Human Fly Dies from Courthouse Fall - Murfreesboro, TN
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 35° 50.763 W 086° 23.530
16S E 554889 N 3967043
A marker describing the courthouses that have been, or are now on this square
Waymark Code: WM11F95
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 10/13/2019
Views: 3
County of marker: Rutherford County
Location of marker Public Square, courthouse lawn, Murfreesboro
Marker erected by: Rutherford County Historical Society
Marker Text:
Rutherford County Courthouse
The Rutherford County Courthouse is one of only six remaining
antebellum courthouses in the state of Tennessee
Erected between 1859 and 1861 at a cost of $50,000, the Greek Revival style brick structure features classical columns on the east and west sides. The original cupola was replaced in the early twentieth century, and an architecturally compatible wings were added to the north and south sides in 1965, to provide more office space. The historic building houses the office of the County Mayor and other officials, as well as meeting space for the County Commission.
All types of festivals and events have taken place on the courthouse grounds. One of the more intriguing is the story of the "Human Fly." In 1923, a handsome dark haired stranger arrived in Murfreesboro. He agreed to climb to the very top of the courthouse for a sum of money collected by citizens. He began his accent the evening after his arrival and he successfully made his way to the highest point of the building where the weathervane was mounted. As he descended, he lost his footing and fell to his death. No one knew the man's identity, so his body was taken to Sweeney's Funeral Parlor on the east side of the square and placed in a casket with a glass panel in the hope that someone would recognize him. After several days, the unclaimed body was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in a pauper's grave.