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MHC News
At the December regular meeting, the MHC approved a draft nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for Exit/In, authored by State Historian Dr. Carroll Van West and Savannah Grandey Knies from the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU. The Commission is required to review proposed nominations as part of the Certified Local Government program through the National Park Service. The nomination will now move forward through a review process by the Tennessee State Review Board (SRB) at their January 2023 meeting. As stated in the nomination, this property is being nominated for its "exceptional local significance in Performing Arts and Entertainment/Recreation" and "role in developing Nashville's alternative music scene" as a "fundamental component of Nashville's modern music history."
After a fire in late November at Eversong, which is on the Stones River and its greenway across from Stone Hall, staff visited the cabin to survey the damage. Eversong and Stone Hall are designated a local Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The damage is mostly concentrated on the second-floor interior with some of the rafters burned. The fire damage and subsequent water damage from extinguishing the fire is being cleaned up by restoration company ServPro. Metro Parks chose not to board up the upper floor windows to allow the building to dry out. The cause of the fire is believed to be a squirrel that chewed through electrical wires. As of December 14, the contractor has removed all of the moisture from the cabin, but they are still working on clean-up. Thankfully the building will endure.
We have a near-final draft of Dr. Carole Bucy’s revised Metro consolidation booklet after additional meetings with her and staff of Metro Archives and the Nashville Public Library. The booklet will likely be published within the next 2-3 months. Deputy Mayor Brenda Haywood’s office is planning several public events in January, February, and March to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Metro consolidation. We will share those as details become available.
For the NPS Civil Rights grant, we are waiting on the final contract and Notice to Proceed from Metro Finance so that we can bring on our consultant to begin work on this project. As soon as we get the green light, we’ll have a kickoff meeting with staff and the consultants, likely in early January. We plan to have community outreach as a significant component of our work next year.
Staff researched and wrote a short history for the former El Dorado Motel in anticipation of a possible landmarking early next year. Staff has also been working on cleaning up/digitizing files, with the assistance of a volunteer, and completing miscellaneous research and file search requests, including 5409 Cochran Drive, a pre-1865 residence.
We continue to work with American Baptist College (ABC), MDHA and HUD to finalize an EDI Community Project Funding the grant award of approximately $800,000 for the renovation of historic buildings on ABC’s campus as well as the creation of a walking tour highlighting its Civil Rights history. Staff will manage that grant-related work, which should begin by March and be completed in early 2025.
Interested in learning more about racial inequities during Nashville's streetcar era? Check out this recent episode of WPLN's "This is Nashville" as MHC Vice Chair Linda Wynn and other local historians discuss stories of resistance that pre-date the Civil Rights Act.
In late December, Metro Council approved a $10 million allocation to help fund a new business incubator at Fisk University's Burrus Hall, built in 1945 and listed on Historic Nashville Inc.'s 2019 "Nashville Nine" list of endangered historic properties. The center will be named after Darrell Freeman, a high profile local African American businessman who passed away last summer, and advocates hope it will help disrupt generational poverty in the Black community by inspiring the creation of new businesses.
As we move forward into the bitter cold of winter, make sure you are doing everything possible to prevent a fire at your historic property by reviewing these 10 tips from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
MHZC News
The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held on Wednesday, January 18th at 2:00 p.m. at the Sonny West Conference Center, Howard Office Building, 700 President Ronald Regan Way. 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 42nd Annual Conference on African American History and Culture (NCAAHC) will be held virtually for only the third time in this event's long history on Friday, February 10th, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We have seven new presenters who represent researchers, educators, authors, and historians that will speak on significant people, places and events in Nashville and Tennessee African American history. The conference theme is "Tell it Like It Is: Exploring African American Public, Oral & Written History in Tennessee.” Attendees will also be treated to musical entertainment from the Tennessee State University Meistersingers choral ensemble and a theatrical piece by the Fisk University Stagecrafters. Registration is now open. We hope you will join us in February!
For questions about registration, please email Caroline Eller or call the MHC office at (615) 862-7970.
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In mid-December, Dr. Adam Fracchia joined the MHC as the new staff archaeologist. His specialization is historical archaeology with a focus on the modern world and the relationship of archaeology to the public and community. His previous position was as an Assistant Research Professor with the University of Maryland.
