History Gram - April 2020

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April 2020



AWARDS

POSTPONED: MHC Annual Preservation Awards


For over forty years, the Metropolitan Historical Commission (MHC) has recognized outstanding efforts to preserve Nashville’s historic architecture with its annual Preservation Awards program. Since 1973, the MHC has presented over 450 awards to a broad range of historic structures – dwellings, churches, commercial and industrial buildings, schools, even to bridges and new developments.

Like you, we look forward to celebrating National Preservation Month and the Preservation Awards program each May. While we certainly enjoy honoring excellence in historic preservation, we also appreciate the chance to visit with our many partners – the property owners, contractors, architects, designers, engineers, developers, consultants, and more, who make it all happen. It’s a chance for all of us to celebrate the places that matter and properly recognize the people who have worked tirelessly on their behalf.

Unfortunately, due to concerns and uncertainties related to COVID-19, we are postponing the 45th Annual Preservation Awards program until 2021. We will hold all nominations received for the 2020 program for consideration next year. The call for nominations remains open, and we welcome entries for the 2021 program now through the March 2021 deadline (TBD).

Preservation Awards is a gathering of friends and colleagues, new and old, and we’re disappointed we won’t be able to gather together this May. However, we are already making plans for our 2021 program, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you next spring!

Questions? Please email Scarlett Miles for more information.


MHC/MHZC NEWS


MHC News

On March 7th, the MHC dedicated its newest historical marker for the former Turner Grammar School, located at 2949 Nolensville Pike. The Council districts Marker Project sponsored this marker for District 16. A morning dedication ceremony was organized by Turner alumni and drew about 60 participants including alumni and staff from Collier Engineering, whose offices are now housed in the 95-year-old school building.

As part of the event, Collier Engineering opened its doors to attendees and allowed for self-guided tours of the newly-renovated office spaces. Beautiful features like the original hardwood floors, newel posts and balustrades in the stairwell have been preserved. The former cafetorium retains its stage and has been transformed into office and laboratory spaces. With its distinctive stepped parapet roofline and yellow brick accents, Turner School is one of the most highly visible historic properties in South Nashville.

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(L to R) District 16 CM Ginny Welsch, Debbie Young, MHC Commissioners Dr. Clay Bailey and Menié Bell, and Ben Collier. Credit: MHC.

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Alumni gathered in front of the former Turner School. Credit: MHC.

Thank you to Debbie Young of the Turner School alumni who spearheaded this event and Collier Engineering for making this event a great success. MHC would also like to thank District 16 Council member Ginny Welsch for her support during the project and ceremony. Additionally, we would like to thank former District 16 CM Mike Freeman for selecting Turner School as the marker topic.

The marker reads:

"By 1800 Whitsett’s Chapel became this area’s first school. In Jan. 1899 Flat Rock native, philanthropist and real estate developer R.W. Turner and wife Sallie W. Turner gave 2 acres for a new 9th dist. public school. The first Turner School was overcrowded by the 1920s. Designed by architect George D. Waller, Turner Grammar School opened in 1926 with Otto Prather as principal. The cafetorium dates to 1950. An annex of Cole Elem. in its final years, the school closed in 1989.'

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Damage sustained after the March 3rd tornado. Credit: MHC.

Both MHC and MHZC staff have been busy documenting tornado damage to Nashville's historic neighborhoods and overlay properties. Even as we temporarily work remotely, staff continue to provide ongoing assistance to those affected by the storm. As repairs and other post-tornado construction gets underway, please be aware that MHZC design guidelines apply as normal but we are expediting review for permits. A new section on our website features information about disaster preparedness and recovery, technical guidance and potential funding sources for repairs.


MHZC news

 The MHZC’s April public hearing will be on Wednesday, April 15th at 2:00 p.m. at the Sonny West Conference Center at Howard Office Building. Please contact staff or check our Facebook page for meeting updates.

View the MHZC meeting schedule and application deadlines here. Access archived videos of the MHZC meetings on the Metro YouTube channel anytime!


