A world-renowned institution for nearly 85 years, Lebanon's Castle Heights Military Academy (CHMA) closed its doors due to a lack of enrollment in 1986. In the years that followed, many of the school's once grand buildings began to fall into disrepair.

By the early 1990s, the former CHMA campus had become almost unrecognizable - several buildings stood vacant, untouched for nearly a decade, and others had been razed completely due to severe damage.

Thankfully, however, interest in the historic campus slowly began to swell around 1992 when it was divvied up and sold for development - a move that would see its restoration rather than its demise.

Lebanon-based THW Insurance Services was among the first to purchase and restore a former CHMA facility, an architectural rarity that had once housed the Rutherford Parks Library.

"It's the only building like it in the country," THW Partner Brownie Hall said of the old library, which is built in the shape of a Greek cross. " ... One reason we bought it was because we all liked it, of course, and we just hated to see it torn down."

There was much work to be done when it came to restoring the old library, and the project ultimately took about six months from start to finish. The facility had no running water, no electricity, and it was still heated by an old boiler-pipe system that was used during CHMA's heyday.

"Castle Heights closed in 1986, so it sat here for a pretty good while," THW Partner Rick Thorne noted. "There were lots of old pictures here, and we saved as many as we could and made a collage that still hangs in the office."

Not only did the building lack modern amenities, it was also not easily accessible. At the time, only a narrow, one-lane road leading to the former administration building (now home to the City of Lebanon's municipal offices) existed on the property.

"We were in here for months before there was even a road," Hall recalled. "For a while there, we didn't have an address - that made it difficult to even get a phone number. But eventually, as others began to locate nearby, the road was improved. Our address became 702 Cadet Court."

Following and even before the renovation to THW's new offices was completed, the business was frequently visited by CHMA alumni. It's a tradition that continues to this day. A scan of THW's visitor log includes guests from as far away as Utah, Hawaii and even Mexico.

"We have people who stop in, people who were just out on the interstate traveling. It's especially busy during the summer," THW Office Manager Robin Moore noted.

Immediately upon entering THW's offices, former CHMA cadets are no doubt transported back to their time at the school. The building's foyer is decorated with Castle Heights uniforms, varsity jackets, pennants and other memorabilia.

The insurance company's efforts to preserve many of the former library's architectural elements are also greeted fondly by CHMA alums. Most notable among those elements is a large, multi-colored, stained-glass ceiling.

"When people come in to visit, their first reaction is 'Wow!'" Moore smiled.

For THW's efforts in renovating the building, the Lebanon/Wilson County Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee awarded the Cedar Tree Award to THW Insurance in 1993. At around the same time, the team at THW worked closely with Middle Tennessee State University to see that the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

And, Thorne noted, the Castle Heights location has helped provide THW Insurance - which also maintains offices in Wilson Bank & Trust on West Main Street - with a reputation that expands far beyond Lebanon's borders.

"This is one of the best locations in town, business-wise," Thorne said. " ... Early on, Brownie (Hall) and I traveled quite a bit. We could go literally anywhere in the South and, if you were in a group of 50 people, and you said our offices were at Castle Heights then at least one person - maybe more - would know exactly where you were talking about."

THW Insurance Services offers business, health, life, home, auto and long-term-care insurance, as well as protection against identity theft and more. For more information about THW, visit their website at www.thwins.com or call 615-443-3849.

By BRIAN HARVILLE ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

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