Hardy Murfree Revolutionary War Hero

Lieutenant Colonel Hardy Murfree, for whom Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is named, served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He fought in many engagements, including Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. At Stony Point he played a key role in defeating the British. Murfree was born June 5, 1752, in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, a town named for his father. In 1789 he was a member of the North Carolina Second Constitutional Convention, and he was credited with assisting in securing a majority vote for North Carolina's joining the Union. Murfree was a charter member of the Society of the Cincinnati in North Carolina. He died April 6, 1809. Reverse Through land grants and purchases Murfree acquired thousands of acres in Middle Tennessee, including some tracts within modern-day Murfreesboro city limits. Four of his children were settlers here. Matthias B. Murfree built a fine house on East Main Street, Sally M. Maney and her husband constructed Oaklands, and Lavinia M. Burton's house was Uxor Hill. All of these houses have survived for more than a century. Fanny M. Dickinson's home, Grantlands, was destroyed during the Civil War. Another daughter, Mary H. Hilliard, and her husband, provided a portion of the land for the original town of Murfreesborough and developed the first subdivision south of the town square.