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MHC News
MHC is excited to announce a new part-time staff member, Claudette Stager, retired former Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC). She worked at the THC for over 37 years and oversaw the Federal Programs division from 2011-2021. Claudette's wealth of vast knowledge of Tennessee history and extensive expertise in historic preservation makes her an invaluable addition to our department and we look forward to working with her!
Council member Jeff Syracuse (district 15) is working with staff, Metro Trustee Erica Gilmore, Metro Finance Department and Mayor Cooper’s office to raise the annual funding available for the Historic Tax Abatement program. In addition to doubling the current annual amount awarded, a separate bucket of funds for the buildings damaged by the 2020 Christmas Day Bombing will be created as a part of the legislation currently before Metro Council.
In August, staff led a pre-offer procurement meeting with Metro Finance and several potential bidders for the National Park Service African American Civil Rights (AACR) history grant project. This 2-year initiative will document Nashville civil rights-related resources that date from approximately 1944-1966. Bids were due August 23rd and are currently under review by Finance and an evaluation committee that includes MHC staff. We hope to award the contract in the coming weeks. Staff have been busy with initial field survey and research that will count towards our matching share on the project.
We recently submitted an application for a National Park Service Underrepresented Communities competitive grant, requesting approximately $60,000 in federal funds. The project would document the architecture, development, and social histories of Nashville’s mid-20th century African American neighborhoods, which primarily lie in Bordeaux and North Nashville. MHC has identified nine districts that would benefit from the documentation, as they contain some of the best examples of mid-20th century Modern and Contemporary architecture in Davidson County and/or have ties to African American developers and architects. These districts are not currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places, protected by local historic overlays, or recognized with historical markers—with the exception of Haynes Heights (overlay) and Enchanted Hills (marker approved). While the program does not require a matching share, MHC proposes staff time and an associated historical marker as local matching share. A decision regarding award is expected in February 2023.
MHC was recently notified that it was awarded a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Project Funding Grant for $796,812. The grant covers historic building improvements to American Baptist College (ABC) and a Civil Rights Walking Tour. Staff will be working with ABC’s Administration over the next two years to administer the work associated with the grant. MHC applied for this grant in the spring of 2021 at the request of the Mayor’s Office and Congressman Cooper’s staff.
Staff will be participating in Neighbor 2 Neighbor’s 8th Annual Davidson County Good Neighbor Festival Day on Saturday, September 24th. The event will be held at Cedar Hill Park in Madison and will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!
AIA-Middle Tennessee recently interviewed MHC Executive Director Tim Walker for their Re:Form Tennessee podcast which examines resilience strategies for communities. Check out his episode to hear how the MHC's work contributes to sustainability, resilience, and building stronger communities in Nashville.
MHZC News
The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 21st 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!
The July MHZC meeting was the last one for commissioners Kaitlyn Jones (appointed 2017) and Leigh Fitts (2019). Both have had a positive impact on the MHZC and have been a great resource for staff. Many thanks to both for their service!
Zoning Administrator Robin Zeigler will be a co-presenter for a National Alliance of Preservation Commission (NAPC) webinar in September. MHZC Chair Menié Bell has agreed to make a guest appearance.
In August, two new commissioners were appointed to the MHZC. They fill the vacant spots left by former commissioners Kaitlyn Jones and Leigh Fitts.
Elizabeth Cashion is principal of her own architectural firm. She earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and has worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Edwards + Hotchkiss Architects. She holds memberships with the American Institute of Architects, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and she is LEED AP certified. She has been practicing as a licensed architect in Nashville for nearly 40 years.
Image: Elizabeth Cashion. Photo submitted.
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Samantha Pyle is self-employed and works for Green Apple Strategy, where she is the founder and CEO. She earned a B.A. from Western Kentucky University, an M.A. from Tennessee State University, and is a 2024 PMBA Candidate at Lipscomb University's Pfeffer College of Business.
Her previous professional experience includes several marketing and communications positions with St. Thomas Health Care Services, Bell & Associates Construction, GS&F, cabedge, and Werkshop Marketing. Pyle has lived in Nashville for the majority of her 21 years in Middle Tennessee and has been a business owner for over a decade.
Image: Samantha Pyle. Credit: Green Apple Strategy.
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![[Official Seal of Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County]](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/TNNASH/2017/12/1699826/3896410/metro-seal-black-and-white_crop.png)
After the Commission's approval of the Bettie Page marker in late July, we received half a dozen media inquiries and emails of support from the community. News Channel 5, WKRN, The Tennessean, and Fox News all wrote articles about the marker.
