Walden’s Ridge Civic Center, located at 2501 Fairmount Pike, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built by the people of the mountaintop with their own hands in 1921, the center has served as an important community gathering place for over 105 years. In recent times, the center became known as the “Original Home of the Mountain Opry.”
The historic designation was awarded by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, on January 26, 2026, and announced by the Walden’s Ridge Civic League on June 13 at the America250 Birthday Bash celebration.
“We wanted to save the announcement for an important occasion, and we wanted to show off our new siding at the same time,” said WRCL president Mark Dwyer. The old auditorium has been undergoing renovations by volunteers for the past four years according to Dwyer.
Imitation-wood-shake siding had been placed over the original exterior in 1967. Dwyer led the effort to pull off some of the deteriorating shakes and determine the status of the structure. To his pleasure, he found the original pine board-and-batten was still in place. This was an important discovery as the building was being evaluated by the Tennessee Historical Commission in the application for National Register status.
With the approval of the Historical Commission, a plan was implemented to restore the building to its original look without “changes” degrading its historical significance. The siding is being removed completely and replaced by volunteers using white oak board-and-batten in exactly the same configuration as the original. The process has uncovered some important structural and design features masked by the shake covering.
“We were afraid they would deny us approval as a historical site, but we had to do something. We could not wait. Birds and squirrels were living in the attic, and the tar paper was showing through the rotted shakes outside,” Dwyer said. “When we got into it and compared what we found with the pictures of the original building, we were happy. The commission approved everything we were doing - even replacing the old seats inside the building.”
According to the Historical Commission, “The retention of important features that defined the property historically and facilitated its use as a locally significant resource remain throughout. These include the original wood floors and stage, stage accordion doors, auditorium walls, seat/stage arrangement, interior doors, and wainscoting. The retention of the clearly defined audience area, stage, and support/secondary rooms further strengthens the integrity of the building. As such, the property retains integrity of materials, design, and workmanship. Finally, the retention of the above characteristics allows the property to communicate its history as a center for the social life of Walden’s Ridge. As such, it retains integrity of feeling and association.”
The assessment also offers, “Upon its completion, the building was immediately put to use as an auditorium, library, and cafeteria for the Fairmount Grammar School. It was also used as a Sunday school space, election polling station, rabies clinic, and meeting location for several groups, including a Boy Scout troop. The community also arranged regular lectures in the space, beginning with its formal public opening on November 29, 1923.
“Members of the PTA set their sights on community improvement beyond strictly educational issues. They … believed Walden’s Ridge could benefit from an organization that advocated for community improvement, on behalf of the community, in the absence of an organized local government. These seeds bore fruit when, on October 4, 1926, the Walden’s Ridge Civic League (WRCL) officially organized … When the school closed down [in 1938] and the future of the auditorium looked uncertain, the League pushed the Hamilton County Department of Education to deed both the building and the land around it to WRCL.”
Among its many accomplishments, WRCL brought clean water to the mountain and formed the Walden’s Ridge Utility District - WRUD; established the first volunteer fire department - WRES; assured law and order through policing; brought electric lines to the area; built, marked and maintained the roads; lobbied for the modern Bachman School; facilitated completion of the W Road and Taft Highway; provided spaces for Walden’s original Town Halls, and much more.
To learn the comprehensive story revealed in the National Register of Historic Places application, go to the History tab at www.waldensridgecivicleague.org.
Though the WR Civic Center and the WR Civic League seem almost synonymous, the League is a 501(c)3 charitable organization with a 10-member board of directors who oversee the 3.46-acre property with the civic center, women’s guild building, communications building, covered pavilion, Boy Scout stage, soccer field, walking track, and playground. The facilities are available for rent through the website.
The Civic League offers four annual seasonal events for the enjoyment of all residents: Tell It on the Mountain, storytelling in spring; Birthday Bash, celebrating the center’s anniversary in summer; Smoke on the Mountain BBQ contest in autumn, and Merry Mountain Christmas in winter.
