American Legion Post 172’s new building
Structure is up, but there’s still work to be done
The metal shell of the long-anticipated new building for American Legion Post 172 on Spring Street has been completed. The post hopes to have the interior of the building completed by June or July. (photo:Pete Gwada )
The log cabin at 436 Spring Street, which had served as the post’s meeting place since 1937, was torn down because it had fallen into disrepair.
The post has been meeting in the Clinton Community Center.
For some time before the new building program started, the post met in a remodeled mobile home on the property.
An old clipping from The Courier News, without a date, bears a photo of the log cabin under construction.
The property was donated by Sam L. Slover and the Slover heirs.
Sam Slover’s father, Henry Clay Slover, was a veteran of the Civil War who served as circuit clerk, and clerk and master in Anderson County for a number of years. The clipping also contains a related article about a donation toward the log cabin from “somewhere in Iran” by Charles A. “Chick” Nelson, a World War I veteran. who was associated with a trucking company in Iran.
The post started life as Clinton American Legion Post 172.
In recent years, the post became Anderson County American Legion Post 172 with the closing of posts in Rocky Top and Oak Ridge. The post is involved with the monthly veterans breakfasts and the annual Memorial Day program at the courthouse.
The post also sponsors a Veterans Day parade in downtown Clinton, supports veterans in need, sponsors boys who attend Boys State, and supports local high school JROTC programs.
American Legion Riders Chapter 172 works with all the post programs and the Legion Legacy Ride Program which gives scholarships to fallen veterans’ children.
About two years ago the post felt that it had enough donations after several large donors stepped forward, so the building program began. Most of the preliminary work was done by volunteer labor and rented equipment.
The post purchased and paid for the erection of a metal building that has recently been completed. The interior of the building still remains to be done. The plumbing and HVAC have already been contracted. The post is working on getting a bid for the electrical work.
The interior walls and drywall or paneling will be done by post members and other volunteers.
The project is expected to be completed in June or July.
The total cost is estimated to be $200,000.