November 2021

• MHC/MHZC NEWS
• Second Avenue Recovery Update
• Centennial Park and Parthenon Historic Concrete Grant Project Findings
• Friends Group Works to Restore Historic Ewing Cemetery
• MHCF Fundraiser Moved to March 2022
• Nashville City Cemetery Association News
• Dedication Ceremony Held for Charlie Cardwell, Metro's Longest-Serving Employee
• Two Rivers Mansion Included in Capital Spending Plan
• Historical Marker Updates
• Fort Negley Updates and Events
• "Telling the Full History" NTHP Grant Program Opens

MHC/MHZC NEWS

MHC News

MHC recently announced a $50,000 grant from the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights grant program that will fund a survey and National Register documentation on Nashville's civil rights. With a focus on the era from 1944-1966, this study will culminate in the development of an historical context and related National Register nomination(s) or expansion of existing nominations. MHC will initiate a formal procurement process with competitive selection in early 2022. Learn more about the project and look out for updates in our future newsletters and social media.

Staff has been working with the mayor’s office on the fate of the Morris Memorial Building, about which many in the community have expressed concern. Designed by renowned African American Nashville architect Moses McKissack III, the mid-1920s Neoclassical-style building was commissioned by the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. Inc. for the Sunday School Publishing Board.

Mayor Cooper's FY22 Capital Spending Plan includes an allocation for 88 Heritage, a 1940s National Register-eligible Neoclassical-style building which served as the "Colored Department" for the Tennessee School for the Blind (TSB). These funds will go towards the purchase and renovation of the property and park design. From 1944-1965, visually impaired African American children were educated at this location, segregated from their white counterparts schooled in a nearby Victorian mansion; the building at 88 Hermitage is the only remnant of TSB's Rolling Mill Hill campus.

The first meeting of the 2022 Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture planning committee occurred in late October. Due to continued uncertainty surrounding COVID, the 2022 conference will be virtual. Please mark Friday, February 11th on your calendars and check back soon for more information on this popular event!

MHZC News

The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held in person on Wednesday, November 17th 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!

Staff recently attended continuing education through the National Park Service and have taken advantage of free webinars provided by many different organizations. Staff also served as panel speaker regarding DADUs at a recent Urban Land Institute (ULI) event.

North Nashville neighborhood College Hill is exploring the potential of a district overlay. If the overlay is implemented, College Hill would be the second African American and primarily ranch home neighborhood to be protected by historic zoning. The 1950s neighborhood is filled with unique and highly intact mid-century architecture and flourished as a community of professionals, including doctors and university faculty.

Second Avenue Recovery Update

The MHZC held a special-called meeting on October 12th where it unanimously approved conceptual plans for the rebuilding of the four most heavily damaged buildings on Second Avenue, 170-176 Second Avenue North. The proposal is part of an SP that went to the Planning Commission on October 28th and will go to Metro Council in November before returning to the MHZC for review of the project's final details.

MHC/MHZC staff and representatives from The District and EOA Architects held a workday in early November to salvage historic materials from bomb debris currently stored on a Metro lot in northern downtown. An additional workday or two will be needed to complete salvage activities. A second workday is planned for later this month.

Centennial Park and Parthenon Historic Concrete Grant Project Findings

Cultural Heritage Conservation (CHC) has finalized their assessment report on the Parthenon and four historic concrete structures at Centennial Park. This project was funded by a federal preservation grant from the National Park Service and Tennessee Historical Commission, with additional funding provided by Centennial Park Conservancy (CPC). Amanda Trienens, owner and principal of CHC, virtually presented an overview of the project and findings at the October Commission meeting. Overall, the smaller structures have fared well for being over 100 years old, though the two architectural follies--Shell Spring and Gunboat Tennessee--have signs of significant deterioration of parge coats and structural concerns.

Gunboat Tennessee (1910) and Shell Spring are unique as architectural follies. At Metro Archives, MHC located a historic image of the Gunboat from just after its construction showing that it originally had a flagpole, chains at the portholes (believed to connect to an anchor), and a canopy; this structure is made of cast-in-place concrete. While the Gunboat’s original design was intended for human interaction, internal I-beams were dislodged and corroded, meaning that it now needs those replaced and/or restricted roof access in addition to removal of failing concrete and selective patching with new exterior coats. Nearby Shell Spring, the large clamshell-shaped reinforced concrete structure in the southeast corner of the park, needs cleaning and stabilization to determine next steps. It may ultimately require reconstructive efforts due to multiple layers of failing renders. Metro Parks will also need to decide whether to re-activate access to a spring located below this structure.

View of Bridge at Lick Branch Sewer and Gunboat Tennessee, with the Parthenon in the background. Credit: Board of Park Commissioners Twelfth Annual Report, 1912.

View of Shell Spring looking south. Credit: Board of Park Commissioners Twelfth Annual Report, 1912.

