Preserving Warren County heritage for future generations is now in the hands of new leadership.
“I’ve had a fascination with history for many years,” said Cody Prince, Heritage Alliance president. “What drew me to Heritage Alliance is they are trying to save what little bit remains of Warren County’s history. It seems like so much of it has been lost throughout the years.”
Prince joined the organization in 2009. He resigned after two years. Returning in 2018, he has served as vice president since 2019 under both Krystal Tanner, who served as president from 2019 to 2021, and Bruce Atnip, who served as president from 2021 to 2022.
Heritage Alliance is a nonprofit organization funded by donations. It established the Heritage Center and Museum on Main Street. Housed there are a wide array of photographs and artifacts that chronicle Warren County history.
The museum, located at 113 E. Main Street, will be closed temporarily as board members sort and catalog artifacts.
“As of right now, what we are trying to pursue is cataloging the vast inventory of artifacts we have,” said Prince. “We now have artifacts that were stored at the Blue Building for over a decade. We currently have a back room and an upstairs filled with items. To be honest, we don’t know what is there. So, we have closed the museum for a couple of months. We need time to go through everything to see what exactly we have.”
During the closure, members plan to continue participation in events such as Warren County A&L Fair, Autumn Street Fair, Downtown Trick or Treat, etc.
“Once the process is complete, we will reopen,” said Prince. “Hopefully, we can alternate some displays and showcase new pieces that have never been showcased before. The museum has been, pretty much, the same for a long time.”
When asked for specifics, Prince added, “Like the founding of the county. The early days of the county. Most recently, one of my favorite things recently donated to the museum was a picture. It was one of McMinnville’s earliest lawyers, who served as mayor from 1865-1868. That kind of sparked my interest in offering a display that showcases how the county has evolved over 200 years.”
Warren County was established in November 1807 and named for Revolutionary War hero Gen. Joseph Warren, the first general killed in the War of Independence. McMinnville was founded in August 1810 and named for Joseph McMinn, who was speaker of the Tennessee Senate at the time the county was created, and later Tennessee governor.
Board members also include vice president Melody Crim, treasurer Krystal Tanner, and Jimmy Haley.
