MHC News
May is Preservation Month! Be sure to check our Facebook and Instagram pages throughout the month of May for posts about Nashville history and historic properties!
The 46th Annual Preservation Awards will be held virtually on Monday, May 16th at 8:00 p.m. Those being honored include Davidson County Historian Dr. Carole Bucy, Robbie D. Jones, Brian Tibbs, Ridley Wills II, The DISTRICT, and other Preservation Award winners. Metro Nashville Network will present the ceremony on Comcast Channel 3, AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, Roku, and streaming online.
Staff is assisting the Nashville City Cemetery Association (NCCA) in coordinating the annual Memorial Day Dash, a 5k race that raises funds to help preserve and promote the cemetery. The race will be held on May 30th, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and registration is $40. All proceeds go to the Nashville City Cemetery Association, the 501(c)(3) that supports the site. For those who don't wish to run the race, volunteers are needed for help with the race set-up and break-down!
Staff are working with Metro Parks to finalize details for the planned restoration of Fort Negley's sally port and other sections of the fort’s stone walls. We were part of the selection team that awarded the work to The Tradesmen Group. The staging and logistics plan has been approved, and a source for new limestone to closely match the existing stone has been selected. The project should begin in the coming weeks.
For those who may have missed the April Nashville 103 history lecture series with Davidson County historian Dr. Carole Bucy, you can find videos, bibliographies and other research resources from these and other sessions on our new History of Nashville Lecture Series webpage. Many thanks to all who registered for this event! Their support enables preservation projects in Nashville and Davidson County, with assistance from the Metro Historical Commission Foundation.
Staff recently made visits to two local historic cemeteries in response to citizen inquiries. We visited the Ballentine Cemetery in eastern Davidson County, a 20th century family cemetery that is being maintained by a family member. The current owner wants to develop the property, which sits adjacent to TWRA and Long Hunter State Park lands, so MHC staff worked with Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) staff to determine the site boundaries and identify long term protection measures. We also visited the Greer-Donley (Donly) Cemetery in the West Meade vicinity. That site has several damaged markers, but those that remain indicate the presence of some well-to-do individuals with the means for substantial slab or box tomb graves with decorative edging and engravings.
MHZC News
The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 18th at 2:00 p.m. at Sonny West Conference Center. View the MHZC meeting schedule and application deadlines on our website. Access archived videos of the MHZC meetings on the Metro YouTube channel anytime!
MHZC Zoning Administrator Robin Zeigler has been invited to present at a Realtor course hosted by the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) on Wednesday, May 4th in Lebanon, TN. She and several other speakers will present at this event, including Antonin Roberts with GBX Group who will be sharing a case study for using the federal historic preservation tax credits for the former YWCA building. This session is part of a day-long historic preservation training through THC and is certified as a continuing education course for Realtors. Registration is $25 and benefits Historic Lebanon.
![[Official Seal of Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County]](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/TNNASH/2017/12/1699826/3896410/metro-seal-black-and-white_crop.png)
We had three terrific marker ceremonies in April: Centennial Park Swimming Pool, Blue Triangle YWCA, and Vine Hill. We expect the next few months to be busy with several marker installations and ceremonies. In addition, we’ll be re-installing Neill S. Brown (East Nashville), May Hosiery Mills (Wedgewood/Houston), and Old Hickory Power Plant (Old Hickory) later this summer. They were all damaged in separate incidents and will be replaced with funding from the Marker Project. We also have a list of about a dozen privately funded markers in various stages of development. Staff also met with Germantown residents on April 21st to discuss several proposed markers in that area.
Please join us on Friday, May 20th at 1:00 p.m. for a dedication ceremony at the new historical marker honoring Dr. Josie Wells (1876-1912). The marker ceremony will be held at Its location on Dr. D.B. Todd Boulevard in front of Hubbard Hospital. Meharry Medical College sponsored this marker.
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In late April, the Metro Historic Zoning Commission (MHZC) finalized the administration process for Nashville's new historic property tax abatement program. This program provides a financial incentive for the substantial rehabilitation ($200K+) of endangered historic properties deemed to be contributing structures within a local historic overlay. The property must not be zoned R or RS. Application deadline is July 1st at noon.
Access full program details and the application on the MHC website or email MHZC staff with any questions.
A new Nashville community history blog post by Metro Archivist Sarah Arntz explores the 1950 U.S. Census records that were released last month after 72 years of being kept filed away. This census is the first to include records from the "baby boomer" generation and, interestingly, noted whether people owned a television. This was also the last census where "enumerators personally visited most households with large multi-family census sheets; from 1960 on, households received enumeration sheets in the mail." Learn more about the 1950 census and how to conduct research with these records in "Navigating the New 1950 Census."