Adam earned a bachelor's degree in Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology from Saint Louis University. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. He went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Historical Archaeology from Illinois State University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology from the University of Maryland. In 2017, he organized the Baltimore Archaeology Forum, an informal network of preservationists, archaeologists, and members of the public and community, to promote, protect, and better use the archaeological resources of the Baltimore area. Dr. Fracchia coauthored a book on the archaeological history of Baltimore and authored a book chapter drawing from the writings of Frederick Douglass to compare the exploitation of different workers in the Baltimore area during industrialization titled, Between Freedom and Slavery: Understanding the Material Landscapes of Labor in Nineteenth-Century Baltimore and Texas, Maryland. His dissertation, Laboring in Stone: The Urbanization of Capital in the Quarry Town of Texas, Maryland, and its Effects, 1840 to 1940, focused on on the patterns and effects of industrialization and urbanization during the mid-nineteenth to twentieth centuries in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Dr. Fracchia's other professional experience includes a position as an Adjunct Professor in Anthropology at the University of Delaware and working as an archaeologist with the National Park Service (NPS) and the Maryland State Highway Administration, where he helped to oversee the management and mitigation of cultural resources and collections management. During this time, he partnered with the NPS to co-author an updated National Historic Landmark (NHL) Bulletin and an NHL Theme Study titled, Labor Archaeology in the Industrial Era. Welcome, Dr. Fracchia!
Image: Dr. Adam Fracchia. Credit: University of Maryland.
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Welcome to MHC's newest commissioner, Dr. Marisa Richmond! Dr. Richmond has taught history for over thirty years and is a successful published author in the field of history.
Dr. Richmond earned a bachelor's degree in history from Harvard University, a Master of Arts degree in history from the University of California Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in U.S. History from George Washington University. Her previous professional experience includes positions as Curator, Department of Space History, National Air and Space Museum (NASM) at the Smithsonian Institution; Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Vanderbilt University; Associate Professor in the Department of History, Geography and Political Science at Tennessee State University; and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Nashville State Community College. She also served on the Tennessee Historical Commission from June 2003 to July 2006. In her current role, Dr. Richmond serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Middle Tennessee State University. She also served on the Metro Human Relations Commission (2016-2022) and Mayor's Council on the Status of Women (2019-2020). Welcome, Dr. Richmond!
Image: Dr. Marisa Richmond. Credit: submitted.
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We expect to have 2 or 3 markers before the Commission for approval in January, which means the spring and summer should be full of marker installations and ceremonies. The first marker ceremony of the year will be Saturday, January 14th (time TBD) for the Kurdish Americans in Nashville marker on Nolensville Pike. Once the time has been set, we will share updates.
Other markers we expect to install in the spring include: United Record Pressing, Tusculum Elementary, Hillsboro High School, Antioch High School, Woodcuts Gallery, Dudley Field, Bettie Page (in April in honor of her 100th birthday), and Ernest Rip Patton.
On December 15th, the Nashville Battlefield Trust dedicated a Civil War Trails marker on the grounds of STEM Prep High School located at 1252 Foster Avenue. A grant from the Tennessee Wars Commission funded the marker, which recognizes U.S. Colored Troops who advanced on the ground on December 15, 1864. Several MHC members were in attendance, and MHZC member Dr. Lea Williams was a speaker at the ceremony.
Be sure to check out the most recent community history blog by Metro archivist Sarah Arntz, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"...in Nashville?," to learn how Nashvillians have coped with winter weather over the years.
The "Camp Forrest, TN – POW Exhibit: Friend, Enemy or Frenemy" remains on display at the Main Library until February 26th. This exhibit is located on the 3rd floor just outside the entrance to Metro Archives. To learn more about the exhibit and Camp Forrest, visit the Camp Forrest Foundation website.
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Join the Centennial Park Conservancy in Centennial Park on January 28th from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to celebrate the Chinese New Year with the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville! This event is free and open to the public.
In 2022, Friends of Warner Parks worked to completely restore the 1811 Hodge House at Percy Warner Park. The group has also added a new pavilion for events and gatherings. Restoration of the Percy Warner Golf Course, built in 1937, is currently underway. Check out the Hodge House a the upcoming free event, "An Evening of Poetry and Prose at the Hodge House" on February 1st. This will be a calm and lovely evening of poetry reading interspersed with bits of history about this home and families that once lived here. Registration opens January 18th.
