By Stacy Saunders
Along Highway 25 in historic Cross Plains sits a quiet treasure waiting for visitors to step inside and into years gone by. The Doctor’s House, home of the Cross Plains Heritage Museum, Library & Archives, holds more than a century of memorabilia, stories and wonder.

The house itself was built in 1902 by Dr. James Jones Covington. It was sold to Dr. James W. Thomas a few years later in order to provide for the Covington children after the death of both of their parents. Over the decades, the home became known as “The Doctor’s House” with several physicians residing under its roof at one time or another. Appropriately, photos and artifacts from those doctors and their families grace the front room of what is now a museum. Additionally, the room holds a display detailing Thomas Kilgore’s journey from North Carolina to Tennessee in 1778, an act that began the establishment of Robertson’s County’s oldest settlement.

As visitors tour The Doctor’s House, guided by city historian Ruby Covington, they will learn of Cross Plains’ three colleges as well as its many churches, schools and sports teams. Each room provides onlookers with a glimpse of the past and an appreciation of the names, faces and places that can still be found in the area.

One of the most gripping displays is in the “war room” where uniforms, photographs and other items of interest can be seen. From the Civil War through today’s Iraq War, visitors can see the progression of our nation’s armed forces and may even recognize some of the names and faces still active in Cross Plains and surrounding communities.

When the Cross Plains Heritage Commission purchased The Doctor’s House in 1997, it was in shambles inside. The organization, founded in 1986 as part of the Tennessee Homecoming project under then-Governor Lamar Alexander, and its members painstakingly restored the home to its present state, a task that took them nearly five years to complete.

In addition to maintaining and expanding the museum, open on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., the Cross Plains Heritage Commission produces a quarterly publication, Eastern Robertson County Historical Quarterly, and provides a free genealogy service. Funding for the group’s efforts is raised through donations, the annual Trash and Treasures sale, a fall barbeque and membership dues. The group also collects books and sells them for a quarter each.

For more information about The Doctor’s House or The Cross Plains Heritage Commission or to schedule a tour, call 654-2256.