The mission of the Walden’s Ridge Civic League is to preserve its history and to continue traditional and new activities.
by Karen Stone
The historic designation was awarded by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, on January 26, 2026, and announced by the Walden’s Ridge Civic League on June 13 at the America250 Birthday Bash celebration.
“We wanted to save the announcement for an important occasion, and we wanted to show off our new siding at the same time,” said WRCL president Mark Dwyer. The old auditorium has been undergoing renovations by volunteers for the past four years according to Dwyer.
Imitation-wood-shake siding had been placed over the original exterior in 1967. Dwyer led the effort to pull off some of the deteriorating shakes and determine the status of the structure. To his pleasure, he found the original pine board-and-batten was still in place. This was an important discovery as the building was being evaluated by the Tennessee Historical Commission in the application for National Register status.
With the approval of the Historical Commission, a plan was implemented to restore the building to its original look without “changes” degrading its historical significance. The siding is being removed completely and replaced by volunteers using white oak board-and-batten in exactly the same configuration as the original. The process has uncovered some important structural and design features masked by the shake covering.
“We were afraid they would deny us approval as a historical site, but we had to do something. We could not wait. Birds and squirrels were living in the attic, and the tar paper was showing through the rotted shakes outside,” Dwyer said. “When we got into it and compared what we found with the pictures of the original building, we were happy. The commission approved everything we were doing - even replacing the old seats inside the building.”
According to the Historical Commission, “The retention of important features that defined the property historically and facilitated its use as a locally significant resource remain throughout. These include the original wood floors and stage, stage accordion doors, auditorium walls, seat/stage arrangement, interior doors, and wainscoting. The retention of the clearly defined audience area, stage, and support/secondary rooms further strengthens the integrity of the building. As such, the property retains integrity of materials, design, and workmanship. Finally, the retention of the above characteristics allows the property to communicate its history as a center for the social life of Walden’s Ridge. As such, it retains integrity of feeling and association.”
The assessment also offers, “Upon its completion, the building was immediately put to use as an auditorium, library, and cafeteria for the Fairmount Grammar School. It was also used as a Sunday school space, election polling station, rabies clinic, and meeting location for several groups, including a Boy Scout troop. The community also arranged regular lectures in the space, beginning with its formal public opening on November 29, 1923.
“Members of the PTA set their sights on community improvement beyond strictly educational issues. They … believed Walden’s Ridge could benefit from an organization that advocated for community improvement, on behalf of the community, in the absence of an organized local government. These seeds bore fruit when, on October 4, 1926, the Walden’s Ridge Civic League (WRCL) officially organized … When the school closed down [in 1938] and the future of the auditorium looked uncertain, the League pushed the Hamilton County Department of Education to deed both the building and the land around it to WRCL.”
Among its many accomplishments, WRCL brought clean water to the mountain and formed the Walden’s Ridge Utility District - WRUD; established the first volunteer fire department - WRES; assured law and order through policing; brought electric lines to the area; built, marked and maintained the roads; lobbied for the modern Bachman School; facilitated completion of the W Road and Taft Highway; provided spaces for Walden’s original Town Halls, and much more.
To learn the comprehensive story revealed in the National Register of Historic Places application, go to the History tab at www.waldensridgecivicleague.org.
Though the WR Civic Center and the WR Civic League seem almost synonymous, the League is a 501(c)3 charitable organization with a 10-member board of directors who oversee the 3.46-acre property with the civic center, women’s guild building, communications building, covered pavilion, Boy Scout stage, soccer field, walking track, and playground. The facilities are available for rent through the website.
The Civic League offers four annual seasonal events for the enjoyment of all residents: Tell It on the Mountain, storytelling in spring; Birthday Bash, celebrating the center’s anniversary in summer; Smoke on the Mountain BBQ contest in autumn, and Merry Mountain Christmas in winter.
The mission of the Walden’s Ridge Civic League is to preserve its history and to continue traditional and new activities.
by Karen Stone
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