Monies part of 2018-2019 Fiscal Year budget.
(NASHVILLE) — State Representative Jim Coley (R-Bartlett) today announced that he has secured $250,000 for the historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis.
The monies are a part of the 2018-2019 budget and will be used for the restoration and redevelopment of this fixture of Shelby County and United States history.
Opened in 1893, the Clayborn Temple was the largest church building south of the Ohio River. While it has remained in disrepair after years of non-use, the facility is a central location in the narrative of our state and our nation and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
During the 1960s Civil Rights movement, Clayborn Temple was frequented by the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, it was the setting for the famous Sanitation Workers’ Strike of 1968 and is considered the third most important Civil Rights location in the entire city.
Representative Coley understands the temple’s importance and has fought to ensure a successful future for the 125-year-old facility.
“Clayborn Temple is iconic here in Memphis, and I am pleased that this important funding will help restore it and preserve its rich history,” said Representative Coley. “It is imperative that our future citizens understand the temple’s significance — both locally and nationally. I believe this facility will continue to serve as a reminder to our next generation of Tennesseans of where we as a state and nation came from, and how we arrived at our present moment in time.”
For more information about the Clayborn Temple, please click here.
Jim Coley serves as a member of the House Finance Ways & Means Committee and Subcommittee. He is also a member of the House Criminal Justice Committee. Coley lives in Bartlett and represents House District 97, which includes part of Shelby County. He can be reached by email at:[email protected] or by calling (615) 741-8201.