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She was always interested in history, but her passion for historic preservation ignited on an elevated subway platform in New York City, where she rode a train that looked down onto a block of historic brownstones in Long Island City, Queens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always looked and said, \u2018I want to live there someday,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a dream she indulged even when it was beyond her budget. Her persistence paid off, and Bryant eventually bought a home on that very block. It was a house built in 1882 on a stretch of brownstones designated a state landmark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, in May 2013, for her retirement years, she returned to Lebanon, not to rest after her exotic adventures, but to begin attending city council meetings immediately. She wanted to see what was going on in the community at that time. The city was forming its first Historic Preservation Commission, and Bryant, who had been a classmate of the mayor, jumped at the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI sent him an email [saying] that I wanted to be one of the people named to this commission,\u201d Bryant said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was appointed to the commission as one of its founding members. It now operates as the Historic Zoning Commission following a change in Tennessee state regulations. The commission establishes historic districts across Lebanon; there are seven so far, beginning with the East Spring District and now extending to commercial areas along East and West Main Street. Property owners within those districts must apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness before making any exterior changes. These guidelines can be found in a booklet the commission developed that outlines parameters for additions such as window styles, appropriate signage, and lampposts. In this way, Bryant says, they can continue to add new businesses while preserving the historic character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the commission moved to get Lebanon\u2019s downtown square designated as a protected property, they found that downtown is made up of individually owned properties, making it more of a hurdle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGetting all of the business owners together and on the same page was the hardest part,\u201d Bryant said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowledge of architecture and zoning law is required, but understanding why a place matters to the people who live there is just as critical. Few on the commission understand that more than Bryant herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bryant has a unique role in the area\u2019s history, as she was among the first two Black children to attend Highland Heights Elementary School, the white school four blocks from her home, when desegregation came to Lebanon. Her mother was teaching sixth grade \u2014 the grade Bryant was entering \u2014 at Market Street School, which was the Black school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI joked that I would rather be called names at the white school than be in my mother\u2019s class,\u201d Bryant said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it was brave of her to take that leap and go for it, Bryant did not care that she was one of only two Black kids choosing to go. Always adventurous, she leaped headfirst into her new school and said she had no bad experiences there at all. She knew several classmates from playing in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLebanon has always, even through segregation, been a city of cooperation,\u201d she said. \u201cThe real issue is protecting whatever history is here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With new development happening at an increasing rate, Bryant knows that the work she is doing through the commission will be critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have all of this growth coming in,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to set some type of control so that nothing overruns or disrespects what did exist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bryant, who is also a member of the Wilson County Civic League in addition to the commission, has spent more than a decade making sure that Lebanon\u2019s heritage is not erased in its rush to grow. She does not intend to retire from that pursuit any time soon. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Marilyn Bryant knows how to make things happen. Her determination and perseverance have taken her to exciting places and allowed her to lead, work, and live with creativity and passion. Bryant was born and raised in Lebanon, the home she always knew she wanted to retire in someday, but she had a lot of living […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":24098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[70,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lebanon","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/10\/3-1024x683.jpg\")
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