The Percy Priest Lake marker has been installed on Smith Springs Road, and after initially planning to unveil the marker on August 12th, Council member Delishia Porterfield had to reschedule the unveiling. We will share details on the new ceremony date as soon as that is set. Many thanks to the Nashville Department of Transportation for assisting us with the marker installation!
Dedication for the new Vanderbilt Dudley Field marker has been postponed due to a delay in the manufacturing process. Watch our future newsletters for updates on the unveiling!
At the August regular meeting, the Commission unanimously approved three new historical markers. These include markers for Ernest "Rip" Patton (1940-2021), Ratterman Row (1223-1231 5th Ave. N), and Edwin Stanley Temple (1927-2016). The Patton marker will be installed at Gordon Memorial Methodist (2334 Herman St.) and the Temple marker will be placed on Ed Temple Blvd. near John A. Merritt Blvd. at the east end of the Tennessee State University campus.
Private fundraising efforts continue for the recently approved Enchanted Hills historical marker. Residents from the neighborhood have set up a GoFundMe page where donations are being accepted.
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Beginning September 13th, the Madison Branch Library will host "Adult Reminisce" from 10:30-11:30 a.m. each Tuesday. Relax, laugh and remember with Reminisce magazine. Each issue is a "time capsule" of life from the '30's, 40's,'50's and 60's filled with reader-written stories, pictures from the past, embarrassing moments, ads and much more. Take a trip down memory lane!
The Bordeaux Branch Library will host "Genealogy 101: U.S. Federal Census Collection" on Thursday, September 22nd from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Learn how to use FamilySearch and HeritageQuest to search U.S. Census Records.
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The 2nd Annual Starry Night Fundraiser in the Centennial Art Center will be September 10th from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Event will feature live entertainment, local performers and artists, an art show and sale, and a silent auction. Admission is free (donation suggested). The fundraiser is being organized by Creative Parks Nashville, the nonprofit “friends” group dedicated to supporting music, art, and theater education in Nashville’s parks.
The final Warner Park Full Moon Pickin' Parties of the season will be held September 16-17th. Each event runs from 6:00-10:00 p.m. Pickin' Parties are hosted by the Friends of Warner Parks, and all proceeds fund essential conservation and restoration projects in the Edwin and Percy Warner parks. Get your tickets today!
Bells Bend Outdoor Center will host several programs in September in recognition of Tennessee Archaeology Month, including a dendrochronology class, First Tennesseans children's program, and a history hike. On September 24th, they will host a lecture, "Tennessee Archaeology Month: Tennessee Archaeology" with Aaron Deter-Wolf, the Prehistoric Archaeologist for the State of Tennessee's Division of Archaeology.
As initial plans take shape for a new community center in historic Old Hickory Village, Metro Parks is taking public comments regarding the new building's design. Some residents want the center to take inspiration from early-20th century community facilities like those shown in a 1918 photograph and others want the design to reflect Old Hickory's past as a WWI-era factory town. Please email Metro Parks with comments about the design.
Over the last several weeks, MHC staff has been working with Metro Parks and a team of consultants led by HDLA, formerly known as Hodgson Douglas Landscape Architects, to review and finalize the Fort Negley Park Master Plan. The plan will include policy recommendations for treatment and interpretation of the site, along with proposed improvements to the Visitor Center, trails throughout the 64-acre park, and to the fort itself.
MHC staff is assisting Metro Parks with the reconstruction and repair of the historic fort’s stone walls. The rehabilitation of several sections of dilapidated stone walls by The Tradesmen Group continues, with the sally port having been largely reconstructed along with portions of the fort’s north wall. The efforts are moving on now to the redan walls in the northeastern section of the structure. Staff is coordinating with Metro Parks and archaeologists from Tennessee Valley Archaeological Research to monitor the work and ensure that it meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The interior of the fort is closed through the end of the year for wall restoration.
Image: Ruins of Fort Negley stone walls, 1970. On file at MHC.
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Check out the following events happening at Fort Negley this month!
In celebration of Fort Negley Park’s addition to the National Parks Service’s Network To Freedom, the park will host programs this month and next that highlight the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight. On Saturday, September 10th, celebrate Harriet Tubman's 200th birthday with a child-friendly celebration in her honor at Fort Negley Visitor Center. Enjoy cupcakes and make birthday cards anytime between 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A story hour at 12:00 p.m. will feature books about Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
Fossil Finders (RSVP required)--September 10th from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Fossil Volunteer Training--September 17th from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Nashville Civil War Roundtable--September 20th at 7:00 p.m.--Historian Andy Blair (Travellers Rest), "Flags Under Fire: A History of the Signal Corps in the Civil War"
Fort Donelson Camp No. 62, Sons of Union Veterans (SUV) meeting--September 27th from 9:30-11:00 a.m.