Image: Percy Warner Park trail in the snow. Credit Friends of Warner Parks.
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New plaques honoring Civil Rights leader Diane Nash were recently installed in Public Square Park. This area has been renamed to Diane Nash Plaza in recognition of Nash's extraordinary efforts and role as a key player in the Nashville Student Movement fighting for civil rights and equality. Nash and others, including The Rev. C.T. Vivian, led a crowd of thousands of other activists and famously confronted then-mayor Ben West on the nearby courthouse steps on April 19, 1960, where Nash asked West if racial discrimination was wrong. After West answered her in the affirmative, things began to shift in Nashville, with desegregation of downtown lunch counters beginning that May. Metro Council member Nancy VanReece (district 8) spearheaded the effort to rename the plaza for Nash and stated that "says it’s important to honor the city’s civil rights leaders while they are still alive."
Image: New plaques recognizing Diane Nash Plaza. Credit: Metro Nashville General Services.
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Check out the following events happening at Fort Negley this month!
Fossil Finders (RSVP required)--January 14th from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Nashville Civil War Roundtable--January 17th at 7:00 p.m.--"Fortress Nashville" with author and historian Mark Zimmerman (program is based on his recent book)
Fort Donelson Camp No. 62, Sons of Union Veterans Meeting--January 24th at 6:00 p.m.
Become a Fossil Volunteer! Fossil volunteers are a critical part of providing hands-on activities during monthly programs, an annual fossil event, and school tours in the spring for over 1200 kids. If you enjoy geology, paleontology, and spreading earth sciences literacy, consider training to become a volunteer! Training will occur on Saturday, January 21st from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Contact Fort Negley staff to sign up or learn more.
The Nashville History Club will resume meetings in early February. Please note that Historic Fort Negley at the apex of the hill remains closed for partial restoration.
The pace of construction activity at Sevier Park and Sunnyside continues to grow. Site work for the new entrance drive has progressed, and the new drive and parking area should be mostly completed by early February.
Selective demolition of the ell has been ongoing for the last few weeks, as well as the abatement of asbestos in the building. The work revealed a surprise discovery of a second log structure on the very back of the ell, which is being assessed by log building expert Gary Grau thanks to emergency funding by the MHC Foundation. This second log structure may predate the main log structure and we’ll know more once the assessment has been completed. MHC staff are working with Parks, the structural engineer, and the architect to make final decisions on the design. The building will eventually be the new home for expanded staff offices, a library and kitchenette, and additional storage and meeting spaces.
At the December MHC meeting, the Commission enjoyed an informative presentation from Buchanan Log House (BLH) Director of Engagement Linda Mansur. She discussed the current restoration efforts underway at the c. 1808 structure and goals for long-term preservation of the site.
In May 2022, BLH Chapter received a $9,000 DAR Preservation Grant with a matching grant from the Association for Tennessee Antiquities (APTA) as part of an important preservation and restoration project. The resulting multi-phase project will check and repair/replace rotten logs, rechink the chimney, and replace the existing and non-compatible Portland cement with an historically appropriate limestone mixture. The Tennessee Historical Commission recently awarded BLH with a preservation grant, which will further contribute to the restoration.
The group has contracted with a log specialist to continue work in May-June 2023 that will finish the inside of the main log house and continue outside work. Located in another log building on the property, the Buchanan History Center should also be completed this year. Other goals and projects planned for 2023 include fence repairs and landscaping, an inventory and plan for the Addison Museum, and increased volunteer strength to assist with tours. Eventually, the group aims to build an event space at the rear of the property so that the Buchanan Log House can become a true historic home and museum rather than an event center.
Image: Door next to fireplace discovered during restoration. Credit: Linda Mansur/Buchanan Log House Chapter.
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The Tennessee Historical Commission is finalizing our contract for Phase II of the Cemetery Preservation Plan grant and the contract will be routed for signatures from the State. We hope to be able to begin this second phase survey work sometime in January or February, and this phase will likely cover the northern areas of the county including Joelton, Parkwood-Union Hill, Madison, and Bordeaux-Whites Creek.
