TSLA marks 62 years in our current building

On this day in history, the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) celebrates an important anniversary. Sixty-two years ago, on June 17, 1953, TSLA opened the doors to our current facility with a formal ceremony to mark the historic occasion.

Program for the formal opening of the Tennessee State Library and Archives building, June 17, 1953.
Tennessee State Library and Archives Collection

Of course, the State Library and Archives is much older than that, created in 1854 in response to an Act of the Tennessee General Assembly. Prior to the move to our current location, for nearly a century the State Library and Archives occupied a room in the State Capitol, now known as the legislative lounge. By 1947, however, Governor Jim McCord and members of the General Assembly recognized the need for more space and better facilities to care for our historic collections. They created the Library Building Commission to begin work on plans for a new building located adjacent to the Tennessee Supreme Court Building and across the street from the State Capitol. The commission's work culminated in the construction of the building currently in use today.

A photograph of the Tennessee State Library and Archives building taken on July 17, 1956, a few short years after it opened in 1953.
State Library and Archives Agency Photographs

On May 3, 1952, Governor Gordon Browning delivered opening remarks during the cornerstone and dedication ceremonies at the construction site. He boldly described the building as a place "where the valuable and pricelesss archives materials of our State can be organized and preserved," marking a "milestone on our road to high destiny in spiritual and cultural achievement."

Though technologies have changed, photographs taken immediately following the opening reveal a space not much different than today.

A view of the "Tennessee Room" of the Tennessee State Library and Archives building, in the South Wing, Sept. 1, 1953.
State Library and Archives Agency Photographs

Researchers make use of early microfilm readers in the "Tennessee Room" of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, circa 1960.
State Library and Archives Agency Photographs

Sixty-two years later, while our current building exists as a historical milestone, the need for more space and adequate facilities to meet customer demands of the 21st Century has prompted an effort to locate suitable space for a new Library and Archives facility. Secretary of State Tre Hargett put the need for a new building into perspective recently with remarks published in April of this year:

http://sos.tn.gov/news/executive/new-state-library-and-archives-building-needed-preserve-our-history

As we mark more than six decades in our current building, we hope you'll take this opportunity to share this post with others as a reminder of the importance of our collective heritage.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.