About The Loretto History Museum

Preserving Our Heritage Since 1911

About The Loretto History Museum

The Loretto History Museum is a small museum with unusual historical artifacts depicting the local Loretto history. Loretto Lift Up, Inc. is devoted to the historic preservation of Loretto, Tennessee. Loretto Lift Up and the Loretto History Museum are supported by volunteers. And we always need more volunteers!

The city we now know as Loretto had its early beginning as a stage coach stop that consisted of a large log house, inn and tavern. It was built in 1812 by the Glen family and the community was named Glen Rock. Glen’s Stand was located at present-day Second Avenue and Mill Creek Drive.

At Glen’s Stand, we suspect that conversations centered on politics and news of the territory with visits from Andrew Jackson. President James Monroe and the United States Congress approved $5,000 toward the construction of a new 516 mile route mapped out by Andrew Jackson to connect the southeastern states to the newly acquired Mississippi Territory in order to promote settlement, trade and military control.

The first 90 miles of this new route was charted to run south of Columbia, TN through Glen Rock. After completion, a stage coach trip from Nashville to New Orleans took 17 days. Stops such as the Stand at Glen Rock were vital. Mr. J. C. Turner was the last stage coach driver that came through Glen Rock in 1849.

In 1870, a number of German Catholic immigrants, led by Father Heuser, settled in the Glen Rock area and the new name of Loretto was established shortly afterward. The first Mass was said in Father Heuser’s home in October of 1871 and the first Catholic Church was dedicated on January 2, 1872. The congregation which these immigrants formed was the Sacred Heart Church. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1911 and the church was completed two years later. The Methodists built a church in Loretto in 1908. The Church of Christ Church was organized in 1928 and the Baptist Church was built in 1936.

The name of the post office at Glen Rock was changed to Loretto on October 10, 1873. The first public school was built in Loretto in 1897 and our present day Loretto High School was started in 1928, now home of the Loretto Mustangs. The first train came through in 1886 with a one room depot built in 1901. Mr. J. C. Wiggerman was the first depot agent. The larger Depot was built in 1906 and closed in 1957. The Louisville Nashville Railroad operated the train service that moved through Loretto, TN (1892 – 1969).

Loretto, Tennessee has a unique history involving communication. You will be introduced to this history at the Loretto Museum. Postmaster William H. Wiggerman purchased the initial phone line that ran from Iron City to Loretto. The first switchboard was located in a home located at 110 W. Commerce St. Our first switchboard was located in the upper east room of this home. Ralph and Louise Passarella (Brown) purchased the company for $3600 in 1946 and they had 124 customers. The family owned the company until 2018 when they sold it to the Skybest Company. Often years ahead of the technology used in many rural areas, Loretto Telecom not only introduced locals to the county’s first phone line, but also to the first digital switch, DSL, and later a 100% fiber-optic network.