In mid-December, staff and THC Cemetery Specialist Graham Perry conducted site visits to the Withers Cemetery in Hermitage and a nearby previously undocumented Unnamed Cemetery on Hidden Hills Dr. which may have African American ties. Several rough fieldstones were present at the Unnamed Cemetery. A petition for relocation of the graves at this site was filed in early December with Chancery Court and will post on the Tennessee Historical Commission website for public notice.
While visiting these two cemeteries, staff learned of a third burial site on the parcel, owned and currently under development by Meritage Homes. We plan to return in the coming weeks after clearing on the larger site is further along and will provide for access.
Image: Fieldstone at Unnamed Cemetery on Hidden Hills Drive. Credit: MHC.
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The Civil War Driving Tour from Nashville Sites officially launched on December 15th in conjunction with the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Nashville. The Edgehill Walking Tour will be completed in January with the help of a St. Cecilia Academy intern and will launch mid-month. The Germantown Walking Tour will be completed by a Harpeth Hall class in January and will launch in the spring. Writing has started on the LGBTQ tour by Nashville Queer History volunteers. The tour will launch on March 30th, with speakers and a reception at Thistle Farms (time and other info to come).
Nashville Sites merch is now available! Each purchase supports the Metro Historical Commission Foundation and Nashville Sites, allowing for more work with community partners, building of tours, and promotion of Nashville's interesting and unique history. Don't forget--you can also make a tax-deductible donation to Nashville Sites anytime to help keep Nashville's history free and accessible to all!
Image: 1906 mural by artist Howard Pyle that depicts the Battle of Nashville at Shy's Hill on December 16, 1864. Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society.
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The Metropolitan Historical Commission is now accepting nominations for the 47th Annual Preservation Awards program, honoring Nashville's best preservation projects. Anyone may nominate buildings or structures that have been restored, rehabilitated, or carefully maintained over time. The awards also recognize well-designed new construction that harmonizes with a historic environment. To be considered, nominated properties must be in Davidson County and have an original construction date no later than 1973. Infill projects should be no older than 2020. All projects must have been completed within the past three years. Previous winners may be eligible if the work is significantly different.
Submit your nomination now through Monday, February 13, 2023.
For more program details and submission instructions, please visit our Preservation Awards page.
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The MHC is saddened to share the news of the recent passing of two beloved members of the local history community--award-winning author and prolific historian Dr. Bobby Lovett, and MHC commissioner and longtime educator Pamela Bobo.
A Memphis native, Dr. Lovett was one of the founding members of our annual Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture. He joined Tennessee State University (TSU) in 1973 as a senior professor, where he taught history and African American history for 30 years and proudly served thousands of students as the Dean of the TSU College of Arts and Sciences for more than 10 of those years. Dr. Lovett’s historical expertise led him to author over eight books on American and African American History. His most recent books A Touch of Greatness: A History of Tennessee State University, The African American History of Nashville, 1780-1930: Elites and Dilemmas and How It Came to Be: The Boyd Family’s Contribution to African American Publishing from the 19th to the 21st Century have been nationally recognized by historical institutions and universities across the country. His 2005 book, The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee: A Narrative History, won the “Tennessee History Book Award” by the Tennessee Library Association and Tennessee Historical Commission. His research and articles have appeared in numerous documentaries, history books, encyclopedias, and scholarly journals.
Dr. Lovett was not only a pillar in the Tennessee historical community. He was also a civically engaged leader in the Nashville community throughout his life. He proudly served on the Board of Directors for many organizations including Citizens Bank, R.H. Boyd Publishing Company, the Tennessee Historical Society, the Nashville Historical Society, the Editorial Board of the Tennessee Historical Quarterly, and the Advisory Board for the Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area. Dr. Lovett attended First Baptist Church Capitol Hill for more than 35 years. He served on the MHC from 1994 to 2002, and served as Chair near the end of his term on the commission.
Image: Dr. Bobby Lovett. Credit: WPLN/RH Boyd Publishing Company.
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Pamela Bobo first joined the MHC in August 2020, was appointed to a full term in November 2021 and was still in service on the commission at the time of her passing. She taught as an instructor of U.S. History and Tennessee History at Tennessee State University for over 24 years. Pamela joined the planning committee of the Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture in 2002 and served on the committee until this winter.
