Murfreesboro's historic Public Square could soon carry the weight of a national designation, as Main Street Murfreesboro works to add the downtown business district to the National Register of Historic Places. The nonprofit scheduled a public town hall for Tuesday evening to walk property and business owners through the proposal, which organizers say could bring both recognition and financial upside to the proposed district.
The session was scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. at Main Street Murfreesboro's office at 225 West College Street, and attendance was open to the public with no RSVP required, according to wgnsradio.com. A project consultant was expected to explain the work underway and detail the formal nomination process required for National Register consideration, the station reported. As News Channel 5 Nashville reported, organizers expect to learn next year whether the district meets the requirements for listing.
What a Listing Could Mean for Property Owners
A National Register designation does not automatically unlock financial benefits, but MTSU Sidelines has described listing as a first step toward eligibility for federal preservation tax credits. Per the Tennessee Historical Commission, those credits require projects to meet additional certification and review requirements beyond listing itself. Still, the potential payoff is significant: the same wgnsradio.com report notes that owners of commercial properties in the district may qualify to apply for the Federal Historic Tax Credit Program, which provides a 20% income tax credit for approved rehabilitation projects.
The Tennessee Historical Commission separately describes a state-level 20% historic tax credit for certified historic structures, with projects reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service's Technical Preservation Services division. News Channel 5 Nashville reported that the proposed designation could also enable downtown property owners to apply for state grants for property enhancement projects, in addition to the federal tax credit route.
A 40-Year Push to Preserve the Square
Main Street Murfreesboro has worked to preserve and enhance downtown Murfreesboro for 40 years, according to News Channel 5 Nashville. The organization is a nonprofit that works to enhance the historic district's appearance, identify opportunities for new businesses and build community partnerships, per mtsusidelines.com. The group's own site describes downtown as spanning 20 blocks centered on a Public Square that surrounds the 1859 Rutherford County Courthouse, with side streets home to roughly 400 locally owned businesses, according to mainstreetmurfreesboro.org.
Sarah Callender hopes downtown property and business owners will view the designation as an opportunity to strengthen the community's connection to its past, News Channel 5 Nashville reported. That sense of history runs deep in some corners of downtown: Keaton Pettit, who works at Johnson & Bailey Architects near the square, told the outlet the firm discovered a building behind its offices was constructed in 1810, which the firm described as the oldest building in Middle Tennessee. Pettit called being part of that historic downtown fabric “neat.”
Part of a Broader Downtown Planning Push
The National Register effort is unfolding alongside other downtown planning work. Main Street Murfreesboro received a $300,000 state grant in 2024 to fund downtown improvements, according to wkrn.com, which noted that Murfreesboro was one of six Middle Tennessee communities to receive such funding. The station also reported that the organization has been surveying residents about downtown priorities, including top issues and desired business types, with results set to guide the group's plan for the next two years.
Main Street's stated preservation priorities include encouraging adaptive reuse of historic buildings and incorporating preservation practices into city planning, according to locable.com. Organizers have said they expect to learn next year whether the proposed district meets the requirements for National Register listing, leaving the Public Square's bid for national recognition still an open question for now.