Preservation at Warner Park Entrance Continues


As preservation work continues to Warner Park's allée and historic stone steps, a recent article by MHC Commissioner "Bellevue Bob" Allen reflects on the many other successful preservation efforts that have helped make Warner Parks beloved local treasures. Metro Parks anticipates that this restoration will require closure of the allée through May 2020. Read more about park history and details about the scope of this restoration work here.

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View of the Warner Park historic allée and stone stpes. Credit: Friends of Warner Parks.


Downtown Nashville's Alternative Service Offerings


During the current widespread closures in Nashville, it is especially important to support local businesses where possible. Several popular restaurants and stores in our downtown historic districts are still accessible via delivery, curbside pickup and online orders. The Nashville Downtown Partnership has amassed these lists of restaurants and retailers that are open for business!


AASLH Introduces Affinity Community Forum


The Nashville-based American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) recently established a new online forum that allow history practitioners across fields to connect, with equal access to both members and non-members. As part of their existing Affinity Communities initiative, this forum is a way to "provide resources, advice, and networking to those interested in particular aspects or niches of public history work." Institutions can also create unlimited staff profiles that allow individual employees to build their own library of learning resources.

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In light of the impacts of COVID-19, AASLH also released several pieces of guidance and technical leaflets to help history institutions manage their operations and response. This webpage also provides users free access to issues of The Public Historian through June, made possible thanks to NCPH and the University of California Press. (Also through June, UC Press is offering free issues of the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians.)


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You can now support the Metro Historical Commission Foundation through your everyday purchases on Amazon! Shop using AmazonSmile and a portion of each purchase will go towards preservation projects in Nashville and Davidson County.


Check out our online newsletter archives!

Have a preservation-related event that you want us to include? 

Send a message to Caroline.Eller@Nashville.gov.

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Upcoming Historical Marker Dedications


 Due to the current social distancing orders, the Betty Nixon historical marker dedication originally planned for April 6th has been postponed. Please visit the MHC Facebook page for updates on the forthcoming dedication!

Betty Chiles Nixon was a trailblazer in local politics and a preservation powerhouse who fought to protect neighborhoods, including her home turf in Belmont-Hillsboro. She served three terms on Metro Council from 1975 to 1987 and was the first woman to chair the Budget and Finance committee. Betty was also one of the first women to run for mayor of Nashville. In addition to her many other accomplishments, she was the first woman to run a statewide political campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale's campaign in Tennessee in 1984.

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Betty Nixon, c. mid-1980s. Source: MHC files.


Women's Suffrage Centennial Events 2020


In celebration of 100 years of women's suffrage, Nashville is hosting events all year long in honor of this historic event. Ongoing events through August 2020 include the Historic Nook Women's Suffrage Takeover at Hermitage Hotel and the Oak Bar's Suffrage-Themed Craft Cocktail Menu. More about these ongoing events and the Hermitage Hotel's major role in the women suffrage movement is available on the hotel's website.

Check out these happenings in April:

April 25: The Art Song Society will host "Clutching Pearls, Punching Ballots" on Saturday, April 25th at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

To learn more about Tennessee's pivotal role in the ratification of women's suffrage, visit the Tennessee Library and Archives online collection with information on African American women's role in the movement, political cartoons, legislative documents and more.


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History Exhibits and Programs at the Nashville Public Library


Please note: all library events are canceled through April 16th. Dates below may be subject to change, so please contact the hosting branch before visiting!

April 23--Hadley Park Branch--Belle Meade Plantation Presents Storytelling the Past! Folklore and Legends on the Frontier--4:30 p.m.

April 24--Donelson Branch--Films Inspire Civil Conversations: Immigrant Candidates--4:30 p.m.

April 29--Looby Branch--Belle Meade Plantation Presents Storytelling the Past! Folklore and Legends on the Frontier--4:00 p.m.


What's happening in Metro Parks? 


In spring 2019, several Yoshino cherry trees were relocated from Lower Broadway near the Cumberland River to nearby Riverfront Park in preparation for the NFL draft. The trees were transplanted by horticulture staff from Metro Parks with assistance from Brentwood Tree Farms and Nashville-based Samara Farms. Of the 10 trees moved, several were 15-18 years old. As of late March, the trees are in peak bloom along First Avenue thanks to the conscientious efforts of Metro Parks horticulturist Randall Lantz and his crew!