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May represents the start of pickin' parties season at two of Nashville's most popular parks!
Friends of Warner Parks Full Moon Pickin' Parties will begin on Friday, May 20th, with a second evening to be held on Saturday, May 21st, beginning at 6:00 p.m. both nights. Proceeds from this unique bluegrass series support preservation efforts in the Percy and Edwin Warner parks.
Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms will hold their first Cornelia Fort Pickin' Party on Saturday May 21st; doors open at 5:30 p.m. All proceeds from the event series go towards revitalization projects at the Shelby Park & Bottoms, and Cornelia Fort Air Park.
Image at left: Warner Parks Full Moon Pickin' Party. Credit: Friends of Warner Parks.
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Check out the following events happening at Fort Negley this month!
Fossil Finders: May 14th at 10, 10:30, 11 & 11:30 a.m. Limited space, please RSVP.
Soldiers for Freedom Tour--May 14th at 2:00 p.m. This one-mile guided walking tour will include discussions on why enslaved, free, and self-emancipated people came to Saint Cloud Hill and how their contributions to the war effort directly impacted the creation of the U.S. Colored Troops, the Confederacy’s defeat, and the end of the slavery. Limited space, please RSVP.
Nashville Civil War Roundtable--May 17th at 7:00 p.m. Historian Rhea Cole will present, "The Battle of Stones River: A Reappraisal."
Fort Donelson Camp No. 62, Sons of Union Veterans--May 24th at 6:00 p.m. Meeting with scholarly presentation, open to the public.
Fort Negley Park Guided Walking Tour--May 28th at 2:00 p.m. One mile guided walking tour covers the site's rich history, from a tree-topped oasis outside early 19th century Nashville, to an imposing fortress guarding the Union stronghold, to restoration and neglect, and its recent designation as a UNESCO Site of Memory. Limited space, please RSVP.
Nashville History Club Lecture Series
Fort Negley Visitor Center will host the Nashville History Club Tuesdays in May at 1:00 p.m for a series that explores various aspects of local history through lectures from local historians and authors. This month's lectures include:
May 3rd: George Zepp (historian and former Tennessean editor), "Historic Rugby: Mysteries of the Hidden British Colony on the Cumberland Plateau"
May 10th: Elliott Robinson (Nashville Room Librarian), "The History of the Nashville Public Library"
May 17th: Aaron Deter Wolf (Tennessee State Archaeologist), "Mounds and Saber Tooth Tigers: Prehistoric Sites in Middle Tennessee"
May 24th: Ralcon Wagner (Nashville historian), "Early Public Transit in Nashville"
May 31th: Keel Hunt (author and political historian), Topic TBA
MHC intern Valeria Eadler is finishing up the new Germantown Nashville Sites tour, and Belmont students are currently completing an Edgehill Nashville Sites tour. We anticipate launching these tours by mid-fall 2022.
We are very excited to announce that the Metro Historical Commission Foundation (MHCF)/ Nashville Sites and the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation/Nashville Queer History received a $25,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Telling the Full History Fund. This grant will enable development of an LGBTQ+ research and tour project. Nashville Sites and Nashville Queer History will partner to engage the Nashville LGBTQ+ community in identifying historic and current sites of significance across Nashville, adding the sites to an online database, and creating a new Nashville Sites driving tour of those sites. Other partners on this exciting project include Just Us @ Oasis Center, Nashville LGBT Chamber, Albert Gore Research Center, and Vanderbilt University Libraries. The grant requires this project to be completed by March 31, 2023.
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In an effort to restore and preserve a significant piece of North Nashville and American history, Fisk University and the R.H. Boyd Family Endowment Fund have partnered to transform the former Boyd family residence at 1601 Meharry Blvd. into a state-of-the-art instructional and event space. They have initiated a fundraiser with a goal of $1.1 million that will be used to complete this revitalization.
Constructed c. 1908, the former home is being restored for its historic value, while simultaneously creating academic spaces, such as classrooms and a lecture hall, and opportunities to further the educational pursuits of students in the areas of business and entrepreneurship. The legacy of the space coupled with the dynamism of the campus will usher in a new chapter of opportunity for an institution so integral to the legacy of the Boyd Family, the Nashville community, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) community.
The Boyd House is owned by Fisk University. The Boyd Family and the R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation will not benefit from the proceeds of this campaign. Additional funds raised (exceeding the cost of renovations) will be allocated to facility maintenance and Boyd Endowment Fund initiatives (i.e. HBCU scholarships and community programming).
