GRAND JUNCTION DEPOT PLANNING RENOVATIONS THANKS TO TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM GRANT
The Grand Junction Depot, a crucial component of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, is set to receive much needed renovations thanks to a $67,500 Capital Maintenance and Improvements grant from the Tennessee State Museum. The grant, which is part of a broader initiative to support non-profit museums, will fund several key projects, including window replacement and roof repairs.
This grant is part of a $5 million initiative created by the Tennessee General Assembly, which aims to preserve historical landmarks across the state. As the TVRM continues its mission of providing educational railroad experiences, these improvements will help maintain the authenticity and safety of the site.
Press Release:
TENNESSEE VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM AWARDED A CAPITAL MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS GRANT FROM THE TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM
GRANT WILL BE USED FOR BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS AT GRAND JUNCTION CAMPUS
CHATTANOOGA, TN 10/15/24 – Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a recipient of a $67,500 grant for Capital Maintenance and Improvements from the State of Tennessee as administered through the Tennessee State Museum. The grant award will be used for window replacement in the 42 year old Grand Junction Depot, additional electrical upgrades in the coach yard and roof repair to the main office building.
The Tennessee General Assembly made available $5 million in funding from the 2024-2025 Appropriations Act, “for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenance and improvements.”
It was a highly competitive process. In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 157 applications, totaling $10.5M in funding requests for the $5M appropriation. As of this release, the Museum has made full or partial awards to 83 museums across the state, representing 46 counties.
“In our second year facilitating this funding, we continue to be inspired by the incredible work being done throughout the state by our strong network of Tennessee museums and historic sites,” said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director. “This grant is an extension of our mission to preserve of the history, art, and culture of Tennessee by supporting the efforts of local, regional, and state institutions. We again thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their support for Tennessee museums.”
Charles Googe, Education Coordinator and Museum Collection Curator states “we are thrilled at the opportunity provided by the State of Tennessee’s Capital Improvements grant program. Through this award, made possible by the Tennessee General Assembly and facilitated by the Tennessee State Museum, site improvements made to our existing grounds and facilities will enable us to continue providing impactful and educational railroad experiences for our guests, patrons, and supporters across the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley.”
The Capital Maintenance and Improvements grant had a minimum request amount of $5,000 and a maximum request amount of $100,000. All projects must be completed by June 30, 2025.
About Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Chattanooga welcomed its first rail line with the arrival of the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1850. A few years later, in 1858, the East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad also arrived in Chattanooga. The city quickly became a railroad hub with industries springing up in the area to take advantage of the new transportation corridors.
During the Civil War, confederate and union leaders recognized Chattanooga’s strategic advantage because of its railroads, and in subsequent decades, the city’s railroad reputation gave rise to the iconic song “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”
By the late 1950s, railroads were waning as interstates and airlines made travel faster and more personal. With automobiles, Americans could choose their own schedule and stop as little or much as they wished. Passenger operations all but ended in the 1960s, and freight operations suffered as big trucks hauled much of the freight across the country.
During this period, railroad museums formed to save some of the histories of this most iconic mode of American transportation.
In Chattanooga, as steam made its last appearances on the country’s major railroads, a few railroad fans began buying steam engines and passenger cars that the railroads would otherwise have scrapped. This small collection was the beginning of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, which was founded in 1961 by a small group of local residents who were intent on trying to save some American history by preserving, restoring, and operating authentic railway equipment from the “Golden Age of Railroading.”
Railroads like the Southern Railway also made generous donations of obsolete rail cars to museums like TVRM, expanding their collections and the story the museum could tell. In addition, Southern Railway donated the original East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia roadbed (absorbed into the Southern Railway System in 1894) on which TVRM could operate.
TVRM’s passenger trains run on the historic route, which includes Missionary Ridge Tunnel, completed in 1858 and on the National Register of Historic Places. The tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the 3-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through and the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an otherwise double-track railroad, Southern Railway abandoned the 3-mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether.
Today, TVRM preserves railroad equipment not only to preserve machines but to preserve an experience as well. In providing this historical experience, TVRM hopes to educate our visitors about the importance of this industry and how it helped create the modern world in which we live.
About Tennessee State Museum
Celebrating its 87th Anniversary in 2024, the Tennessee State Museum, located on the corner of Rosa L Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, is home to 13,000 years of Tennessee art and history. Through six permanent exhibitions titled Natural History, First Peoples, Forging a Nation, The Civil War and Reconstruction, Change and Challenge and Tennessee Transforms, the Museum takes visitors on a journey – through artifacts, films, interactive displays, events and educational and digital programing – from the state’s geological beginnings to the present day. Additional temporary exhibitions explore significant periods and individuals in history, along with art and cultural movements. The Museum is free and open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. For more information on exhibitions and events, please visit TNMuseum.org.
Potential Reader Questions:
- What is the significance of Grand Junction Depot?
- The Grand Junction Depot has served as a central hub for the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and is part of Chattanooga’s long-standing rail heritage. Constructed in 1982 it is representative of a mid-size city train station. Preserving this site ensures future generations can experience its significance.
- How does this grant benefit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum?
- The grant allows TVRM to maintain and enhance its facilities, ensuring the safety and comfort of both visitors and staff, while preserving the historical integrity of the site.
- Who funded this project?
- The project is funded by the Tennessee General Assembly, with the grant administered by the Tennessee State Museum, as part of their ongoing effort to support museums across the state.
For additional details, visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum website.