Conway Twitty lived in the sprawling Twitty City estate in Hendersonville, Tennessee from 1981 until he died in 1993. The property also housed a museum and gift shop dedicated to the legendary country singer’s career. After tornadoes damaged the property in December, Christian broadcasting company Trinity Broadcasting Network, current owners of Twitty City considered demolishing it. After nearly a month of indecision, the network announced that they wouldn’t demolish the historic home.
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According to News Channel 5, Trinity Broadcasting Network took a proposal to the Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Alderman on Tuesday (January 23). Many expected the proposal to include plans to demolish Twitty City. However, that wasn’t the case.
[RELATED: Conway Twitty’s Iconic Nashville Mansion at Risk of Demolition]
TBN Won’t Demolish Conway Twitty’s Home
“We heard the sentiment of the city,” Frank Amedia of TBN said. “We prayed about it and we met with some people and we just felt this was the right thing to do,” he added. They will now restore Twitty City and the network’s management will use the mansion. Amedia went on to say that the new path they’ve chosen will cost more money but that’s not a problem.
Hendersonville mayor Jamie Clary weighed in on the decision calling it a smart move by TBN. “I think that we end up with a good compromise,” Clary said. “This is going to be preserved, but there’s also going to be some use to it, and I think that’s going to make some people happy and, at the same time, have some usefulness.”
[RELATED: Conway Twitty’s Daughter Is Heartbroken Over Possible Demolition of Historic Twitty City]
What Could Have Happened to Twitty City
Originally, Trinity Broadcasting Network considered tearing down the Twitty mansion. They were planning to build a new complex in its place. At the time, Amedia spoke about the decision. “Unfortunately, it’s a public fact, TBN was highly underinsured on that site, so now we’re at a position if we’re going to put money into fixing old things, then new things aren’t coming,” he said.
“We’re at a crossroads right now, and not by our doing, but by a tornado that hit December 9. We have 100 staff people, production editors, some are working from home, some are trying to work in a building that’s unsafe right now,” Amedia added.
Many spoke out against the demolition of Twitty’s home. Among them was his daughter, Joni Ryles. “There’s no question. We would much rather drive by and see it standing because Dad worked so hard to build this place and make it a special place for fans to come and enjoy and for our family to live,” she said.
Featured image by Mike Prior/Redferns