We are excited to share that major rehabilitation efforts currently underway at Sevier Park and Sunnyside will update the mansion and the rear two-story former ell building (with c. 1820 log cabin core), reconnecting the two structures with a new glass hyphen administrative space. The office entrance will be re-oriented to the north elevation for easy, ADA-compliant access from a new parking lot and driveway linked to Kirkwood Ave, located further east of the current park entrance and parking lot. Our existing circular drive will become a pedestrian-only path. Goals for other site improvements include repairs to the historic stone walls and outbuildings, with limited archaeological work that will help us better understand and plan for the site. Collier Engineering is managing the site work, while Dryden Architecture + Design is providing architectural services.
Dowdle Construction, the general contractor overseeing the improvements in tandem with Metro Parks staff and Collier Engineering, has been busy finalizing permits for the work over the last few weeks. We began twice weekly construction update meetings at Sunnyside at the end of August. Expect to see lots of changes over the next few months as the physical work begins in earnest. This includes closure of our entrance drive at Kirkwood and 12th Avenue South and the careful dismantling of two-story structure behind Sunnyside Mansion. Watch for updates in the newsletter and on our social media about how the work may impact meetings and visitation at Sunnyside over the coming months.
Image: Sunnyside Mansion and rear ell, 1929. On file at MHC.
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During development of a parcel that is adjacent to the south of Nashville City Cemetery, developer AJ Capital uncovered human remains in holes dug for pylons on May 16th and June 7th, 2022. Archaeologists from the cultural resource management firm SEARCH were monitoring ground-disturbing activity at the site, given its proximity to City Cemetery and known past history of having burials that were thought to have been relocated. They paused construction and notified the Davidson County Medical Examiner and State Archaeologist, as they are required to do. Together they agreed that the funerial artifacts recovered should be collected and that any remaining human remains be left in place, after which construction would continue. These recovered remains are currently in the possession of the SEARCH archaeologist. The presence of any additional burials at the site is unknown. Construction at the site has resumed, but no further digging is expected, leaving any possible undiscovered burials intact and preserved beneath the structure.
Staff recently met with AJ Capital, their construction manager, and their archaeologist at the property. The developer wishes to have the recovered remains reinterred at the City Cemetery and has discussed with MHC staff about how to make that happen. Staff is reviewing records (Deed Books, Lot Cards, etc.) for the Nashville City Cemetery to identify potentially suitable reinterment locations. Although records will indicate places likely to be vacant of historic burials, the age of the cemetery and gaps in the records make it impossible to be certain. AJ Capital and SEARCH will assist by conducting ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in the new potential burial locations so that disturbance of existing graves can be avoided. SEARCH's archaeologist determined that the burials date roughly to the early 1800s and are not of Native American origin. AJ Capital has agreed to conduct radiocarbon dating and DNA testing to learn more about the identities of these individuals. A petition for these removals has been filed with the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Since June, our staff have surveyed approximately 140 historical cemeteries with the assistance of our consultant, New South Associates (NSA), as part of our current grant project. A very successful community meeting earlier this summer in Cane Ridge drew about 60 attendees, including three Council members, so we are encouraged by that level of support and interest in the project. We plan to host another community meeting this fall, and in each subsequent project phase, and will share that date and time once it is set. NSA will present their Phase I findings at the September 19th MHC meeting at Sonny West Conference Center. We are awaiting word from the Tennessee Historical Commission regarding our application for Phase II grant funding and expect to hear a decision any day now.
In early August, staff met with a reporter from WKRN and conducted an interview with visits to two sites, the Cowgill and General Thomas Overton cemeteries. One clarification to the article is that the cemetery database already exists, created about twenty years ago after volunteers completed the original Davidson County Cemetery Survey. This grant project is making updates to these entries for 600+ previously-surveyed sites. The cemetery data set can be accessed via Metro's Open Data Portal, or there is a more user-friendly Google site where DCCS records may be explored. Staff are receiving frequent reports of unsurveyed sites and site visit requests across the county; we are working to address those in a timely manner but are always interested in gathering more information on Davidson County's historic burial sites. Be sure to check out our web page with additional DCCS background and numerous resources regarding cemetery laws and preservation guidance!
A huge thanks goes out to MTSU's Center for Historic Preservation for supplying us with copies of detailed Cane Ridge cemetery files originally complied by former graduate student Jenny Andrews. These records include research and photographs that are extremely helpful supplements to our recent survey work in that area of Davidson County.
