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We are heartbroken by the horrific and senseless shooting that took place on Monday, March 27 at The Covenant School here in Nashville. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has established the Caring for Covenant Fund to manage the donations made in response to this tragedy. All donations made to the Fund, minus credit card fees, will be directed to The Covenant School to support the healing of those affected by this tragedy.
MHC News
MHC staff continues to work with representatives of Clark Memorial United Methodist Church as part of a National Park Service-funded project to document Nashville’s civil rights history. As one of the project outcomes, Clark will be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, an honorary designation that will document the church’s deep ties to the local civil rights movement. Since public input and community engagement are critical pieces of this project, MHC and our consultants are in the process of reaching out to numerous stakeholders, including Nashville’s HBCUs, other local universities, churches, historians, the Nashville NAACP, and other organizations.
Clark Memorial has offered to host a public gathering on Thursday, April 13 from 5:00-7:00pm, where attendees can learn more about the project and provide feedback on the places, people, and stories that should be documented. The event is open and free to the public. Light refreshments will be provided and there is free on-street parking and in the adjacent parking lot. The core part of the program will begin at 5:30pm, which will include remarks from the pastor and other speakers, followed by a short presentation from the project consultants. We hope you will join us!
For the Tennessee Historical Commission Phase II Cemetery Grant project, Caroline and Adam are working to identify additional sites needing survey and/or mapping and staff continues to get regular inquiries and reports related to cemeteries. We plan to initiate Phase II survey work in April and hope to have at least one community meeting during this phase, likely in the northern part of the county where this phase of survey work will be concentrated.
See more information below about archaeological work Dr. Adam Fracchia has been undertaking at Sunnyside in Sevier Park.
Last month, Jessica Reeves worked with NDOT to install new historical markers for Jesse Shelton DeMoss and Woodcuts Gallery. More marker installations and ceremonies are planned in the coming weeks, including a ceremony for the Samuel Smith marker (on April 19) and a ceremony for the Bettie Page marker (on April 22). Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information about these upcoming marker ceremonies and more!
Renovation of Sunnyside in Sevier Park uncovered two log structures behind the c.1852 main house. Upon peeling back later construction layers this winter, two square cedar log buildings were exposed. Closer examination of the logs noted at least 40 separate impact marks from bullets on the north side of both structures with five minie balls (Civil War-era bullets) still imbedded in the wood. Maps and historic accounts of the Battle of Nashville in 1864 show that Sunnyside lay between the main Union and Confederate positions and was the scene of fighting during the battle.
Current renovation plans call for the preservation of the more intact log structure and the preservation of the timbers of the second structure. Prior to the deconstruction of the second building, it was essential to document the position of the timbers as well as impact marks from the battle. Working with staff archaeologist Dr. Adam Fracchia, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Crime Scene Investigation Division helped document and analyze the bullet impacts. The documentation work provided the MNPD with an opportunity to work with and teach anthropology and forensic science students from Middle Tennessee State University as well as test out the integration of their FARO 3-D scanner and drone technology. The analysis was able to show the direction from where the minie balls had been fired and ultimately, will allow for a reconstruction of the fighting that occurred at Sunnyside during the Battle of Nashville.
Through this collaboration, the Metro Historical Commission and the MNPD were able to preserve this important piece of history. Please stay tuned for a public presentation about the findings of the analysis. Additional analysis of the structures will be undertaken this summer when the cedar logs will be dated with a process known as dendrochronology.
Image above: The MNPD Crime Scene Investigation Division conducts a 3-D scan of the exposed log cabins. Bullet impacts are noted on the logs with white tags. Image courtesy of Metro Nashville Police Department.
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 (Left) MTSU Forensic Science student Elizabeth Kowalczyk learns about mapping with a drone from an officer of the MNPD. (Center) An officer with the MNPD examines a bullet impact to calculate the trajectory of the bullet. (Right) MTSU Anthropology student Everett Merian records the location of bullet holes alongside officers of the MNPD. All images courtesy of Metro Nashville Police Department.
MHZC News
The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held on Wednesday, April 19 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!
Congratulations to the Lathan-Youngs neighborhood for their Neighborhood Conservation Zoning overlay and to the owners of Patsy Cline’s Dream Home for their Historic Landmark designation. Lathan-Youngs is the second mid-century district to be designated and the second neighborhood associated with the “Jim Crow” era when Black residents created their own communities within the context of redlining and other discriminatory policies that ensured physical separation between white and Black Nashvillians. Haynes Manor is currently being reviewed by Council and, if passed, will be the third such neighborhood to be designated.