The Parthenon has been the subject of previous restoration efforts which occurred in 1961, the 1980s and 1990s. Overall, the building is in good condition, with some cracks and failing caulking requiring relatively minor repairs. CHC recommends monitoring (crack and vibration monitors), anchoring architectural elements, and concrete slab replacement.

Two bridges included in this study are early examples of reinforced concrete associated with Wilbur Foster Creighton, Sr. and the Foster & Creighton contracting firm. The 1910 Concrete Bridge, located between Lake Watauga and the Sunken Garden, was originally built for the 1897 Centennial Exposition but rebuilt sometime around 1906. Archival research indicated that this was the first reinforced concrete bridge in Tennessee. The Bridge at Lick Branch Sewer is believed to date to c. 1907. Both had cracking and loss of parge coats and will need minor repairs like patching, cleaning and new parge coats. CPC is exploring potential restoration funding through their donor contacts.

Friends Group Works to Restore Historic Ewing Cemetery

The Friends of the William and Margaret Love Ewing Cemetery is working to raise funds for the cleaning and restoration of this burial site, located on the campus of the Ellington Agricultural Center. With markers and box tombs dating around 200 years old, this site contains 21 burials dating between 1822 and 1953 according to the Davidson County Cemetery Survey. Ellington Agricultural Center currently mows the cemetery and provides safe access, having recently noted it and the Cemetery Loop Trail on a display map. The Center has also discussed adding a decorative fence for the cemetery, though plans have not been finalized. As there is no available funding for marker repairs, the Friends group is working to fundraise through community donations. A recently-located descendant living in Memphis is supportive of the site's restoration.

Donations may be made through the Metro Historical Commission Foundation's website. Click on "Donate" at the top of the page and select "Use this donation for other specified in comments.” Please enter “William and Margaret Ewing Cemetery” in the space provided to direct donated funds to the Ewing Cemetery.

General view of Ewing Cemetery. Credit: Bill Taylor/Friends of the William and Margaret Love Ewing Cemetery.

MHCF Fundraiser Moved to March 2022

Originally scheduled for November 4th, the Metro Historical Commission Foundation's annual fundraiser has been re-scheduled to March 3, 2022. "Roaring Back with History and Music at Fisk" will be held at the university's historic centerpiece, Jubilee Hall, and feature the famed Jubilee Singers. Please save the date and watch for upcoming details!

Nashville City Cemetery Association News

Interested in volunteering at the Nashville City Cemetery? On the 2nd Saturday of selected months from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m., volunteers gather to provide basic maintenance at the cemetery and clean grave markers. Sign up dates are available through Hands On Nashville.

The Nashville City Cemetery Association (NCCA) continues its involvement with efforts to locate the graves of Tennessee's first State Historian, Judge John Haywood and his wife, Martha. It is NCCA's desire that the graves, suspected to be located near a gas station on Nolensville Rd., be disinterred and reinterred at the City Cemetery. Fundraising efforts are underway--for more information, please contact Jeff Sellers via email or call (615) 554-0053.

Dedication Ceremony Held for Charlie Cardwell, Metro's Longest-Serving Employee

On Friday, November 5th, Mayor John Cooper and the family of the late Metro Trustee Charlie Cardwell joined several Metro officials and former staffers for Mr. Cardwell in dedicating a memorial garden and conference room to Cardwell, who served the City of Nashville for more than 60 years. The memorial garden is located at the Howard Office Building, which Mr. Cardwell attended as a student when it was formerly a public school and where he served as trustee after the office moved from its Second Avenue location. Prior to Mr. Cardwell’s service as the elected trustee, he served as Metro Nashville’s finance director and deputy mayor making him Nashville’s “longest serving city employee.” Mr. Cardwell, who passed away in 2019, also served as the State of Tennessee’s commissioner of revenue under Governor Ned McWherter.

(above) Mayor Cooper and Metro official gather for the dedication ceremony honoring Charlie Cardwell. (below) Plaque at the Charlie Cardwell Garden. Credit: MHC.

Two Rivers Mansion Included in Capital Spending Plan

Mayor Cooper's recently release Capital Spending Plan includes a $1,000,000 allocation of funding for a long-awaited community meeting and events center at the 14-acre Two Rivers Mansion property in Donelson. Identified as a needed investment in the 2016 Two Rivers Mansion Master Plan, this event center will bring additional revenue and interest in the site, contributing to its use and long-term preservation.

Historical Marker Updates

MHC placed two new historical markers in October for Vine Street Christian Church on Harding Pike and the Battle of Nashville USCT at Granbury's Lunette off Polk Avenue.

At the October regular meeting, the Commission approved a new historical marker for Woodmont School to be placed on Estes Rd. This marker will display one side of text, with an etching of the school on the opposite side drawn by Woodmont graduate Emily Ericson. The text reads:

Woodmont School opened in 1931 on land purchased by area parents for $3000. Thousands of students attended in grades one through eight, and the school served as the hub of the community for the next 50 years. Many former students remember beloved teachers, principals and staff, and events such as spaghetti suppers, paper drives, field day events and annual carnivals. The school closed in 1982 and the building was razed in 1986. The campus became Woodmont Park in 1987.

