MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - The Rutherford County Chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities is adding a lively twist to its upcoming meeting by welcoming the Cripple Creek Cloggers for a special performance. The event takes place Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 2 p.m. inside Oaklands Maney Hall, offering a blend of local history and local artistry under one roof.
For the APTA, this gathering is another chapter in a long story of Tennesseans stepping up to protect the places that define the state. The statewide organization began in 1951 when a group of civic‑minded Nashville women rallied to save the Belle Meade Mansion from development. Their determination sparked a preservation movement that spread across Tennessee, eventually inspiring the creation of the Rutherford County Chapter in 1952. That makes the local chapter the oldest in the state, and one of the earliest in the nation.
Today, the APTA’s reach stretches from the mountains of East Tennessee to the river delta of Memphis, with historic site markers dotting the landscape and nine chapters caring for everything from grand antebellum homes to humble blacksmith shops. The organization’s philosophy has always been simple: no piece of history is too small to matter. And its work continues only because everyday citizens choose to support it through membership and charitable giving.
That community‑powered model has had a ripple effect far beyond preservation. By employing historians, artisans, and restoration experts, the APTA has strengthened Tennessee’s tourism economy, expanded educational opportunities, and helped sustain cultural traditions that might otherwise have been lost.
Inviting the Cripple Creek Cloggers—founded by Kittrell's Steve Cates and now in their 58th year of sharing Appalachian dance worldwide—feels like a natural fit. Both groups are rooted in heritage, fueled by volunteers, and committed to passing something meaningful to the next generation. Their March 22 program promises an afternoon that celebrates not just what Tennessee has preserved, but what it continues to keep alive.
