MHC News
Many thanks to those who attended this year’s online Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture, which drew nearly 240 attendees, a record number for the virtual event. Planning has already begun on the 2024 conference, which we hope to host in-person.
Caroline Eller continues to work with Dr. Carole Bucy and staff of Nashville Public Library and Metro Archives to finalize a booklet on the history of Metro consolidation. The project is nearly complete and expected to go to print next month, in time for distribution at 60th anniversary events this spring. More info on the celebration of 60 years of Metro below!
Dr. Adam Fracchia has been working closely with Caroline, developers, descendants, and Graham Perry of the Tennessee Historical Commission regarding treatment of an unnamed cemetery located off Hidden Hills Drive in Hermitage. The site was discovered late last year by Meritage Homes during site prep and was previously undocumented by our office. He is also working with Metro Parks on a permit for archaeological excavation on Metro Nashville land, and has initiated a survey for finding and determining collections owned by Metro Nashville across departments.
Scarlett Miles has submitted two street renaming reports to Metro Council (changing the name of Horton Avenue to DeFord Bailey Avenue and the name of Lifeway Plaza to Josephine Holloway Avenue). Both reports are posted on our website. The bills (BL2023-1648 and BL2023-1649) were presented for third reading on February 21 and passed.
Jessica Reeves worked with NDOT to install a new historical marker last month on Natchez Trace for Dudley Field/ Vanderbilt Stadium. She is also working with MNPS to schedule installations for Tusculum Elementary, Hillsboro High School, and Antioch High School. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information about upcoming marker ceremonies!
A few weeks ago, the Metro Historical Commission sadly said goodbye to MHZC staff member Sean Alexander, though we look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role as a Park Planning Manager with the Metro Parks & Recreation Department. Sean spent his 15 years as a team leader in the design review division and on special projects such as care/maintenance at the Nashville City Cemetery, archaeological research at Fort Negley, and planning for the Memorial Day Dash. Prior to joining our staff in 2007, Sean worked for a Cultural Resource Management/Archaeology firm in Virginia and at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware, completed coursework for a Master's Degree in Historic Preservation at the University of Georgia, and also received a graduate degree from Cumberland University. Best of luck Sean!
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MHZC News
The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 15th 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 Lathan-Youngs neighborhood conservation zoning overlay passed its public hearing with Metro Council on February 2, 2023, and its third and final reading at Metro Council on February 21. This increases the number of districts (historic preservation and neighborhood conservation) to thirty-three, and is the second mid-century overlay to be adopted. The designation of this district and Haynes Heights has sparked interest in other neighborhoods developed during the Jim Crow era such as Haynes Manor, Gardner’s Gold Coast and Enchanted Hills.
The MHZC "Leadership Recognition" program is still accepting nominations. Anyone can nominate a group by sending a description of how the nominee meets the "characteristics" of the Leadership Recognition to historicalcommission@nashville.gov prior to April 1.
Characteristics of a Leadership Recognition recipient include:
• Provide protection for the important historic resources of their district.
• Provide education of the history of their neighborhood through events, publications or neighborhood features.
• Understands how to help move change forward in a manner that is respectful to the historic character of the district, through effective communication and participation.
• Has improved neighborhood participation and inclusion.
• Created valuable links or improved communication and processes between the neighborhood and Metro government.
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 Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
For more program details and submission instructions, please visit our Preservation Awards page.
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As the Metro Historical Commission moves forward with our grant project, Civil Rights in Nashville 1944-1966, we want to hear from the public about their knowledge and ties to the local civil rights story. To facilitate this input, MHC and our project consultants at Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc. designed a brief survey to learn about the places, people, and events that need to be documented. Please share this with anyone you think may be interested. This survey will close on March 30, 2023.
