As a monument of local and national history, the Cumberland Homesteads historic district sits five minutes south of the Cumberland County courthouse on US-127.
The volunteers of the Cumberland Homesteads Tower Association have taken responsibility to preserve the physical and historical remnants of the original homesteaders in this Tennessee community developed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program of the 1930s. Visitors can see photos, documents and artifacts of the 1930s and 1940s in the tower and house museums.
This video shows photos of the Cumberland Homesteads project archived by the Library of Congress. (Video by D. Krahulek / Full Sail University)
Doyle and Emma Vaden moved from Knoxville back to Cumberland County in 1984 to open the museums. They founded the CHTA, which oversees the preservation of the buildings and historical documents and artifacts. Emma said, “We have to save our history.”
Doyle’s and Emma’s families were two of the first 25 families chosen to build in the Cumberland Homesteads community. Struggling under economic conditions of the Depression, more than 2,000 families applied to be a part of the Cumberland Homesteads. The government interviewed all applicants to make sure it chose only hard-working and cooperative adults of excellent character.
Emma Vaden was only one year old when her parents moved to this new cooperative community just south of Crossville, Tenn. “We moved into a barn,” she said. “They lived in barns first because the barns were the first structures that they built: the barns and the chicken houses and toilets. … Mom and Dad … chose their [home] site early, and their barn was among the first ones built.”
Vaden said, “My mom and dad moved in a pick-up truck that the back of the pick up was no bigger than the top of this table, and they stopped in Crossville … and bought a kitchen stove which they didn’t own.”
In January 1984, Vaden compiled photos of the Cumberland Homesteads community into a book that includes pen-and-ink illustrations by her husband. Her book ‘Looking Back: Cumberland Homesteads Golden Anniversary Album,’ is out of print but available to review in the archives of the Art Circle Public Library in Crossville.
When visiting this historic district, visitors may climbs the 97 winding steps to the top of the water tower for a view of many of the 250 original homes. CHTA also maintains exhibits of period items and a gift shop in the tower museum. Those who plan to continue their tour to the house museum must drive through Cumberland National State Park, which was designated a “recreational area” for the residents of the Homesteads project.
Many of the furnishings on display came from original homesteader families including several pieces of furniture including beds, chairs and mattresses that were made on the Homesteads.
ACHTA members use the house museum to create a snapshot of how homesteaders of the 1930s and 1940s would have lived. Most of the displayed items belonged to families of homesteaders.
Each year the CHTA sponsors the Homesteads Apple Festival, which occurs in late September, and a Christmas tour of traditional decorated Homesteads houses in December.
Volunteers open the tower museum every day, with the exception of major holidays. From Monday to Saturday, visitors may explore the tower museum, grounds and state park facilities from 10 a.m-5 p.m. On Sundays, visitors may see the exhibits from 1-5 p.m. From April to October, the house museum is open from Monday to Saturday. Admission for adults is $4 and for children ages 6-12 is $1. Annual memberships are also available.