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Jay Brothers

Oakhurst: Ties to WGNS Radio and The French Shoppe

119 Cherry Lane Murfeesboro, TN

Circa 1881. Large 2 story brick home.


Leland Jordan (1847-1935) and Ella Ready Jordan built Oakhurst on 125 acres outside the eastern boundary of Mufreesboro. It fronted the Woodbury Turnpike (now East Mains). They wed in 1873, and she tragically died 3 years later. She was the daughter of Charles Ready in Murfreesboro. Jordan was a Murfreesboro attorney. He was a founder of the Murfreesboro Bank and Trust Company. Jordan remarried to Letitia Perkins (?-1910) from Franklin in 1879.


About 1914, Jordan and his family left for Los Angeles. At that time, the home was leased to Albert E. King. Then in 1919, Oakhurst was sold to James Paschal Elrod. He was a businessman whose interests included Elrod Brothers mercantile company. under the name The French Shoppe, a women's clothing store with his brother and sister-in-law, Cecil and Sarah Dismukes Elrod. Cecil also spearhcaded the start of WGNS which copied the WSM music format. He later opened his own store, called the Style Shop for several years. At some point, Cherry Lane was changed to Elrod Ave.


In the Great Depression, a section of the farmland was subdivided into 12 lots. In addition, Oakhurst was divided into apartments and rented out. In 1949, another house was erected on the land between Oakhurst and East Main.


In the 1980s, the property was converted back to a private residence. The current owners are Melinda and Hank Haines. She owns Melinda Haines Arranges Great and SewaneeRentals. In 2007, she was president of the newly formed Heritage Partnership in Murfreesoboro to promote general preservation.


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