McFerren Grocery and Oil Company nominated for National Register of Historic Places

A historic Fayette County landmark, McFerren Grocery and Oil Company, has been nominated for consideration by the Tennessee Historical Commission as part of seven Tennessee properties being reviewed for potential inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

The nomination of McFerren Grocery comes as the Tennessee State Review Board prepares to meet on Friday, Jan. 23 at the Tennessee Historical Commission offices in Nashville with provisions for virtual participation to examine and vote on a slate of historic nominations from across the state. Among the nominations are a mix of sites spanning commercial, residential, religious, and community heritage, including the McFerren Grocery and Oil Company in Fayette County.

McFerren Grocery and Oil Company holds significance well beyond its function as a local business. Founded by Civil Rights leader John McFerren and his wife, Viola, the grocery served as a crucial community meeting place and resource center during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In a time when Black residents faced widespread discrimination and many white-owned businesses refused service to activists and civil rights supporters, McFerren Grocery provided essential goods including food and fuel and became a hub for organizing and mutual support among Fayette County’s African American population.

John McFerren’s leadership in voter registration efforts and other civil rights activities made the grocery company more than a commercial enterprise; it became a symbol of resilience and grassroots activism. As such, the nomination underscores both the local historical importance of McFerren Grocery and its place within the broader story of the struggle for civil rights in Tennessee.

During the Jan. 23 meeting, the State Review Board composed of historians, architects, archaeologists, and preservation professionals will vote on each nomination. Those that meet the criteria established under the National Historic Preservation Act will be forwarded to the National Register of Historic Places at the U.S. Department of the Interior for final consideration.

If approved at the federal level, McFerren Grocery and Oil Company would receive formal recognition as a historic place worthy of preservation, opening the door for increased awareness and potential preservation support.

The public is invited to attend the meeting. For additional information, please contact Rebecca Schmitt with the Tennessee Historical Commission at (615) 818-4476, or at National.Register@tn.gov. For more information about the Tennessee Historical Commission, please visit our website.