This project is being supported in part by the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Image: Cowgill Cemetery, where the earliest burial dates to 1842, August 2022. Credit: MHC.
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A tour for the Edgehill Neighborhood is currently under development. We are also working on additional lesson plans and finishing the Civil War driving tour, to be narrated by Tennessee State Historian Dr. Carroll Van West. Nashville Sites will soon have merchandise available for sale, with proceeds going to the MHC Foundation.
MHC staff member Jessica Reeves will be participating in this year’s Tennessee Council for History Educational (TNCHE) Conference on September 28th at the Scarritt Bennett Conference Center. The 2022 conference theme is "Visualizing History: How to Better Engage Students in the Post-Pandemic Classroom." We will host an exhibit table, where we’ll be able to promote Nashville Sites and its free lesson plans for grades 4-12, as well as our other work.
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Nominations are now being accepted for Historic Nashville’s 2022 Nashville Nine, the annual list of neglected and endangered historic properties, including landmarks, bridges, signs, and neighborhoods in Nashville and Davidson County. The deadline to nominate a property for this year’s list is Friday, September 30th. The list will be announced later this fall. The Nashville Nine program gives Historic Nashville members, as well as citizens of Davidson County and surrounding areas, the opportunity to prioritize historic places in Nashville currently in danger of being lost. It has been one of the organization’s most effective tools for saving places unique to our city.
Historic Nashville, Inc. is now hiring for an Administrative Assistant. This will be a year-round, part-time job for 10-15 hours per week at a rate of $20 per hour. Duties include managing the membership and donor database, organizing tours and events, website maintenance, social media postings, email correspondence, and serving as secretary at board meetings. Administrative experience and a degree or strong knowledge of historic preservation and easements is encouraged. This position is mostly remote with possible in-person duties for board meetings and other events. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and any questions to info@historicnashvilleinc.org.
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The National Park Service announces availability of grant funding through African American Civil Rights Grant Program (AACR). The program will document, interpret, and preserve sites and stories telling the full story of the long struggle for African American civil rights from the transatlantic slave trade onwards across two separate grant funding opportunities. The NPS 2008 report, Civil Rights in America, A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites, will serve as the reference document in determining the appropriateness of proposed projects and properties. AACR Grants are funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by the NPS, and will fund a broad range of preservation projects including survey and inventory, National Register nominations, oral histories and more. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal funding match. Congress has appropriated $21.7 million in FY2022 funding for History and Preservation projects.
Applications are due November 8th, 2022. Eligibility details, funded projects, and application instructions can found on the program webpage.
Image: Photograph of demonstrators, led by Reverend James Luther Bevel, Greyhound Bus Terminal, Nashville, Tennessee, March 3, 1960. Credit: Nashville Public Library Digital Collections.
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Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Contemporary Conversations with the Stylemakers, Socialites and Influencers of the Past: Edith Wharton in Conversation with Mary Follin--September 7
National Trust for Historic Preservation--Webinar: Women’s Work: Beatrice Glow, Daisy Quezada Ureña, and Nafis M. White in Conversation with Rebecca Hart--September 7; Women's Work: A Conversation with Lucy Lippard and Harmony Hammond--September 20
Nashville Parthenon--Centennial Park History Tour--September 8
Centennial Art Center--Starry Night Fundraiser--September 10
Two Rivers Mansion--Music at the Mansion--Watercolor at the Mansion--September 10; September 17
Historic Travellers Rest--Archaeology Day--September 10; Songwriters Night--September 20; Historic Trades Day--September 24
American Association for State and Local History--2022 Annual Conference--September 14-17
Frist Art Museum--Performance: Early Music City--September 15
Tennessee State Museum--Appalachian Makers and Arrowmont: The Settlement School, Arrowcraft, and its Women Weavers--September 15
Friends of Warner Parks--Full Moon Pickin' Party--September 16-17
Nashville Parks Foundation--Picnic for the Parks at Fort Negley--September 24
Association for the Study of African American Life and History--107th Annual Meeting and Conference: "Black Health and Wellness"--September 29-October 1
Centennial Park--Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival--October 1; Fall Tennessee Craft Fair--October 7-9
The DISTRICT Nashville--36th Annual Progressive Party--October 5
Fort Negley Park--Lecture: The Meaning of Freedom in Union Occupied Territory with Dr. Thavolia Glymph (Duke University)--October 8
Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society--43rd National Conference--October 12-15
Historic Travellers Rest--Twisted Tennessee--October 21
Tennessee State Museum--Haunted Museum Storytelling Festival--October 29
Two Rivers Mansion--2022 Spirit Legends Tours--various dates in October
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