She served in other positions in the community, including nearly 8 years as a GED instructor for the Davidson County Drug Court and as a member of the Standards Recommendation Committee of the Tennessee State Board of Education. In 2017, Pamela was honored with the Higher Education Award issued by the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators. She was interred at Greenwood North Cemetery.
Image: Pamela Bobo. Credit: Smith Funeral Directors.
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The Preservation Society of Nashville (PSN) held their launch event on December 7th at the offices of Q Prime South, which is housed in the historic building that was formerly the home of Seventeenth Street Christian Church in Lockeland Springs neighborhood. The new nonprofit for historic preservation plans to complement the work of Historic Nashville, Inc. and create a revolving fund and fundraise to support the county’s historic and cultural resources. PSN is currently fundraising with a goal to hire an executive director and staff. View their launch video or visit the new PSN website to learn more about the organization, its leadership and its mission.
Image: Preservation Society of Nashville co-founders Kelleigh Bannen and Colson Horton at the organization's launch party in December. Credit: Council member Freddie O'Connell.
Be sure to also check out this interview with preservation nonprofit Historic Nashville Inc.'s President, Brian Mansfield, about this year's Nashville Nine endangered list and additional ways we can preserve Nashville's history and historic properties.
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As the development of an events center at Two Rivers Mansion progresses, the Friends of Two Rivers Mansion planning committee continues to meet bi-monthly after Metro Council approved funding in the 2022 Capital Spending Plan. With the event center’s completion, most rentals will move from the mansion, as they were taking a toll on the structure. On Wednesday, December 6th the first project management meeting took place at the Mansion with representatives from Parks and two architect firms that will work on the completed plan. Hopes are that the coming Capital Spending Plan will include funds for the construction phase once the final plan is in place. The completion of this Center will enable a much broader range of revenue producing activity on the property. It will also ease the strain on the Mansion and pave the way for the Mansion to become a true ‘interpretative house museum’ used for educational and tourism purposes. Staff members Adam Fracchia (MHC) and Sean Alexander (MHZC) are providing guidance on surveying for archaeological resources in the areas affected by the construction of the building and pathways.
This year will mark almost 12 years since the major restoration work of 2011-12 that returned the Mansion to its former glory. As with all structures, especially historic structures, time and weather takes a toll on paint and millwork and that is certainly true of Two Rivers. In preparation to meet some of the funding for a second restoration phase, the Board applied for a Tennessee Historical Commission Preservation Grant in the spring of 2022 and THC awarded the grant late last fall. The grant totals $30,000 and requires a 40% local match from the Friends group. The total grant amount will be partnered with funding from Metro Parks to provide for millwork and structural repairs as well as new paint for the Mansion exterior.
The 2023 grant round for the National Fund for Sacred Places will open on Wednesday, January 11th. The only initiative of its kind in the U.S., the National Fund is a highly competitive program that supports vibrant congregations that have buildings of historical significance and architectural character, and that play an essential role in meeting the larger spiritual, social, and economic needs of the communities they serve. The National Fund for Sacred Places is a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This is an excellent opportunity and one of few financial resources available for the preservation of historic churches. Sign up to receive updates!
The Tennessee Historical Commission is now accepting applications for the historic preservation grants program. Grants may fund a variety of project including survey, National Register nominations, and repairs/restoration of National Register-listed properties. To learn more and apply, visit the THC website. Applications are due Tuesday, February 7th!
Historic Travellers Rest--Twelfth Night at Travellers Rest--January 7
The Hermitage--Battle of New Orleans Commemoration--January 8
Nashville Parthenon--Looking Back - 125 Years After the Tennessee Centennial Exposition--thru January 8; Virtual Symposium: Parthenon Marbles Casts--January 13
Tennessee State Museum--Craft a New Year: Sculpting the Clay Animal Mask with Nancy Jacobsohn--January 14
Tennessee Genealogical Society--Genealogy 101-Beginning Genealogy--January 18
Frist Art Museum--Architecture Tour--January 21
Society of Architectural Historians--Conserving Histories: Women and Transnational Collaborations--January 26
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Spanning the Atlantic: The Arts & Crafts Movement in America--beginning January 28
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--The Antiques & Garden Show of Nashville--February 3-5
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