The Wynnewood State Historic Site, c. 1825, is the largest historic log cabin in Tennessee, and likely in the entire southeast. Beloved by so many people in the culturally important prehistoric area of Castalian Springs, Tennessee, this early stagecoach stop has always had a unique spirit and sense of place and once was operated as a Victorian resort. Jessie James actually spent the night there himself. But in 2008, that legacy was nearly lost when the site was all but destroyed by a tornado heavily damaging the main structure while completely ripping apart other out buildings.
Galvanized by a sense of mission to rebuild this nationally recognized landmark, Centric partnered with the State and community leaders to restore the site. The outcome far exceeded anyone's expectations. Today, tourism has grown, and these historic buildings are in a renewed state of preservation that surpasses their condition before the tornado. The success of the room interpretations has never been better and the educational experience for visitors and school groups greatly enhanced.
"To restore these fifteen buildings and other site features, it required actual sorting of the remaining debris for reuse and analysis of the structural integrity of the remaining structures. It also required exhaustive research to find documentation of their former designs, including requests in newspapers and other media for old photographs (even wedding photographs) so that our efforts to restore it were as close as possible. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle. But, the outcome far exceeded even my own high expectations." — Jim Thompson, Project Manager
Awards:The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County 2009 Preservation Award and the Tennessee Historical Commission Certificate of Merit Award in 2012
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Landmark Structure.