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Cherry trees along First Avenue. Credit: Nashville Tree Foundation Facebook.

As of March 25, playgrounds, dog parks, basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic shelters, and skate parks will be closed until further notice. Metro Parks facilities and offices are currently closed through April 6. Check out this list of things to do from Metro Parks.


Upcoming Events at Fort Negley


Events listed below are current as of publication. Dates may be subject to change, so please contact Fort Negley Visitors Center before visiting!

Fort Negley's popular Fossil Finders group will meet on Saturday, April 11th at 10:00 a.m. Join geologists and other experts in these hands-on activities and discussions.

The Nashville Civil War Roundtable will meet at Fort Negley on Tuesday, April 21st at 7:00 p.m. Historian and author John Cashon will discuss "Paducah, KY in the Civil War."

Remember, you can lead a free, self-guided tour of the 155-year-old historic Fort Negley anytime! This webpage is packed with the history of the fort and links to several e-brochures related to the Battle of Nashville.

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Keep up with all recurring and special events on Fort Negley's Facebook events page!

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Fort Negley in 1864, by George S. Barnard. Credit: Fort Negley "A Dozen Facts About the Fort" brochure.


EVENTS THIS MONTH


***This list is current as of publication. However, as several businesses and organizations may be closed and/or shelter-in-place orders may change, please check with the event sponsor to confirm availability.***

Historic Nashville Inc.--Preserving Nashville One Song at a Time Benefit--April 9

Cheekwood Estate and Gardens--Dogs and Dogwoods--April 18-19

Bellevue History and Genealogy--"Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson" with Dr. Mark Cheathem--April 24

Tennessee State Museum--Exhibit Opening: Ratified! Tennessee Women and the Right to Vote--April 24

The Parthenon--Art Deco Night--April 24

Jefferson Street Art Crawl--April 25


Nashville History and Historic Places: Quarantine Edition


As thousands of Nashvillians comply with "Safer at Home" orders, many are looking for ways to have meaningful virtual experiences from home. In addition to the existing treasure trove of history lecture videos and other online offerings, several Nashville history and museum institutions are also using this as an opportunity to engage audiences through virtual tours and program-related videos. In lieu of our usual expanded list of in-person events, we've compiled this list of just some of the ways to remotely continue learning about Nashville history and support local historic sites!

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Nashville Sites: With over 20 FREE unique, thematically-based tours, Nashville Sites is a web-based platform that offers self-guided, credibly curated, mobile-friendly (and couch-friendly) tours.

Nashville History Videos: Metro Nashville's YouTube channel features  a playlist called "Nashville History". Over 80 videos include dozens of lectures and events covering myriad aspects of Metro government and area history.

Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture: If you missed this year's 39th annual conference, you can now watch the full conference video online!

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Two Rivers Mansion. Credit: Two Rivers Mansion Facebook.

Two Rivers Mansion: Take a virtual tour of this Metro-owned Donelson gem.

Belle Meade Mansion: Check out this great video overview of the mansion and winery.

The Hermitage: With dozens of videos available on their Facebook page, you can explore everything from a virtual overview or a behind-the-glass tour of Andrew Jackson's bedroom to a multi-part virtual tour of Alfred's cabin!

Tennessee State Museum: Enjoy a quick re-cap of Tennessee's Woman Suffrage Story or settle in for hour-long Lunch & Learn sessions on Discovering Women Through Material Culture or the history of the Tennessee State Museum.

MTSU Honors College: Davidson County Historian Dr. Carole Bucy recently presented this fantastic lecture, "Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment: The "Perfect 36."

Nashville Public Television: NPT's website showcases numerous documentaries and video clips on a variety of historical topics about Tennessee and Nashville. Don't forget to check out the newly-released "By One Vote" piece that explores the local woman's suffrage experience.

Frist Art Museum: The Frist has posted several videos about current exhibits, programming and event recaps. There are even two full-length live performances from visual artist Nick Cave that are sure to delight!

Nashville Public Radio: Local station WPLN created a list of Curious Nashville places and stories, many of which include historical buildings and sites. Take the virtual Curious Nashville Learning Tour!