Lawrenceburg
Tennessee
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Rotary Club Of Lawrenceburg
The Lawrenceburg Rotary Club was organized on August 19, 1947 when Dr. Harold Nance (pictured at right) and Hiram Holtsford met with the Pulaski Rotary Club. The Pulaski Club with the help of the Lewisburg Club agreed to sponsor the Lawrenceburg Rotary Club. The Club Charter was received on September 3, 1947 with 21 members on the roll (a complete story is included on the club archive page). Hiram Holtsford was the first President, and the first project for the newly formed club was the placement of playground equipment at Lawrenceburg Public School. The second project was a Rat Eradication program (see archive story). The club assumed sponsorship of the Middle Tennessee District Fair in1950 and operates the fair to this day. It is through the fair that funds are obtained for the operation of Rotary Park and other club projects.
Improvements to the fair and Rotary Park have been the primary emphasis of Lawrenceburg Rotary for over 50 years. Land that eventually became Rotary Park, and rights to produce the Lawrence County Fair were purchased in 1950. New stock barns were built in 1957, and construction of the Community Center buildings was begun in 1965. A front office building was erected in 1972, and upgraded to the present two story building in 2002. The Bud Webb Memorial Gymnasium was dedicated on April 20, 1975. The grandstand was covered in 1978, and aluminum bleachers were added across from the grandstand in 1981. A caretaker’s trailer was purchased in 1973, replaced by a permanent structure in 1989, and upgraded to the present residence in 1999. The gazebo was built in 1992, and remodeling of the office area and conversion to the club’s meeting room was completed in 1994. The meeting room has since been named Beasley Hall in honor of long time fair manager John N. Beasley (deceased).
One of the old wooden stock barns was torn down and replaced by the Rotary Pavilion in 1995, and the remaining wooden structure was replaced when the pavilion was expanded in 1997. Fairside Park Playground was planned in 2000 and built by community volunteers in a five day effort coordinated by the Rotary Club and the City of Lawrenceburg. Twenty-four hour playground lighting was installed the following year, and additional lighting was installed in the grandstand and concession areas in 2001-2002. A hard surface for the carnival midway and heavy equipment parking was installed in 2006.
Improvements to the fair and Rotary Park have been the primary emphasis of Lawrenceburg Rotary for over 50 years. Land that eventually became Rotary Park, and rights to produce the Lawrence County Fair were purchased in 1950. New stock barns were built in 1957, and construction of the Community Center buildings was begun in 1965. A front office building was erected in 1972, and upgraded to the present two story building in 2002. The Bud Webb Memorial Gymnasium was dedicated on April 20, 1975. The grandstand was covered in 1978, and aluminum bleachers were added across from the grandstand in 1981. A caretaker’s trailer was purchased in 1973, replaced by a permanent structure in 1989, and upgraded to the present residence in 1999. The gazebo was built in 1992, and remodeling of the office area and conversion to the club’s meeting room was completed in 1994. The meeting room has since been named Beasley Hall in honor of long time fair manager John N. Beasley (deceased).
One of the old wooden stock barns was torn down and replaced by the Rotary Pavilion in 1995, and the remaining wooden structure was replaced when the pavilion was expanded in 1997. Fairside Park Playground was planned in 2000 and built by community volunteers in a five day effort coordinated by the Rotary Club and the City of Lawrenceburg. Twenty-four hour playground lighting was installed the following year, and additional lighting was installed in the grandstand and concession areas in 2001-2002. A hard surface for the carnival midway and heavy equipment parking was installed in 2006.