Repairs were recently completed at Bashaw Cemetery, an early 19th century cemetery where former Revolutionary War Veteran Peter Bashaw is buried. Initially documented by the Davidson County Cemetery Survey (DCCS) in 2004, markers at Bashaw Cemetery include those for Peter Bashaw (1763-1864), Margaret Ulrich (1867-1890), Frances Bashaw (1769-1851), Frances Taylor Bashaw (1744-1825), Elizabeth Wood Dews (1832- ), and Lucinda "Lucy" Bashaw Wood (1808-1838). A small marker engraved with the initials "J.D.," which may mark an infant burial, is also located on the site. A native of Virginia, Peter Bashaw fought in the Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War at the battles of Cowpens and Yorktown, later moving to Tennessee in 1809 (FindAGrave).
When Stephen Hutchins of Hutchins Stonework began this work last month, only one partial gravestone was visible at the site, however, thanks to the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) report completed last year by TRC Companies, Hutchins was able to locate parts of five additional gravestones. Those gravestones have now been pieced back together, cleaned, and reset to mark the forgotten Bashaw family members.
This project was only possible because of a donation by LDG Development Group to the MHC Foundation and the perseverance of CM VanReece who advocated for the site's preservation. LDG is constructing new housing across the street from the cemetery, which will be part of a future Metro park in Council District 8.
Image at right: Markers at Bashaw Cemetery before repairs. Credit: MHC.
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View of Bashaw Cemetery after repair work. Credit: MHC.
Bashaw Cemetery markers after repairs. Credit: MHC.
Buchanan Log House (BLH) is seeking candidates for its 2022-2024 Board of Directors who will help preserve and promote this historic property. BLH is currently supported by event revenue, chapter membership, and donations. The board seeks to preserve and protect the existing log structures through donations, grants, and fundraising; expand awareness of the story of the Buchanan Log House in the Donelson-Hermitage community and Middle Tennessee; create and execute an interpretive plan to help guide the future direction of the preservation of Buchanan Log House; and grow a volunteer base to help make the property accessible for individual and classroom tours. Anyone interested in applying for the BLH Board should reach out to committee chair Lu Whitworth or call (615) 871-4524 for more information.
Registration is now open for the 22nd annual Memorial Day Dash! Hosted by the Nashville City Cemetery Association and the Metro Historical Commission, the course features some of the most historic places and scenic views in the city. Proceeds benefit the Nashville City Cemetery Association.
Beginning at the Adventure Science Center, the course runs through Fort Negley Historic Park (with beautiful views of the Nashville cityscape), then loops back around St. Cloud Hill to the Nashville City Cemetery where runners will wind their way through some of the most historic names in Nashville. Be sure to wear your most patriotic themed-costumes to win prizes at the end. There is no better way to kick off summer than with the Memorial Day Dash, a Nashville tradition. This year's race will take place on Monday, May 30th at 7:30 a.m.
Image credit: RacePlace.com.
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Tennessee Historical Commission--Historic Preservation for Realtors--May 4
Centennial Park--Tennessee Craft Fair--May 6-8
Historic Travellers Rest--A Day Out with Mom--May 7
African American Historical & Genealogical Society Nashville--It Takes a Village to Save Historic Black Cemeteries--May7; AAHGS Nashville Research House--May 29
National Trust for Historic Preservation--The Role of Preservation in Climate Justice Action--May 11; Centennial Park History Tour--May 14
Nashville City Cemetery Association--Second Saturday Tour: "Gardens and Graves"--May 14
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Wellness Immersion Weekend--May 14-15
Two Rivers Mansion--Phil the House Open House--May 15; Fridays in May--Hip Donelson Farmers Market
The Hermitage--121st Annual Spring Outing--May 18
Fort Negley Visitor Center--Lunch & Learn: "This Used to be Nashville" with Jim Hoobler--May 19
Friends of Warner Parks--Full Moon Pickin' Party--May 20 & 21
Buchanan Log House--2022 Family Festival & Arts & Crafts Fair--May 21
Friends of Shelby Park & Bottoms--Cornelia Fort Pickin' Party--May 21
Nashville City Cemetery--22nd Annual Memorial Day Dash--May 30
National Preservation Institute--Historic Wood Windows: A Primer (On Demand Training)
Frist Art Museum--Curator’s Tour: Light, Space, Surface: Works from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art--June 2
Centennial Park--Opera in the Park with Nashville Opera--June 5
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