Tenn-e-Secrets: The center of it all

Credit: Tennessee State Museum

How is this a secret?  It’s a big, stone obelisk right in the very middle of Tennessee. It’s easily seen and easy to find.

True. But a bit of lore from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) students may have escaped the uninitiated.

When early Tennesseans were trying to find a spot for the state’s capitol, they went looking for its geographic center. Lawmakers back then wanted the capitol’s final location to be “in so far as is practicable, in the exact center of the state,” according to the Tennessee State Museum. The idea was the center of state would make the trip to the new capitol equal for everyone.

They chose a local math professor named James Hamilton to find that location, the museum says. He used several different formulas but finally found the center.

When it came time to decide on the new capital city though, Nashville was chosen. Even though some people, like Governor (and future U.S. President) James K. Polk, wanted it in Murfreesboro, home of the exact middle of Tennessee

For decades, the site was just a spot of land. In 1976, though, a monument was placed, marking the center of the state. It was erected by Rutherford County Historical Society to celebrate 200 years of American independence.

The obelisk there is the same shape as the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. It’s located on Old Lascassas Highway, not far from the MTSU campus. Locals just call it “The Obelisk.” Visiting the site is a fun, bucket-list trip for hardcore Tennesseans. The obelisk isn’t the center, though. A sign on it will direct you to a rock about 200 yards east.

For some MTSU students, though, visiting the site is a must. Campus legend says students will forever live in Murfreesboro unless they make an, ahem, special night time visit to the Geographic Center of Tennessee during senior year.