NEW INFORMATION: Read about the meaning of the white power symbol found at the scene, including its use on one of the Christchurch shooter's guns, in our latest story.

Graffiti associated with the "white-power movement" was found at the scene of the massive fire that destroyed the main offices of the Highlander Education and Research Center in New Market, Tennessee, the nonprofit said Tuesday.

The graffiti was found spray-painted in the parking lot outside the main office, according to a news release. The building was destroyed in a fire early Friday, along with decades of archives housed inside.

"While we do not know the names of the culprits, we know that the white power movement has been increasing and consolidating power across the South, across the nation, and globally," the release states.

The remains of a building at Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee. (Photo: Courtesy of New Market Volunteer Fire Department)

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey confirmed the graffiti, which he described as the "hashtag symbol," was discovered at the scene Friday.

"It's not a traditional, throw-it-in-your-face symbol that you would immediately recognize," Coffey told the News Sentinel on Tuesday. "But it has been used by individuals in the past.

"We have seen this symbol associated with different groups."

The sheriff said his office has requested assistance from another law enforcement agency to verify the context of the symbol. Coffey declined to specify which agency has been contacted.

More background: A majority of Highlander Center's historic archives are safe in Wisconsin

The Highlander Center became a key player in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, hosting figures such the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Eleanor Roosevelt at workshops and training sessions.

The center moved to New Market in 1972 and continues its social justice work. The center describes itself as a "catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building in Appalachia and the South. We work with people fighting for justice, equality and sustainability, supporting their efforts to take collective action to shape their own destiny."

Authorities previously made no mention of the graffiti publicly, nor gave any indication of whether the fire appeared suspicious, before leaders with the Highlander Center posted the update on the group's Facebook page Tuesday.

Coffey said Jefferson County detectives and investigators with the state Fire Marshal's Office are continuing their work at the site to determine the cause of the fire.

Poster Comment:

Was it the Republicans or the Democrats? Bound to turn out the voting sheeple for both wings of the party.