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MHC News
The MHC installed two new historical markers in December for the A.I. Myhr House and Loveless Cafe, both located in the Bellevue area. Dedications will be held on Saturday, January 18th. Check out "Upcoming Historical Marker Dedications" for details.
On Sunday, December 8th, a new historical marker was dedicated for Reverend Nelson G. Merry. Located at the entrance to the new Frankie Pierce Park (Nelson Merry Street near 10th Avenue North), the marker recognizes Rev. Merry's significance as Nashville's first ordained African American minister. Thank you to sponsor Capitol View and First Baptist Church Capitol Hill for helping this marker come to fruition! The ceremony was well-attended with MHC Commissioners Linda Wynn and Menié Bell, Mayor Cooper and several current and former Council members in attendance. Check out these photos!
(L to R) Jeff Haynes, Capitol View; District 19 Council member Freddie O'Connell, Linda Wynn, Jessica Reeves and Menié Bell. Credit: Office of Mayor John Cooper.
MHZC news
The MHZC’s January public hearing will be on Wednesday, January 15th at 2:00 p.m. at the Sonny West Conference Center/Metro Campus.
View the MHZC meeting schedule and application deadlines here.
Access archived videos of the MHZC meetings on the Metro YouTube channel anytime!
Nashville Sites, a new digital tour platform that showcases local historic sites and histories, officially launched in November. More than 20 digital, customizable tours are now available free of charge, along with the scholarly research used to build them. The first phase of this ongoing project was made possible by many generous donors and grantors. The MHC would like to thank the following sponsors for their support:
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James Stephen Turner Family Foundation
Belmont University
Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area
Humanities Tennessee
Vanderbilt Center for Digital Humanities
The DISTRICT Nashville
MTSU Center for Historic Preservation
PLA Media
Aubrey Preston
Nashville Public Library
Country Music Hall of Fame
Horton Group
News Channel 5 recently caught up with Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel, Executive Director of Nashville Sites and professor at Belmont University to discuss the project. Read that article here!
It's almost time for the annual Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture! This year's conference, "A Journey from Enslavement to Freedom," will be held on Friday, February 14th at Tennessee State University's Avon Williams campus. Online pre-registration is now open, with discounted rates through January 31st. Checks may also be mailed to the MHC or made in person at our office.
This year's program includes sessions about slavery in Tennessee, Fort Negley's recent UNESCO designation, women's suffrage, the Colored Carnegie Libraries of Nashville, and much more. Follow the conference Facebook page to receive updates about the event.
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On January 2nd, our dear friend Ann Eaden passed away unexpectedly. She was a vibrant, beloved supporter of both the Metro Historical Commission (MHC) and Metro Historic Zoning Commission (MHZC). Ann served on the MHC from 1975 to 2009 and was Chair of the MHC from 1989 to 1993. She also served on the MHZC from 1984 to 2009 and was Chair of the MHZC from 1987 to 2006. Additionally, she served as a judge for the 2010 Annual Preservation Awards program. Ann was a founder of the Metro Historical Commission Foundation (MHCF), our nonprofit friends group established in 2011, and served as Chair since its formation.
Ann earned a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and completed post graduate work at both MTSU and the University of Tennessee. From 1976 to 1984, she held positions as the Director of Consumer Affairs and Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Commerce and Insurance for the State of Tennessee. Ann worked at Beaman Automotive Group from 1985 until her passing. Among her civic engagements, she was a member of the General William Lee Davidson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and board member of the American Lung Association of Tennessee. Ann will be deeply missed and we are extremely grateful for her many extraordinary years of service to the MHC, MHZC and MHCF.
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On December 14th, we lost another dear friend Bob Mather unexpectedly. Bob was a fixture in the Nashville City Cemetery Association, where he served on the Board of Directors. As an avid gardener and community volunteer, he was a current member of the Davidson County Master Gardeners where he previously served as President.
Following graduation from MTSU, where Bob studied broadcasting and started out as music director and deejay for on campus radio station WMOT, he was hired by CBS Songs and began a long career in music publishing. During his career, he had the distinction of having worked consecutively for CBS Songs, EMI Blackwood Music, Screen Gems/Colgems Music and EMI Music Publishing throughout company buy-outs without ever changing jobs. During his career in the Nashville Music industry, Bob’s industry affiliations included memberships with the Country Music Association, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the Copyright Society of the South, and Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI). He was a co-writer of the BMI Award winning song, “Sexy Eyes.” Bob had also contributed a number of years in assisting in the early organization and production of the annual Country Radio Seminars and its “New Faces Show.” Bob retired from EMI Music Publishing as Vice President of Administration.
Bob was laid to rest at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Murfreesboro. He will be deeply missed and we are thankful for his many years of service and friendship.
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On December 13th, the James A. Cayce Administration Service Building (701 S. 6th Street) was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The property was listed under the Public Housing in Nashville (1938-1965) Multiple Property Submission, a context document that provides the historical basis for this and any related future individual nominations.
Also known as the Gerald F. Nicely Building, the 1943 Neo-Classical Revival-style building was designed by Nashville architectural firm Marr and Holman. The building was constructed to serve as the administrative offices of the Nashville Housing Authority (NHA) which had oversight over the city’s public housing projects. The building was named in honor of James A. Cayce who served as Chairman of the NHA from January of 1939 until his death in May of 1941 when the building was in the planning stage. The NHA was renamed the Metropolitan Nashville Housing Agency (MDHA) in 1972 and this agency continues to occupy the building and serve as the city’s public housing administrator. Gerald F. Nicely was the MDHA Executive Director for twenty-three years and the building was renamed in his honor following his retirement in 2002. The building is locally significant under NRHP criteria A and C for its role in the development of Nashville's public housing and for its architectural design. Read the full nomination here.
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James A. Cayce Administration Service Buiding. Credit: NRHP nomination.
WPLN's Emily Siner recently interviewed Fred Zahn of the MHZC staff for an episode of the popular program Curious Nashville. In the related online article, Fred discusses the ways in which our nearly 500 local burial grounds are protected and what those limitations and challenges can be. To learn more about Nashville's historic cemeteries and to find resources for cleaning and repair, check out the MHC's Davidson County Cemetery Survey page.
MHZC's Fred Zahn inspects a local cemetery. Credit: WPLN.
Celebrated local historian Ridley Wills recently released the sixth volume in his Nashville Pikes series. This book, 150 Years Along Gallatin and Vaughn Pikes, tells the stories of numerous well-known homes and estates like Renraw, (the Warner family's summer home), Fairfax Hall and the Smith-Carter House. Wills also covers many of the area's historic communities, churches, cemeteries, businesses and parks. He is currently working on several other projects, including books on the histories of Chickering Road and Belle Meade.
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Send a message to Caroline.Eller@Nashville.gov.
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