MTSU’s Carroll Van West closes out career with Century Farms project

Just weeks before retiring after 30 years as director of the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, history professor Carroll Van West found himself returning to a project that brought his 41-year career full circle.

During a presentation June 2 at the Tennessee Agricultural Museum in Nashville, West celebrated the release of his latest book, Tennessee's Frontier Century Farms: An Enduring Legacy of Family, Farming, and Community.

“We've had a very busy year. It was a nice way to end my time at MTSU,” said West, whose latest work serves as a fitting capstone to a career devoted to documenting and preserving Tennessee's history.

The Century Farms Program was established in 1975 during the nation's Bicentennial celebration to recognize farms that have remained in continuous family ownership and agricultural production for at least 100 consecutive years. Self-nominated applications document generations of ownership while creating a valuable historical record.

West became involved with the program in 1985 when it came under the oversight of MTSU's Center for Historic Preservation. Today, the program includes more than 2,300 farms spanning all 95 Tennessee counties, with many properties dating back more than 200 years.

“I wanted to have a mix of present-day digital photographs and some really old black-and-white photographs that nobody had seen before. Visually, it gives the book a really interesting quality,” West said.

The 170-page book highlights approximately 100 multigenerational frontier farms established by Tennessee's earliest settlers. The featured farms represent all three of the state's Grand Divisions: West, Middle and East Tennessee.

The publication also serves as one of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's signature projects commemorating the United States' 250th anniversary.

“Tennessee's Century Farms represent the strength, resilience and dedication of our farm families,” Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Andy Holt said during the book launch. “Agriculture is Tennessee's top industry, and these farms tell the story of that success through generations of hard work, stewardship and commitment to the land. We are proud to celebrate the families who have preserved this heritage for future generations.”

The project began about two years ago after Holt's predecessor, Charlie Hatcher, approached West about creating an updated edition of his original 1986 publication, Tennessee Agriculture: A Century Farms Perspective. At the time, the program recognized 783 Century Farms.

Rather than attempting to document all 2,300-plus farms, which would have required multiple volumes, West and state officials focused on Tennessee's earliest qualifying farms while ensuring representation from across the state.

A Legacy Beyond the Book

More than 400 people representing Century Farm families attended the book's launch, a turnout that reinforced the program's lasting importance.

“Our Frontier Century Farms are the foundation of Tennessee's history, culture and economy,” said West, who was appointed Tennessee State Historian by former Gov. Bill Haslam in 2013. “Family-owned and operated, these special farms are among the best places to celebrate and commemorate who we are and what we have accomplished as Tennesseans.”

While West's career includes numerous books and preservation projects, he says his greatest accomplishment has been mentoring students.

By the time he retired in June 2026, West had guided 53 doctoral candidates and 131 master's students through the completion of their degrees.

“I'm really proud of the students and what they've accomplished,” he said. “They take the lessons of the center and apply them to places across the country. To me, that's really important.”

Those students, along with the preservation projects and publications he leaves behind, ensure West's impact on Tennessee history will continue for generations.

Copies of Tennessee's Frontier Century Farms are available by emailing the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation at histpres@mtsu.edu or calling 615-898-2947. The book can also be ordered through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture by emailing CenturyFarms@tn.gov. More information about the Center for Historic Preservation is available at mtsuhistpres.org.