LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — The downtown square in Lebanon is rapidly making a name for itself as a great place to visit.
The roundabout is vibrant with new restaurants and businesses. But one big change is stirring controversy, the removal of a classic old cabin.
The Neddy Jacobs cabin on the Lebanon Square is coming down, some thirty years after it was moved to this location.
Now...a bit of history about this place.
Neddy Jacobs was said to be one of the earliest settlers in Lebanon -- living in a cabin he built back in the 1800s.
Now his cabin was not at the downtown location and later burned to the ground.
But some thirty years ago, then-mayor Don Fox wanted to put a similar cabin on the town square and Wayne Hardy had one to give.
"That came down from the Leeville Community. I bought a place that had it on there and gave it to Don Fox and he moved it up here," said Hardy.
Hardy, now in his 90s says the old cabin has seen better days.
"They have not kept it up like they should and needs some work done on it," said Hardy.
Disrepair is one reason the city decided to remove the cabin with plans to replace it with a small landscaped park with picnic tables, an outdoor gathering place.
Some certainly are sorry to see it go understanding the unique history of such old cabins.
Amy and Austin Williams had brought their you son to the square for a visit and stopped for a look ...
"He has never seen anything like this before...dirt on the floor...and that everything is old," said Austin.
Amy says they did enjoy the visit.
"We're here because a cute space and that drew us in to see the cabin as a historical items, but changing it to a green space makes sense when you have children."
The new park will replace the old replica cabin and you may wonder what Hardy who gave it to the city thinks...
"No, I'm not upset. They offered to give it back to me and I didn't want it."
Mayor Bell tells me the city and the contractors are in talks to rebuild the cabin in another location.
When that gets settled, we'll let you know where. .
You might think Fiddler's Grove at the state fairgrounds in Wilson County as an obvious choice for a new location for the cabin.
But that was explored and it couldn't be worked out.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nick.beres@newschannel5.com
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