Charlotte to look at turning Old Jailer’s House into satellite museum, tourism point

The town of Charlotte will begin looking at ways to turn the historic Jailer’s House on the courthouse square into a possible satellite of the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum and the central point for tourism in the north end of the county. The town council voted Tuesday night to “figure out how we get started” on a project to make needed repairs and renovations to the home on the southeast corner of the square attached to the old jail. Charlotte-area resident Steve Shafer, a member of the chamber of commerce’s tourism committee, said the chamber is looking at ways to spread the word about various events around the county as well as coordinate historic tourism opportunities. “We’re trying to develop an overall opportunity for people to enjoy and share what’s going on in Dickson County,” Shafer told the council. With all of the historic buildings on the square, the iron industry history in Cumberland Furnace and preservation efforts in Promise Land, Shafer said there is enough to see in the north end of the county to make it a tourist destination. “It’s all here, we just need to get it together,” Shafer said. With the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum running out of exhibit space, Shafer said it would be ideal to create a satellite museum for exhibits in the Old Jailer’s House, which could also serve as the starting point for tourism in the north end. The town had applied for a state grant to renovate the house as the head end of a walking tour of the historic square and used some grant money to build a sidewalk, install lights and make other improvements to the square. Shafer said there are various organizations, such as the Charlotte Lions Club, that might be willing to volunteer labor, mentioning specifically getting started with renovations to the home’s front porch. Council members agreed that the home needs work, calling it an eyesore that is in danger of being too far gone for repairs. While Mayor Bill Davis and the council were not sure exactly how to proceed with creating a plan, several members mentioned contacting a local architect to review the building’s needs. The council unanimously passed a general motion to move ahead with the project without any specifics at this time on what will be done and how it will be funded.