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City of Clarksville, Planters Bank, Historical Society join to dedicated restored Arlington Monument

City of Clarksville - Clarksville, TNClarksville, TN – The City of Clarksville formally rededicated the restored Arlington Hotel monument on Second Street, along with the Montgomery County Historical Society and Planters Bank, which donated money to make the project come alive.

The stone monument commemorates the Arlington Hotel, a three-story brick building that stood on the site from 1887 until it was razed in 1973. The City’s Cumberland Place Parking Plaza garage was built on the site in 1992.

Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan, Joe Pitts of Planters Bank, and Kurt Bryant of the County Historical Society helped unveil the newly restored Arlington Hotel monument on Second Street in Downtown Clarksville.

Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan thanked County Historian Eleanor Williams, Kurt Bryant of the Historical Society, and Planters Bank officials Joe Pitts, Ashley Jackson and local bank board member Wayne Wilkinson, for their efforts on the project. The group pulled a cover off the stones at the conclusion of a rededication ceremony Wednesday.

“It takes effort to protect and display our history, so I’m so glad the city, the Historical Society and Planters Bank were able to pull together to make this happen,” Mayor McMillan said. “The Arlington was an important piece of downtown history, so it’s great that it can live on in this way.”

The Arlington, situated in the heart of downtown on a streetcar line, was a staple of commerce in its day, offering simple rooms to commercial travelers, steam heat, billiard rooms, an excellent dining room and an elegant bar. It became the Montgomery Hotel in 1932.

Adding to its historical significance, from 1919 to 1926 the Arlington was the home of the Woman’s Bank of Tennessee, the first bank in the world staffed and managed entirely by women.

The simple concrete and stone monument displaying the word ARLINGTON was placed in 1992 and includes a historical plaque about the Arlington and a dedication for the parking garage. The high block letters carved from Indiana Limestone came from the front of the hotel, and were saved during the hotel demolition by Williams, author and longtime County Historian.

Over time, the limestone letters cracked and deteriorated. The Historical Society, with Williams and Bryant leading the effort, advocated restoration of the stones. The Historical Society accepted an $8,000 gift for the project from Planters Bank, and then donated those proceeds to the City of Clarksville, which managed the renovation project.

Nashville Concrete Artist was hired as the restoration contractor. The work included using salvaged stones, aggregate and epoxy to repair and rebuild the letters and then applying a penetrating sealant to prevent future decay.

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