Lincoln Homes State Marker

Built in 1941, Lincoln Homes is the oldest public low-rent housing project in Clarksville, Tennessee, initiated under the New Deal Federal Housing Administration (FHA). In 1950, under the auspices of the FHA, Clarksville’s Housing Authority built two low-rent community housing projects. Lincoln Homes, constructed on Lee Street, was built for African-Americans. The second low-rent housing unit, Summit Heights, located on Richards Street, was built for whites. Both low-rent community housing projects consisted of 100 units and 19 buildings. Each apartment featured front and rear entrances, indoor plumbing, kitchen and bathroom facilities, electric lights, stoves, refrigerators, and heaters. The housing authority also included a playground, a community room, a maintenance building, and trash pickup. The first applicants moved into the housing units in 1951.