Rosemark is an

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

residential and farm community located along

Tennessee State Route 14 State Route 14 (SR 14) is a south–north route from the Mississippi border in Memphis, Tennessee to an intersection with State Route 54 in Tipton County. Route description Shelby County SR 14 begins concurrent to US 61 at the Mississip ...

in northeastern Shelby County,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, United States. It had a population of 2,315 people in 2010.Rosemark is not a named census unit for the 2010 census, but for the 2000 census it was a census county division (CCD) with a population of 2,261, pe
, 0600000US4715792856 U.S. Census Bureau
An area of approximately in Rosemark was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2013 as the Rosemark Historic District.

History

Originally known as Richland, a name that probably referred to the fertility of the soil, the Rosemark area was settled as early as the 1830s. The main economic activity in the area was

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

farming. Years later, the community name was changed from Richland to Rosemark after residents learned that another Tennessee community was named Richland, but the Richland name is still used by several community institutions in Rosemark. For most of its history, Rosemark was an agricultural

crossroads community In Colonial American history, a crossroads village is a settlement that was situated where two or more roads would intersect. The owners of farmland along a frequently traveled trail, path, or road, often paralleling a water route, would plan a ...

, with a cotton gin and community facilities. The community's first school, Richland School, opened in 1861. Much growth, including the formation of churches and the establishment of stores and the cotton gin, occurred during the decades following the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. A

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

was formed in 1892. In 1912, a

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...

telephone company A telephone company, also known as a telco, telephone service provider, or telecommunications operator, is a kind of communications service provider (CSP), more precisely a telecommunications service provider (TSP), that provides telecommunicat ...

was formed and a

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

was chartered. Other active businesses in Rosemark in the early decades of the 20th century included a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

shop and a beauty parlor. A doctor set up a medical office in the community in 1896 and maintained his practice there until 1946. As of the early 21st century, Rosemark is part of suburban

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, but retains the characteristics of an intact rural community. Some historical information on the area is included in the book ''Illustrated History of the People and Towns of Northeast Shelby County and South Central Tipton County - Salem, Portersville, Idaville, Kerrville, Armourtown, Bethel, Tipton, Mudville, Macedonia, Gratitude, Barretville, and Rosemark, Tennessee'' published by the Historic Archives of Rosemark and Environs, Inc. The book contains transcriptions and summaries of oral history interviews, family archival material, and historic maps. The National Register historic district includes 72

contributing properties In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

. Among these are the cotton gin and lint house, schools, a bank, a Masonic lodge building, two churches, stores, and 24 residences. The oldest building in the district dates from about 1890; most of the other contributing buildings were completed before 1920. The bungalow is the most common architectural style.

Geography

Rosemark is centered at Rosemark Road and Kerrville-Rosemark Road, the location of several old community institutions including the Rosemark ARP Church, the Rosemark Pentecostal Church, and

Tipton-Rosemark Academy Tipton-Rosemark Academy (often abbreviated TRA) is a private Christian school in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It is in the community of Rosemark, and near the border of Shelby and Tipton County. History Tipton-Rosemark Academy's i ...

(formerly Rosemark School). State Route 14 (Austin Peay Highway) and State Route 205 (Millington-Arlington Road) also pass through the community.

Notable people

Bobby Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was descr ...

, blues artist, was born in Barretville (a community adjacent to Rosemark), and grew up in both areas.

References

Esernal links

\ {{authority control Unincorporated communities in Shelby County, Tennessee Unincorporated communities in Tennessee