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MHC News
MHC recently awarded two City Cemetery repair/restoration projects to Hutchins Stonework. The projects include the repair of the perimeter stone wall pier located at the intersection of Oak Street and Sixth Avenue South and the repair of gravestones damaged by the March storm, which took down a tree and many tree limbs. The work began at the end of May and will be completed in June.
Staff reviewed a draft historical report and geophysical survey results recently completed for the Bashaw Cemetery off Old Due West Road in Madison. We have also been in contact with descendants of Peter Bashaw, one of the family members buried here who served as a professional substitute for draftees in the Revolutionary War. This report and survey were funded by the Metro Historical Commission Foundation (MHCF) and initiated by Council Member Nancy VanReece (District 8); it will help inform interpretation and improvements at the site.
In May, staff participated in a meeting led by Council Member Jeff Syracuse (District 15) that focused on how to protect and assist Nashville's live music venues which have been hard hit by pandemic-related closures. Representatives from Metro Planning and Metro Arts and the Convention and Visitors Corporation (CVC) were also in attendance. Staff provided CM Syracuse with relevant metrics sourced from the Economic Impact Study analysis on preservation in Nashville, as well as case studies on current policy initiatives for historic live music venues in other cities which could serve as models for Nashville’s venues. In early May, Metro Council unanimously approved a resolution spearheaded by CM Syracuse that will allow Metro agencies to partner for a study of live music venues and find solutions for how to assist with their recovery.
MHC Staff recently toured the Griggs Cemetery (est. c. 1860s) off Red Sunset Ct. in Antioch with staff of the Tennessee Historical Commission and residents of the Autumn Oaks subdivision who had concerns about maintenance, ownership, and recordation of the burials that are present on site. MHC's most recent records from 2006 note 8 burials and 8 markers, but on-site investigations indicate a high potential for additional burials. Residents and the HOA are working to maintain the cemetery, which includes remnants of hand-wrought wire fencing and approximately 10-12 visible stone markers, and they have plans to erect signage and fencing in the near future.
Staff continues to work with CM Syracuse, Property Assessor Wilhoite and Metro Trustee Gilmore on the specifics of a program that would provide a 10-year abatement of improvements to threatened historic properties. Additional meetings are being planned with Metro Legal, Metro Finance and the Mayor's Office, whose approvals are needed before the bill (BL2019-03) can go to third reading at Metro Council. We are hopeful the program will get the green light to move forward this summer. If the program is approved, MHZC will act as its gatekeeper.
Davidson County historian Dr. Carole Bucy recently presented a lecture entitled, "Nascent Nashville: The Strength of What Remains" which explored preservation of both the tangible and intangible historic memory of early Nashville. The full lecture can be viewed on the Metro YouTube channel.
The 45th Annual Preservation Awards were held on Wednesday, May 26th. In case you missed the show, you can now watch the event on YouTube. Congratulations to all award winners! Special thanks to Metro ITS staff for their masterful assistance with this production.
Two new staff members, Kelli Mitchell and Joseph Rose, will join the MHC/MHZC in June. Joseph is coming from NYC, and Kelli is coming from St. Augustine, Florida. Keep a look out for more info about them!
MHZC News
Staff member Paul Hoffman's last day with the MHZC was Friday, May 21st. Paul recently accepted a job with local preservation consulting firm New South Associates (NSA). NSA does a variety of preservation work across the country and Paul will get to work on many unique projects. For the last year, Paul took the lead with historic zoning inspections and violations. He will be missed, but we’re happy he has an opportunity for career growth!
The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held in person on Wednesday, June 16th at 2:00 p.m. at Sonny West Conference Center, Howard Office Building, 700 2nd Ave S.
View the MHZC meeting schedule and application deadlines here. Access archived videos of the MHZC meetings on the Metro YouTube channel anytime!
June is Pride Month, and while this is an under-recognized part of Nashville's history, there are certainly some great LGBTQ Nashvillians and historic places for us to celebrate!
Penny Campbell (1953-2014) was an openly-gay lesbian who helped make Nashville's first Pride parade possible in 1988. She was an activist for LGBT rights and advocate for people with mental health issues. The daughter of civil rights activist Will Campbell, she was the lead plaintiff in Campbell v. Sundquist (1996), which overturned a law criminalizing private, consensual, sexual acts between same-sex adults. In 2017, the MHC placed a historical marker near her East Nashville home, the first LGBTQ historical marker in the state.
