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C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa
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C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa (2009)
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| Location: | 1987 Indian Village Drive, Memphis, Tennessee |
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| Area: | 160 acres (0.65 km2)[1] |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 73001830 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | May 7, 1973[2] |
| Designated NHL: | April 19, 1994[3] |
T.O. Fuller State Park is a state park in the city of Memphis in West Tennessee. It consists of 1,138 acres (4.6 km²) of mostly forest located in South Memphis on Mitchell Road. It is the only state park within the city limits and is one of the few locations within the city suitable for wildlife.
The park is named in honor of Dr. Thomas O. Fuller, who spent his life empowering and educating African Americans.[4] The park facilities were originally built for the use of African Americans in the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It was the second state park in the nation that was open to African Americans.[5]
Civilian Conservation Corps camp number 1464-SP-10, which was composed of African Americans, initiated construction of the park facilities in 1938. During excavation for a proposed swimming pool in 1940, CCC workers unearthed evidence of a prehistoric village. The site has since been developed as Chucalissa Indian Village, and includes a village, preserved archeological excavations, and the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa.[6]
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Amenities at T.O. Fuller State Park include sheltered picnic areas, tennis courts, swimming pool, basketball courts, softball field, six miles (10 km) of hiking trails and camping facilities.[7] The park also has a golf course, which the state of Tennessee honored as the "Best State Park Golf Course" in 1998.[8] The park's nature center is open in the summer, and features natural history exhibits and programs.
During construction of T.O. Fuller State Park in 1938, the Civilian Conservation Corps discovered Native American artifacts on the site. The University of Tennessee initiated archaeological excavations of this Mississippian mound complex in 1940, but this work was interrupted by World War II. Excavations and other work at Chucalissa began once again in 1955. The facility is currently operated by the University of Memphis and serves as a gateway for understanding archaeology and the interpretation of Native American history.[9]
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1994.[1][3]
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