National Register of Historic Places

Lane College Historic District

Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee
Listed
July 1, 1987
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
87001117

About this property

Lane College is a private historically black college associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and located in Jackson, Tennessee. It offers associate and baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences. Lane College was founded in 1882 by the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (C.M.E.; now known as Christian Methodist Episcopal Church) as the C.M.E. High School. It was named after Methodist Bishop Isaac Lane, who co-founded the school. Planning for the school had begun in 1878, but the establishment was delayed by a yellow fever epidemic in the region in 1878. Its primary purpose was the education of newly freed enslaved persons, and the original curriculum focused on the preparation of "teachers and preachers." It became Lane Institute in 1883. In 1887, Rev. T. F. Saunders, a White former enslaver, and a member of the Memphis Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was appointed the first president of Lane Institute. In 1896 the college department was formed, and the Board of Trustees voted to change the name to Lane College. Around 1902, many letters were written calling for a Black president for Lane College to the Christian Index, a magazine published by the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1903, James Albert Bray, a Black graduate of Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) was elected president of Lane College, after T. F. Saunders resignation. Lane College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate's and bachelor's degrees. The Lane College Department of Athletics sponsors men's intercollegiate baseball, basketball, football, cross country, and tennis, along with women's intercollegiate softball, basketball, cross country, volleyball, and tennis. The school's athletic teams are nicknamed the Dragons and compete in Division II of the NCAA. The athletic teams compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Former Lane football player Jacoby Jones became the first player in history to score a receiving touchdown and a return touchdown in a Super Bowl as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. SS Lane Victory, a World War II Victory ship, one of the few surviving, was named for Lane College. It is now docked in San Pedro, California (which is part of the commercial harbor area of Los Angeles to the south of downtown). It is now open as a museum.

Location

Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee
35.62818, -88.80733

Categories

BLACKEDUCATIONARCHITECTURERELIGION
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Lane College Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Industrial
0.2 mi
Northwood Avenue Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Mt. Olivet Cemetery
Listed
0.6 mi
Ross-Sewell House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Oakslea Place
Early Republic
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Forrest's West Tennessee Raid 1862
1862Civil War
1 mi
Forrest's First West Tennessee Raid
1862Civil War
1 mi
Battle of Jackson, Tennessee
1862Civil War
1 mi
Battle of Britton's Lane
1861Civil War
2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lane College Historic District listed on the National Register?

Lane College Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Lane College Historic District?

Lane College Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lane College Historic District?

The period of significance for Lane College Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Lane College Historic District?

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