MHC News
Thank you to everyone who came out last month for marker dedication ceremonies for Ratterman Row, Samuel Smith, and Bettie Page. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information about upcoming marker ceremonies and more!
Last month, Metro Council approved Dr. Celso Castilho to fill the vacancy left on the Historical Commission by former Commissioner Pamela Bobo. Dr. Castilho is an associate professor of history and director of Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies (CLACX) at Vanderbilt University. He also serves as president of the Conference on Latin American History (CLAH), an affiliate of the American Historical Association. His research interests span the study of slavery, the cultural field, and political history, with an emphasis on the nineteenth century. Dr. Castilho was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and raised in Los Angeles, California. He has been in Nashville since 2008. Welcome Dr. Castilho!
We are also excited to announce that MHZC Commissioner David Price was re-appointed by Metro Council last month. Thank you for your service David, and we look forward to continuing working with you on the Commission.
Construction at our office, Sunnyside at Sevier Park, continues on schedule. We look forward to seeing the new entrance drive on Kirkwood Ave. in place soon, as well as continuation of work on the ell and log cabin. Staff are working on interpretive panels that will tell the story of Sunnyside, including archaeological information uncovered by staff archaeologist Dr. Adam Fracchia and students from MTSU.
MHZC News
The MHZC’s next public hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 17 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!
Do you live in a neighborhood with a Historic Overlay? Look for the MHZC article entitled “Inside Historic Zoning” in your next neighborhood newsletter! The articles tackle topics such as “How Can I Participate in Historic Zoning?”, “Obtaining a Preservation Permit”, “What’s the Difference Between DADUs and Outbuildings?”, and “Why Doesn’t Infill in My Neighborhood Look Historic?”. The MHZC values their partnerships with neighborhoods and their ability to share information more directly than the department could accomplish on its own.
In celebration of Preservation Month, the Haynes Heights neighborhood will be honored with the Metro Historic Zoning Commission’s first Leadership Recognition on May 17, 2:00 pm at the Sonny West Conference Center. The recognition honors a neighborhood association, merchants association or individual that has, through their leadership, made outstanding contributions to their community and worked towards preservation and education regarding the history of their neighborhood/district. The winners of this recognition inspire others to take action in their communities.
Image: Advertisement for prestige homes in the new Haynes Heights neighborhood, December 9, 1956 Tennessean.
Haynes Heights is honored as the first historic overlay that tells the story of a neighborhood developed for African Americans during the “Jim Crow” era when Black residents created their own communities within the context of redlining and other discriminatory policies and the first overlay that protects mid-century architectural styles, such as Ranches and Split Levels. Property owners within the overlay were instrumental in obtaining this protection of their history and accomplished the task of designation during COVID, just as they have been the key force to prevent re-zonings over the year that would likely have resulted in the loss of this important neighborhood. The MHZC is proud to honor the neighborhoods many efforts towards preserving their story and their neighborhood during Preservation Month.
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Mark your calendar and make plans to join the Historical Commission and friends for the 47th Annual Preservation Awards program on Thursday, May 18, 2023. The annual event, held each May during National Preservation Month, will take place at the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church Street. The theme for National Preservation Month 2023 is “People Saving Places.”
Along with celebrating exceptional preservation projects, the Historical Commission will present three honor awards during the ceremony. The Commission will recognize the contributions of Gary M. Burke with the Fletch Coke Award and will present the Achievement Award to Phil Ponder. The Commission will present its Commissioners’ Award to RCA Studio A.
After the ceremony, stroll over to Hastings Architecture, a 2021 Preservation Award-winner in the Commercial category, for a reception hosted by Historic Nashville, Inc., MHC Foundation, and Preservation Society of Nashville.
Four years have passed since the last time we gathered; we look forward to celebrating all the People Saving Places in person this year!
The garage adjacent to the library is temporarily closed. Stay up to date on downtown parking by visiting the Main Library’s alternative parking page.
To learn more about the awards program, please visit Preservation Awards or email scarlett.miles@nashville.gov.
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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. The race begins at 7:30 am on Monday, May 29. The cost to register is $40 until May 26, when prices will increase. Register now to secure your spot!
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On Thursday, April 13, Clark Memorial United Methodist Church hosted a public gathering for MHC’s grant-funded Nashville Civil Rights Documentation Project. Our aim was to share project goals with the public and provide a forum for community input and engagement. The project consultants, Richard Grubb & Associates, provided a comprehensive overview of the project which discussed our outreach strategy, project timeline, and deliverables—check out this video of the event. Clark Memorial serves as one of the best-documented locations of trainings and meetings by leaders of the Nashville civil rights movement. Many significant local, regional, and national activists and movement leaders have worked and trained at this historic church. As part of our project, Clark Memorial will be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Many thanks to the members and church council at Clark for graciously allowing us to meet in this beautiful and highly significant historical space! We are truly inspired by the stories of those individuals, churches, educational institutions, groups, and others who played pivotal roles in advancing civil rights in Nashville.
