue to recruit both students and teachers to work with archeologists for digs on the grounds in the future. Middle Tennessee State University. Tennessee State University, and Cumberland University all have history departments which been interested in the educational opportunities.
Short-term Success
The Heritage Peace Garden has a beautiful handmade cross that was donated by local Methodist for Pickett Chapel, and it was installed in a circle beside the new Annex that is surrounded by flowers. Some trees were planted on the lawn in the memory of local African American leaders in Wilson County.

The Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) has an annual Heritage Peace Garden celebration with speakers to explain both agriculture and archeology projects. Besides having guided tours, WCBHC also has a volunteer work day then to improve the curb appeal of Pickett Chapel around Market Street.
Program Success Monitored By
Agriculture experts, archeologists, and accredited history educators
Program Areas Served
None

Budget
$20,000.00
Description
The Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) has both a short-term and long-range plan through 2027 for the operation of an arts, humanities, and cultural museum during the restoration of Pickett Chapel.

WCBHC will have temporary education, events, and exhibits about African Americans in Wilson County until the permanent displays can be installed inside the slave-built 1827 sanctuary. Some of these will be in the new Annex that was dedicated on June 18, 2022, for special festivities, and others will be in the hard-hat zone of Pickett Chapel for guided tours by appointment or during activities between construction.
Program Successes
The new Annex has become a focal point for the vision for the rest of Pickett Chapel as a museum. Now, the public can see an array of African American art and artifacts that the Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) has in an attractive gallery.



Beneficiaries
General Public
Black/African American
Families
Long-term Success
With Pickett Chapel under restoration, the Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) knows the museum will be in transition until the slave-built 1827 sanctuary is finished by 2027 over the next five years. WCBHC will develop interim African American humanities, arts, and cultural exhibits which can be taken to other locations.

WCBHC wants to offer a Traveling Trunks program on loan to Wilson County Schools for K-12 students for architecture and engineering curriculum around the restoration of Pickett Chapel. This would be in a Traveling Trunk for general African American history, which would also include other lessons. WCBHC would also like the Traveling Trunks for Civil Rights and black arts to go into Wilson County Public Libraries for summer reading programs.

WCBHC wants to organize a team of university professors, high school and middle school teachers, and interns who can also create activities for kids around the Traveling Trunks.
Short-term Success
Since the new Annex was opened on June 18, 2022, the Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) has moved some of its artifacts and archives from temporary storage into its art gallery and learning library.

While Pickett Chapel is under historic preservation, WCBHC also wants to order some portable photo panels that can tell the story of the architecture, archeology, arts, and agriculture for hard-hat tours during construction. WCBHC can also transport these fold-up screens to other buildings around Wilson County for visitors to read about Pickett Chapel.

WCBHC wants to have these mobile displays by its 20th anniversary year in 2023 as a nonprofit for its programming for annual events such as Black History Month.
Program Success Monitored By
The Wilson County Black History Committee (WCBHC) Board
Program Areas Served
None