Mercer is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. It is located along State Route 138 halfway between

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

and Toone, just east of the

Hatchie River The Hatchie River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 3, 2011 river in northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee. It is of considerable geographic, cultural, a ...

. Mercer has a post office; its zip code is 38392.

Demographics

History

Mercer was founded in 1888 by T. B. Mercer, for whom the community is named, at an intersection of a

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

road and the Tennessee Midland Railroad. Mercer erected a general store at the intersection, and it was followed in 1894 by a railroad station officially named Mercer. By the turn of the century, a lumber company and several churches had been established in the area. The community eventually had a bank and an

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

, but the former failed in 1933 and the latter burned down in the late 20th century.

Notes

Unincorporated communities in Madison County, Tennessee Unincorporated communities in Tennessee {{MadisonCountyTN-geo-stub