This project is focused on documenting the local civil rights movement from roughly the 1940s-1960s, primarily the Nashville Student Movement and the sit-ins. For those who have not yet taken our online survey, please participate and tell us what people, places, and events from this period need to be documented. To learn more about these efforts or suggest contacts for us to reach out to, please email Nashville@RGAincorporated.com. Watch our newsletters and social media for project updates. We plan to hold a second public event this fall, details TBD!
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, staff launched Phase II survey efforts for the Davidson County Cemetery Survey project, a grant-funded initiative that will result in the first county-level cemetery preservation plan in Tennessee. Using the original county cemetery survey information from c. 1999-2000, teams of MHC staff and consultants from New South Associates have visited and documented over 60 graveyards. Our documentation primarily consists of completing digital survey forms, taking current photos, assessing conditions issues, and obtaining GPS boundary points based on observations in the field, since sites are currently mapped to entire parcels. Phase II of this project is focused on the northern sections of Davidson County, including Joelton, Parkwood-Union Hill, Bordeaux-Whites Creek, Madison and Goodlettsville. We hope to complete survey work by June and hold a public meeting later this year to discuss findings. If you know of a historic cemetery that needs to be documented, please contact Caroline.Eller@nashville.gov.
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.
The Nashville History Club meets at Fort Negley Visitors Center on May 2 and May 9 from 1:00-2:00 pm.
Centennial Park History Tours begin weekly at the Parthenon starting on May 3!
Learn the story behind the namesake of Cornelia Fort Airpark on May 6 from 2:00-3:00 pm.
Tour the Nashville City Cemetery on their Second Saturday Free Walking Tour: Symbolism of Death on May 13 from 10:00-11:00 am.
Summer Tours at Two Rivers Mansion resume on May 12.
Join the Nashville Civil War Roundtable at Fort Negley on May 16 from 7:00-8:00 pm.
Ready for a night of mystery and fun? Join the Mystery Art League for the event "Stolen Like A Poet, Spoken Like A Thief" at Two Rivers Mansion on May 20 from 6:00-8:30 pm.
The Sons of Union Veterans host their monthly meeting at Fort Negley on May 23 from 6:00-7:30 pm.
Celebrate World Turtle Day at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center from 2:00-4:00 pm.
Catch the YWCA Blue Triangle Branch Collection on display in Special Collections at the Main Library (615 Church St.) through Saturday, May 6.
Join author Alyse Nelson for Women Changemakers: Bold Vision, Innovative Risk-taking and Inspired Leadership Around the Globe on May 10 at 11:30 am at the Main Library. This event is presented in partnership with the Lawyers’ Association for Women.
See Moments from the Movement about Deputy Mayor Brenda Haywood's experience desegregating Stratford High School in 1963, on display in the second floor gallery of the Main Library until August 31.
Check out The Gift That Keeps on Giving: A Display of Mayoral Gifts at Metro Archives, on the third floor of the Main Library, through July 30.
Participatory Budgeting is a chance for communities to decide together how government money is spent. The process is simple: craft infrastructure improvement or project ideas and then vote on which ideas to invest in for your neighborhood. Metro’s Financial Oversight Committee recommended $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds be used for a citywide 2023 Participatory Budgeting cycle. This fund can be used for a variety of neighborhood projects, including historic preservation projects! Email your project ideas to pb@nashville.gov by June 1, 2023 and check the website for updates to see which projects are chosen for a community vote.
FirstBank First Saturday Art Crawl--May 6
African American Heritage Society of Maury County--African American Cemeteries Hold Clues to the Past--May 6
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens--Thursday Night Out series--begins May 11
Tennessee State Library and Archives--Legacy of Tennessee State Parks exhibit--closes May 13
Tennessee State Museum--TN Writers | TN Stories: Author Talks--May 13
Travellers Rest--A Day Out with Mom--May 13
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens--The Agrarian Spirit: Cultivating Ruralism and Regionalism in American Art--closes May 14
Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage--122nd Spring Outing--May 17
Tennessee State Museum--Lunch and Learn: Bicentennial Mall: How the Park Created a Cultural Destination--May 18
Travellers Rest--A Past Uncovered Homeschool Day--May 19
Frist Art Museum--Curator's Perspective: Storied Strings free lecture--May 25
Frist Art Museum--Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art--opens May 26
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens--Positioning the Body: Explorations in American Figural Studies--opens May 27
Parnassus Books--Jonathan Eig (King: A Life) in conversation with Dr. Learotha Williams--June 1
Nashville Zoo--Brew at the Zoo--June 2
Passport to Tennessee History--pick up a free passport and gather stamps from The Tennessee State Capitol, Tennessee State Museum, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and Tennessee State Library & Archives
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum--Historic Music Row: Nashville's Creative Crossroads--online exhibit
Frist Art Museum--Architecture Tours--each Saturday from 3:30-4:30 pm
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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