Murfreesboro, TN - For decades, Tennesseans believed that the obelisk on Old Lascassas Pike in Murfreesboro marked the state’s geographic center, but recent findings suggest that may not be the case. County Commissioner Pettus Read, a local historian and past president of the Rutherford County Historical Society, will be on the WGNS' Action Line radio broadcast this coming Friday morning (6/13/2025) to discuss the findings.
How was this uncovered?
A WGNS' listener sent a photo of the obelisk to the radio station and noted that it appeared the top section may be leaning? The radio station contacted historian and County Commissioner Pettus Read to get his opinion, and learned much more--the rest of the story unfolded.
When hearing of the possibility that the obelisk was leaning at the top, Read quickly contacted the Rutherford County Historical Society's President Curtis Parrish. Parrish immediately drove to the site and confirmed that the obelisk appears to be unchanged. Two Murfreesboro Police officers, who were also present, agreed that the monument does not appear to be shifting.
County Commissioner Read stated, “The structure is hand-built and not perfect, but we will compare the listener's picture to historical photographs to be certain.”
Pettus Read noted that he is concerned about the upkeep of the site, which has fallen into disrepair.
The commissioner said that last year he met with the City of Murfreesboro, and learned that neither the city nor the county owns the land—it is leased property. More surprising, the true geographic center may actually be located 300 yards east of the marker on private land, which could soon be sold.
Historic Shockwaves
However, the potential that the obelisk could be as much as 300 yards off the proper coordinates, and is located on leased land that the owner is considering selling--raises important questions about Tennessee's historical record. If confirmed, it may change how Tennesseans view the state's center and how history remembers this landmark.
History of Obelisk
The Rutherford County Historical Society originally placed the obelisk at the Old Lascassas Pike location in 1976. That was to commemorate a survey conducted in 1834 by Professor James Hamilton, who was tasked with determining the state's geographic center. The study was meant to guide the selection of a capital city, but political circumstances led officials to keep the capital in Nashville instead of moving it back to Murfreesboro, as Governor James Knox Polk had wanted. Murfreesboro served as Tennessee's state capital from 1818 to 1826.
For more details, tune to WGNS this coming Friday morning (8:15-9:00AM CDT) as historian and County Commisioner Pettus Read discusses this revelation. It will be on all WGNS channels: FM 101.9 and AM 1450 in Murfreesboro, FM 100.5 in Smyrna, and streaming worldwide at http://wgnsradio.com, along with podcasts on WGNS' website as well at the world's top 5 podcast sites (Amazon, Apple, iTune, Spotify and YouTube).