The Metro Historical Commission’s Civil Rights Related Resources in Nashville, 1944-1966 project is being supported by an African American Civil Rights grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
In April 2022, Nashville Sites (a program of the Metro Historical Commission Foundation) and Nashville Queer History (a program of the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation) were awarded $25,000 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Telling the Full History Preservation Fund. For the past 12 months, the Nashville Sites and Nashville Queer History teams have been digitizing records at Vanderbilt University Special Collections and writing and recording a new driving tour of Nashville's LGBTQ history. Join them for a panel discussion and the launch of the new tour on Thursday, March 30 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Thistle Farms (5122 Charlotte Pike). Please RSVP by March 20 to secure your seat. Light refreshments will be served.
Vanderbilt University's Women's Center has a number of activities planned for Women's History Month, including lectures, tours, and movies.
The Tennessee State Museum will offer free Women's History Month tours on each Saturday of the month from 2:00-3:00 pm.
Teens age 12-18 can visit the Nashville Public Library on Thursday, March 2 from 3:30-4:30 pm to design and create buttons as part of the Library's "Stronger Together: Women's History Month" programming.
Don't forget Nashville Sites' free, self-guided walking tours: Woman Suffrage and Women's History Highlights, and the Women's Sports History driving tour. Many of these tours also have lesson plans for grades 4-12!
Explore the Cemeteries of Warner Park on March 4 from 2:00-4:00 pm.
The Nashville History Club meets at Fort Negley Visitors Center on March 7, March 14, March 21 and March 28 from 1:00-2:00 pm.
Join the Nashville Civil War Roundtable at Fort Negley on March 21 from 7:00-8:00 pm.
NPL recently launched a "Library of Things". Visit their website to check out household items, musical instruments, games, craft supplies, and more!
The new "Moments from the Movement" exhibit explores the story of Brenda Haywood, Pamela Franklin, Beverly Ward, and Bernadine Rabathaly as they desegregated Stratford High School in 1963. Brenda's oral history account has also been added to the NPL Civil Rights Collection.
Since the 2008-09 academic year, the Tennessee Historical Society has been the proud sponsor of Tennessee History Day, the state affiliate for the National History Day contest. Students across Tennessee will compete in person on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in the state-level competition. Winners at the state competition will go on to represent Tennessee in the National History Day competition in June 2023. Volunteers are needed to judge junior (grades 6-8) and senior (grades 9-12) level student projects at Tennessee History Day from 8:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Email historyday@tennesseehistory.org for more information.
Parnassus Books--Kem Hinton, author of Tennessee’s Bicentennial Mall, in conversation with Demetria Kalodimos-- March 1
The Fairgrounds Nashville--Nashville Lawn and Garden Show--March 2-5
Tennessee State Museum--TN Writers|TN Stories: Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel--March 11
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage--President Jackson's 256th Birthday Celebration--March 15
Tennessee State Library and Archives--The Legacy of Tennessee State Parks Lunchtime Speaker Series--"Early Conservation Efforts in Tennessee" with Hobart Akin--March 16
Lentz Public Health Center--Metro at 60 panel discussion--March 20
Tennessee State Museum--Lunch and Learn: Jeanes Teachers and Rosenwald Schools--March 23
Travellers Rest--World of the Overtons Homeschool Day--March 24
Public Square Park--Metro Nashville 60th Anniversary Celebration--April 1 (for more information email MetroAt60@nashville.gov)
Music City Center--Conference for Neighborhoods (C4N)-- April 1
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Spanning the Atlantic: The Arts & Crafts Movement in America--closes April 2
Millennium Maxwell House Hotel--Jefferson Street Sound Museum Lorenzo Washington Day Gala--April 3
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum--Historic Music Row: Nashville's Creative Crossroads--online exhibit
National Museum of African American Music--Nissan Free Wednesday--free admission on the first Wednesday of each month courtesy of Nissan
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame--free admission through March--sponsored by University of Tennessee Athletics
Check out our online newsletter archives!
Have a preservation-related event that you want us to include? Send a message to Jessica.Reeves@nashville.gov
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