101
NORTH HIGHLAND AVENUE dn
english
When I was researching the article for 1901, many of the photos I reviewed showed the building on the corner of North Highland and Main Street. I started asking questions which was followed by a visit to the Tennessee Room at the Jackson Madison Co. Library.
As far as I could determine from research, the building located at 101 N. Highland has been there since the late1850's. During the Civil War it was used as a hospital for the Union Troops as were many buildings around Madison County. In 1863 when Col. Fielding Hurst decided to burn parts of downtown Jackson; the building was damaged from sparks, mainly on the third floor.
In 1866 Mr. W.P. Robertson and Mr. J. T. Botts moved to Jackson from Kentucky. They opened a Dry Good Store and later a Clothing store. In 1867 W. P. Robertson married Miss Louanna Harris of the "Harris’s" of Jackson and Mr. Botts followed in 1868 by taking Miss Lyde Tomlin, daughter of another prominent Jackson family as his bride.
Until 1879 Robertson and Botts rented 101 N. Market (now N. Highland) from Mr. A.O. Rice and Mr. L. E.Talbot for their clothing store. Then in 1879, with the aid of Mr. Botts’s father-in-law, Mr. J.L. H. Tomlin, they were able to purchase not only that building but several other lots on N. Market, where buildings had been before the fire.
Then Mr. Robertson bought out Mr. Botts in the 1890's and renamed the store to W.P. Robertson and Sons. In the 1900's one of the sons, George Harris Robertson, took over the operation of the stores. Mr. G.H. Robertson had married the youngest daughter of General A. W. Campbell, Miss Kate Campbell. Mrs. Kate Campbell Robertson made a name for herself as a writer and as they would’ve said at the time a "do gooder".
In 1915 Mr. Robertson turned the store to new management and moved his family to Memphis but Jackson was always close to their heart. The building has housed the clothing store along with doctors offices, Dr. J.A. And J. L.Crook had their offices upstairs in1906.Over the years the building has gone through many face lifts; during one, the six majestic chimneys were removed.
In 1964 Mr. David Carter Sr. opened a furniture store. He operated there for twenty eight years until David Horton and John Allen purchased the building in 1992. When they purchased the building, they did some extensive remodeling from the third floor (replacing burnt timbers) to the cistern in the basement.
I was told by one of the owners that as they started remodeling the crews had visions of finding Civil War relics in the old cistern. "No such luck." he said. In 2001 when a picture is taken of Main Street looking West, the three story building is still in frame, maybe not exactly as is was in 1901 but still standing and keeping watch.
Footnote: Mrs Kate Campbell Robertson in 1938 wrote a book entitled "Edgewood Rose",a book of homespun philosophy and her own verse. Mrs. Robertson was also known for her many material contributions to the cultural and business life of Jackson. One of her sons, George Harris Robertson Jr. who was a very successful business man in Pennsylvania, moved back to Jackson in his latter years. When he died, he left the initial funds for the establishment of the Kate Campbell Robertson Park which opened in 1981.