Rose Center
What is today known as the Rose Center, a well known community cultural center, was completed in 1892. It was first known as Rose School and was named to honor Judge James G. Rose who was an ex-Confederate officer, and the president of Morristown's first school board. The school served the city as a graded school and as the city high school through the 1916 school year, when the high school was moved to the Carriger building. Rose School continued as an elementary school until 1975.
The bricks for the Rose Center were fired by William A.G. Dean, a member of the 61st Mounted Infantry. Dean was taken prisoner at the Big Black River, MS and interned at Camp Morton, IN. There he was paroled into the 8th Tennessee Cavalry, USA. The 8th Cavalry was involved in the Battle of Morristown and responsible for capturing Colonel Rose. Only conscripts were allowed "change sides" and 366 prisoners from Camp Morton did so. They were recruited and commanded by Captain Francis McFall of Morristown.
James G. Rose was born in Tazewell, Tennessee on September 1, 1835. Judge Rose was a most colorful man. On a visit home to Sneedville from Emory and Henry College, he was picked up, nominated and elected to the State Legislature. By the that time the Civil War was on, and he recruited a company of soldiers Hancock and Claiborne counties, and became their Captain, but then resigned to become Colonel of the 61st Tennessee Mounted Infantry. After a gallant record he was captured near Bulls Gap and imprisoned on Johnson Island. After the war he returned to Morristown, soon becoming the legal light east of Knoxville. An indication of his ability was his election as Circuit Judge as a Democrat in the strongly republican 2nd Circuit. He retired from practice in 1903.