Drawing of Woodmont School by Emily Ericson.

History Programs at the Nashville Public Library

"The New US Courthouse Site: Untold Stories of Urban Life in Nashville" exhibit is open at the Main branch of Nashville Public Library until March 6, 2022. This exhibition is the result of a two-year archeological and historical investigation at the site of the new Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and US Courthouse in downtown Nashville. Themes explored include Sanitation,  Archeology, Civil Rights, Urban Slavery, Immigration, Music Industry, and  Commerce. Funded by the General Services  Administration and featuring archeological artifacts and music industry objects, the exhibition tells the fascinating and diverse stories--many untold until now--of urban life in Nashville from the 1850s through present day.

The Green Hills History Club will meet in person at the Green Hills branch library on November 9,16 & 30 at 1:00 p.m.

What's happening in Metro Parks?

The newly-released A History of Warner Parks features sixteen authors in an all-encompassing volume that addresses geologic, topographical, natural, social, cultural, military, business, governmental, environmental, and philanthropic histories of Nashville's cherished Warner Parks. This historic book also includes 175 maps, photographs, illustrations, artifacts, and an appendix with over 1,100 Warner Parks species listed. The book will be available through the Friends of Warner Parks online store and at the Warner Park Nature Center.

Thanks to the generosity of the Nashville Predators Foundation, golf cart tours of the iconic Allée Steps are back! Tours are guided and complimentary for those who have difficulty walking to the top of the steps. Reservations required, tours are from 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. on Fridays.

Fort Negley Updates and Events

A community meeting for the Fort Negley Master Plan will be held Tuesday, November 9th at 5:30 p.m. at Rose Park Middle School, 1025 9th Avenue S. The event includes an expert panel of historians and interactive activities that will allow everyone to be part of the maser planning process for this beloved heritage site.

Fort Negley received a $1,000,000 allocation in Mayor Cooper's recently-released Capital Spending Plan. This funding will go towards stabilizing original stonework and the funding builds upon an equal commitment made in Mayor Cooper's FY21 Capital Spending Plan.

Fort Negley will host the following events this month:

Fossil Finders-- Saturday, November 13th at 9:30, 10, 10:30 a.m. (limited space, please RSVP)

Fort Negley Park Guided Walking Tour-- Saturday, November 20th at 9:30 a.m. (limited space, please RSVP)

Sons of Union Veterans Bi-Monthly Meeting--Tuesday, November 23rd at 6:00 p.m.

Nashville Civil War Roundtable--Tuesday, November 23rd at 7:00 p.m.--Mark Zimmerman, author and historian: “The Brutal Retreat From Nashville”

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Don't forget--you can explore the history and beauty of Fort Negley anytime through the Nashville Sites Fort Negley tour. Keep up with all recurring and special events on Fort Negley's Facebook events page!

View of sally port at Fort Negley looking towards downtown Nashville, c. 1940s. Courtesy Patricia and Thor Carden, on file at MHC.

"Telling the Full History" NTHP Grant Program Opens

The Telling the Full History grant program provides $25,000 and $50,000 grants for humanities-based work to interpret and preserve historic places of importance to underrepresented communities for projects including interpretive history, research and documentation, training development and implementation, and preservation planning. Applications are due December 15th.

EVENTS THIS MONTH

TN State Museum--Lunch & Learn: Ready To Do Our Full Part: Tennesseans at War, 1941-45--November 10

African American Historical and Genealogical Society--Lone Rock Stockade Records Transcribe-A-Thon & Genealogy Project--November 13

Friends of Warner Parks--Fall Star Party--November 13

Historic Travellers Rest--Historic Trades Day--November 13

American Association for State & Local History--Challenging Histories: Engaging with Community through Exhibitions--November 16

Tennessee Council for History Education--Achieving the Dream and the Reality of Partisan Politics: Tennessee Women After Ratification w/Dr. Carole Bucy--November 16

Frist Art Museum--Frist at Home: American Art Deco--November 18

The Hermitage--History Uncorked--November 18

Beaman Park Nature Center--History of Beaman Park--November 20

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Holiday LIGHTS--beginning November 20

Nashville Parthenon--Kindred Links--thru February 13

COMING SOON

NCCA Annual Members Meeting and Holiday Party--December 3

Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society--Show & Tell ft. Tracy Hughes Royal--December 4

Historic Mansker's Station--Yulefest--December 4

The Hermitage--Mistletoe Mixology--December 10

Belmont Mansion--Christmas Dinner from Belmont Mansion--December 10

Two Rivers Mansion--Christmas Tours--December 10, 11 & 12

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.

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Have a preservation-related event that you want us to include? Send a message to Caroline.Eller@Nashville.gov.