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Jackie Shane (1940-2019) was a pioneering Black transgender musician and native Nashvillian who broke barriers for gay and transgendered people in the music industry. She found stardom in Canada in the late 1950s and early 1960s, her albums received critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard and Cashbox.Her flamboyant attire and unapologetic charisma laid the ground work for later Glam Rock trends adopted by Lou Reed, Michael Jackson, and David Bowie. Read more about Jackie's life in her 2021 Nashville Conference on African American History profile.
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Restaurant and cocktail bar The Jungle (opened in 1952) and beer bar Juanita's Place (opened in 1956) are considered Nashville's first bars to openly cater to gay patrons, once located on the south side of Commerce Street just west of 7th Ave S. In 1963, 27 men were arrested for “disorderly behavior” in a raid at Juanita’s. Gay men continued to gather at both bars until 1983, when the block was leveled due to a street widening project. MHC placed a historical marker for the bars in 2018.
(Image credit The Tennessean, 10/12/1954.)
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To date, the virtual concert held by The DISTRICT, the MHC Foundation, and NewsChannel 5 on March 26th has raised more than $325,000 for the repair of buildings damaged by the Christmas Day bombing. Donations are still being taken online. The 2-hour event, which includes numerous interviews about the district’s history with individuals who were instrumental in its preservation, can be viewed through the end of June.
Salvage efforts are underway, coordinated between contractors New South Associates and The DISTRICT, MHCF, Historic Nashville, Inc., MHC/MHZC and others. Stabilization has required the removal of sidewalk debris and portions of some walls where mortar was turned to sand by the blast. Crew hope to locate more salvageable architectural elements in the debris piles being stored in an off-site location.
Stabilization and salvage work underway on May 15th. Credit: MHC.
This month, several of Nashville's historic sites and museums are hosting events to commemorate Juneteenth (June 19th) and the end of slavery in the United States.
Travellers Rest Historic House Museum will be honoring Juneteenth on Saturday, June 19th with half-priced grounds tours. In addition to discounted grounds tours, Director of Interpretation Chad Burgess will be leading a specialized grounds tour entitled "The Landscape of Slavery." This grounds tour will focus on the enslaved people of Travellers Rest, and how they built, maintained, and worked in the buildings and on the grounds of the Overton property. These tours will begin at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Juneteenth615, in conjunction with the African American Cultural Alliance, will commemorate Juneteenth at Nashville’s Fort Negley Park. This historical site exemplifies the spirit of African Americans and the resilience for the fight for freedom. The ceremony will include a community gathering with food, libations, history, and performance art. It will be a time for reflection and rejoicing. Enjoy music, food trucks, African drummers, dancers and musical entertainment.
Juneteenth band at celebrations in Austin, TX, 1900. Courtesy: MassiveEartha via Wikimedia Commons.
Historic Hadley Park will host The Music City Freedom Festival in celebration of Juneteenth. This free family-friendly event will include local food trucks, vendors, live bands, and children's entertainment.
The newly-opened National Museum of African American Music will host a Juneteenth block party on the rooftop of 500 Broadway. This family-friendly outdoor event will feature live music performances, local vendors and community partners, with food available at the Fifth + Broadway Assembly Hall.
In celebration of Pride Month, be sure to check out the Nashville Sites Facebook and Instagram pages for LGBTQ history highlights in June!
The Nashville Sites team has been busy test driving two new driving tours, Athens of the South and Jefferson Street. Both tours will be completed this fall. An East Nashville walking tour also launched and has been well received. You can listen to a recent podcast with Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel and MHC staff member Jessica Reeves talking about Nashville Sites with PreserveCast.
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Achieving energy efficiency in historic buildings and homes may feel like a daunting task. However, there are many small changes you can make to lower your utility bill. Heating and cooling these buildings is one of the largest expenses and uses the most energy out of any other household utility. Much of this energy is wasted through homes not being properly weatherized and insulated. The National Park Service's Preservation Brief #3 discusses these challenges for historic buildings in detail. You can also tune in to this recent discussion about better home energy efficiency with Energy Electives Founder and CEO Jason Carney, hosted by Metro Public Works and Urban Green Lab.
After its purchase by developer Southwest Value Partners last summer, historic Union Station is undergoing a massive cleaning, repair, and restoration effort. Exterior limestone cleaning and repairs were completed using the Secretary of Interior Standards and review by staff of the MHC, Tennessee Historical Commission, and National Park Service. Repairs were made to the original slate roof and the grand four-story lobby's original color scheme was restored. The original entrance along Broadway is also being re-activated to bring traffic into a restaurant.
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![[Official Seal of Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County]](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/TNNASH/2017/12/1699826/3560306/metro-seal-black-and-white_crop.png)
