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News

The Bell Witch: The Scariest Ghost Story in Tennessee

By Meghan E. Gattignolo  On a secluded farm about 30 minutes from Clarksville, in Adams, Tennessee, lies the Bell Family Farm and the Bell Witch Cave. One of the most documented cases of a haunting in American history, most people have heard the story of the Bell Witch. Not only is it the most widely…

Telling Stories and Capturing Moods: Todd Saal’s Watercolor Journey

By Meghan E. Gattignolo  Few things are more dream-inducing than diluted pastel pigments on creamy white paper. The colors drip into each other like raindrops pulling down the color from the sky. Images in a watercolor painting appear as if a splash of water alone created it, so intuitive and effortless they seem to be. In…

Valentine Sevier: Early Clarksville Pioneer

By Meghan E. Gattignolo   The first non-indigenous residents of the Clarksville area were Revolutionary War veterans looking for new adventures and financial opportunities. John Montgomery – the namesake of Montgomery County – had established the town of Clarksville by 1784. Montgomery fought with Brigadier General George Rogers Clark during the Revolution and named the new…

Top 3 Reasons to Go See Tennessee Craft: A Statewide Member Exhibition 

By Meghan E. Gattignolo   For many people, art means a canvas covered in paint or a carved statue. Artistic expression can be found over many different kinds of media, however. For decades, Tennessee Craft has celebrated and highlighted artists who love to create with a broader brush. The organization supports member creators by giving them opportunities…

September 15, 1821: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 

By Meghan E. Gattignolo  September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. Ronald Reagan extended Hispanic Heritage Week into a 31-day period in 1988 to recognize the influence and achievements of people from Hispanic backgrounds. September 15 was chosen as the start date for one specific reason: it coincides with the independence days of five…

Historic Greenwood Cemetery Tours are Back!

By Meghan E. Gattignolo  September is here, and with the change in month comes the promise of cool air, falling leaves, cozy sweaters and… cemetery tours!    Yes, the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s popular Historic Greenwood Cemetery Walking Tours are back this year starting September 23. Every other Saturday until the end of…

A Closer Look at The Big & the Small of It

By Meghan E. Gattignolo   The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is a place to discover new artists and get inspired by new and dexterous exhibits. The Big & the Small of It by the artist collective Women. Artists. Masters. is no exception.   This amazing traveling exhibit features three different artists who have come together…

Bombs and Birdcages: Tennessee’s Nuclear Past is Close to Home

By Meghan E. Gattignolo  As Oppenheimer continues to be a big box office draw, the threat of nuclear war might seem remote to many moviegoers. The creation of atomic bombs and the threat of worldwide nuclear war feels like the past and has nothing to do with our lives today, or even our personal history. …

There’s Something for Everyone at Clarksville’s Museum 

By Meghan E. Gattignolo Have you visited the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center yet? If I had a penny for every time someone said to me, “I didn’t know Clarksville had a museum” with shock and surprise when I suggested they visit, I would…  Well, I wouldn’t be rich, but I’d have a lot of pennies….

A Celebration of Creativity: 3 Reasons to Go See the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Annual Staff Art Show

By Meghan E. Gattignolo Not everyone gets to express their creativity at work, but at least once a year, staff members here at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center do! Call it a perk of the job. About 12 years ago, Curator of Exhibits Terri Jordan staged a staff art show on an inspired…