Murfreesboro is the small city that has no intention to stop growing. It was deemed one of the fastest growing cities in the country back in 2000 because of an explosive population increase of 53 percent over 10 years. Now, the construction projects and renovations on almost every corner serve as a reminder that the city is constantly expanding and taking on more residents.
However, in 1936, Murfreesboro was a humble, family town with a bustling square and small teacher’s college. At this time, there was a high school student named Richard Claude Shacklett who sought out to document his growing town by photographing the buildings and people. He had his own small studio which eventually expanded into the business, Shacklett’s Photography.
Today, Shacklett’s daughter, Gloria Christy, owns Shacklett’s Photography on the square. Customers still come in to reminisce with her about Murfreesboro’s past. One customer recalls his former kindergarten schoolhouse on College Street from close to 60 years back. Others visit Christy to have their old family photos restored to have as keepsakes. Recording and preserving Murfreesboro’s heritage is a legacy that has been passed down from father to daughter.
Now, Christy has teamed up with Dr. Bren Martin, of MTSU’s history department, to restore and preserve all the negatives that Shacklett created in 1936.
“Our goal is to create a method to collect, record and research the data found in the negatives,” said Christy. “It’s labor intensive but we are learning.”
Dr. Martin and his graduate students have successfully restored, cataloged and digitized close to 280 photos. The photos will later be stored in the county archives to keep accurate documentation of Murfreesboro’s history.
“This partnership has presented a great way to give graduates practice in good exhibit technique and overall experience in handling the photographs,” said Dr. Martin.
This joint effort has resulted in the newest display featured at the Heritage Center. The 21-photo display features historical buildings such as the Polk Hotel. The hotel’s former site is on the square where SunTrust Bank is currently located. Other photos depict a college football game, local businesses, the firehouse and damage from the 1913 tornado.
“Murfreesboro residents can get a sense of history and how much the town has changed. We’ve forgotten that we were a small, rural town,” said Christy.
Dr. Martin has plans to continue the restoration project with Shacklett’s Photography.
“Murfreesboro has grown and in the process the identity of the town has changed,” said Dr. Martin. “Hopefully this will restore the identity of the community.”
For more information on Shacklett’s Photography, visit shacklettsphotography.com.
