Cumberland County will donate the Homestead Tower to the Tennessee State Parks System.
Cumberlands Homestead Tower Association President Brenda King said the tower was constructed in 1938 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. King said that once the association ran into funding issues, the board reached out to the state park system to see if they would be interested in the tower.
“We felt like that we were such a good fit for the state park because they have the same story as we do, and you know, we are very close to them, and they could produce a lot of visitors that visit the state park would also visit the tower and so we felt like it was a win-win for everyone,” King said.
King said the state park system has plans to continue to operate the tower as a museum. King said the state park system had an interest in the tower as it is an important piece of Cumberland County history.
“We have had lots of visitors from the state,” King said. “It’s something that they think is very positive, that they can’t tell the state park story without telling the history and the story of the things inside the tower.”
King said with the tower being donated, the Cumberlands Homestead Association will likely no longer exist.
“When it comes to the point, and all the paperwork is done correctly and the state park has the tower, we will probably dismantle our non-profit, but be assured that we are always available for volunteer work and anything that the state might need for us to do,” King said.
The Cumberland County Commission unanimously voted in favor of donating the Homestead Tower. King said the exchange of the tower will be a long process. King said she does not have an exact timeline of how long it will take, but hopes that it will be completed within a year.