Join the Metropolitan Historical Commission in celebrating National Preservation Month by honoring the winners of Nashville’s 2023 Preservation Awards. Awards will be presented to winning properties nominated in the categories of Residential, Infill, and Commercial architecture. The 47th annual event will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 4:30 p.m. at the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street, with a reception to follow.
The Preservation Awards program is held annually to celebrate National Preservation Month, which is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and observed nationally each year in May. This year’s Preservation Month theme is “People Saving Places” —a celebratory high-five to everyone doing the great work of saving places and inspiring others to do the same.
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Run the most historic 5k in Nashville with the 23rd 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. 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. Registration is open now!
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Hear from Boston University professor Dr. Becky Martin at the Parthenon Symposium "Not Black and Not White: Seeing and Naming Africans in Greek Art" on Thursday, April 6 at 6:00 pm.
The Nashville History Club meets at Fort Negley Visitors Center on April 4, April 11, April 18, and April 25 from 1:00-2:00 pm.
Tour the Nashville City Cemetery for FREE with the Master Gardeners of Davidson County on Saturday, April 8 from 10:00-11:00 am.
Support local art at The Colors of Shelby art show and sale on April 13, 14, and 15 at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center.
Enjoy Slow Art Day at the Parthenon on Saturday, April 15 from 10:00 am-3:00 pm.
Contribute to the Globe at Night community science project with a nighttime hike at Shelby Park on Saturday, April 15 during International Dark Skies.
Join the Nashville Civil War Roundtable at Fort Negley on April 18 from 7:00-8:00 pm.
Enjoy a sunset hike to celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 28 at Shelby Bottoms.
After a two year absence, the Evening of Elegance fundraising dinner will return to Two Rivers Mansion on Friday evening, April 28. The Evening will begin at 6:00 pm with a social hour before a seated dinner at 7:00 pm. Dress for the Evening is semi-formal and the cost per person is $150. Limited tickets are still available. Call Robert McDonald 615.874.1444 for tickets.
You can still see the YWCA Blue Triangle Branch Collection on display in Special Collections at the Main Library (615 Church St.) through Saturday, May 6.
Learn "Who Was Z. Alexander Looby?" at the Looby Branch (2301 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.) on Wednesday, April 12 from 4:30-5:30 pm.
Hear local author Bill Carey speak at the Green Hills Branch (3701 Benham Ave.) during Author Talk- True Tales of Tennessee: Earthquake to Railroad on Friday, April 7 from 11:00am -12:00 pm.
After discussions with MHC director Tim Walker and Nashville Zoo staff, the Tyne Meade Garden Club recently took over the management of the herb garden at Grassmere Historic Farm. The club members did extensive research into the herbs that would have been grown while the family was living there during the late 1800s / early 1900s, and their work was awarded a Special Recognition award at the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. 60th Annual Convention in March. The club is now eligible for state and possibly national levels awards as well. Congratulations!
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As of Tuesday, EXIT/IN has officially been listed in the National Register of Historic Places! This honorary designation by the National Park Service recognizes the legendary music venue's significance as a premier artist showcase venue beginning in the 1970s which transformed into a modern rock hall in the 1980s, when Nashville was recognized as a site of “rock renaissance.” Many thanks and congratulations to MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and Carroll Van West as well as Savannah Grandey Knies and Jen Ruch Young for crafting this excellent and well-deserved nomination! Thank you Chris Cobb, former owner Brugh Reynolds, and Tennessee Historical Commission for working with us to get this story told.
RESCHEDULED--The Metro Nashville 60th Celebration scheduled for Saturday, April 1 has been cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date.
Cumberland River Compact--Dragon Boat Festival--registration opens April 1
Frist Art Museum--Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature exhibit--opens April 7
Tennessee State Museum--Author Talk: Yasmine S. Ali, MD: Walk Through Fire: The Train Disaster That Changed America--April 8
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens--Cheekwood in Bloom--through April 9
Frist Art Museum--Guitar Town: Picturing Performance Today exhibit--opens April 21
Travellers Rest Historic House Museum--Wood Graining Workshop--April 22
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens--Dogs and Dogwoods--April 22 and 23
Manuel Zeitlin Architects--purchase their 7th annual collaborative album through April--proceeds benefit proceeds to Daybreak Arts, a program providing artistic and economic opportunities to those dealing with housing insecurity in Nashville
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
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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