Community Organizations

Smith County Heritage Museum
Smith County Heritage Museum began as a result of an alliance in 2001 between the Historical and Genealogical Society and the Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of creating a museum for Smith County.

In 2003, the City of Carthage presented the museum with the opportunity to lease, (at no cost), the former W.E. Stephens building to house their collections. After significant renovation, during which an outpouring of generosity from board members, volunteers, community and family exceeded everyone’s expectations, the doors to the museum first opened in the fall of 2004.

The opening exhibit,” Turning Point- 1880-1930: The Twentieth Century Comes to Smith County”, was created by Dr. Brenden Martin, Professor of Public History at MTSU, won an award at the Tennessee Association of Museums Conference for the collaboration with MTSU in starting up a museum.

Other exhibits have been accomplished in 10 years since then. “Century Farms in Smith County”, (also a winner of a small museums award for community involvement); “WWll in Smith County”; “Roots Music in Smith County”;-which accompanied an exhibit prepared by the Smithsonian Institution; “Hoofbeats in the Heartland- Calvary of the Civil War”;-prepared by the Tennessee State Museum. Their most recent exhibit in progress,” An Occupied City-Carthage during the Civil War” is slated for completion by the spring of 2013.

Smith County Heritage Museum has been recently awarded a grant through the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) to work through the Stewardship of Collections section of the Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations.

Our Museum continues to exhibit the proud heritage of Smith County. Only artifacts of local origin and families are accepted into their collections.