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The next Historical Commission public meeting will be held on Monday, August 18 at 12:00 p.m. at the Sonny West Conference Room in the Howard Office Building, 700 Second Avenue South. You can find a full list of upcoming and previous MHC meetings on our website.
The Pearl Creswell/ Creswell House historical marker, funded by the Participatory Budget, was recently installed at 910 17th Ave N. This home is also part of the Nashville Sites McKissack and Black Architecture driving tour. Several more markers are currently in storage and will be unveiled later this fall including the Mills Bookstore/ Zibart Books and Records (September 6), Primo Bartolini (October 4), and the Compton-Burton House and Farm (October 13). Follow MHC on Facebook and Instagram for more information on marker upcoming marker ceremonies.
Sevier Park will host the Nashville Parks Foundation's annual Picnic for the Parks on September 20 from 4:00-7:00 pm. A picnic will take place on the lawn, and MHC staff and volunteers will give tours of Sunnyside during the event. Early bird tickets are available through August 15!
In July, MHC staff completed the last of the fieldwork for Phase 4 of the Davidson County Cemetery Survey grant project. We are also hoping to apply for a grant to fund a standalone phase on African American cemeteries that would encompass limited additional survey, along with oral histories and research on the development of post-Emancipation communities. In mid-June, we received a draft of the countywide context on African American residential districts that is part of the deliverables on this project. Staff have been reviewing this documentation and working to obtain additional feedback from an advisory committee of local historians, including Commissioners Wynn and Richmond, Dr. Lea Williams, and Dr. Carole Bucy. We have also received and been reviewing the draft nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) for Haynes Heights historic district. Residents and our contacts at the Haynes Heights Neighborhood Association have also been involved in reviewing the draft documentation. Additionally, we recently received the first draft of the NRHP nomination for the former Club Baron on Jefferson Street. Staff members have been reviewing the draft, as have the staff of the Tennessee Historical Commission, and we’ve returned comments to the consultants for incorporation into the final draft due at the end of September. Our consultants recently completed the surveys of Sunny Acres, Hargis Heights, and Cloverdale in Donelson. Claudette and Caroline are working on plans for a survey of Donelson Hills later this summer.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 13 when Nashville Sites will launch their newest tour: Lights, Camera, Nashville! in collaboration with the Belcourt Theatre to celebrate their 100th anniversary. Stay tuned for more information about the launch event at the Belcourt in next month's newsletter. Other tours launching this fall include: Centennial Park, City Hall and Public Square, and Indigenous People and Archaeology. Many thanks to the Nashville Sites interns this summer who've assisted with everything from tour research to content management to TikTok creation: Amelie Andalle (MTSU Public History MA program), Abby Hikade (MTSU Public History MA program), Jo Jamullamudi (Belmont University undergrad), Zach Rutter (Vanderbilt University undergrad), Carlyn Sharp (Belmont University undergrad), and Rowan Wheeler (UT-Knoxville undergrad). And welcome to the two newest fall interns: Janet Briggs (Harpeth Hall grad and recent Bowdoin College graduate) and Daniela Barranco Cornejo (Belmont sophomore)!
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Speaking of Nashville Sites, join us on August 13 for Nashville Sites Live: McKissack and Black Architecture, presented in partnership with the Preservation Society of Nashville. This will be a discussion with TSU professor, and Nashville Sites Director of Public History, Dr. Learotha Williams Jr. and architect Brian Tibbs with Nashville Sites executive director Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel about the pivotal role of Black architects in shaping Nashville’s architecture, with a special focus on the McKissack family's legacy and their profound contributions to the city's historical and modern landscapes. The event will take place at the North Branch Carnegie Library, 1001 Monroe Street, which is a featured stop on the driving tour. Reserve your space today!
Sometimes you need to Google to find interesting historic facts about a particular location. Starting early next year, if you’re on either side of the Second Avenue sidewalk between Church and Commerce streets, you’ll just have to look down. Forty-five square and rectangle granite pavers will help foster a sense of place and appreciation for Nashville’s history for residents and visitors as they enjoy that part of downtown. Thanks to The DISTRICT (the non-profit that supports downtown's historic areas), NHF board member Ann Roberts and MHC staff member Jessica Fitzpatrick who developed a list of over 50 facts about the street and worked with Metro Development and Housing Authority staff member Michelle Scopel.
Not many non-architects or urban planners can claim to have changed the face of a city, though NHF board member Ann Roberts 50-year track record of effective advocacy for historic preservations projects makes a strong case.In addition to serving as MHC executive director for 26 years and co-founding Nashville Historical Foundation (NHF), formerly the Metro Historical Commission Foundation, with Ann Eaden and Tim Walker, Ann was instrumental in the preservation of Hatch Show Print, Union Station, Customs House, Fort Negley, Sunnyside, and the Shelby Street Bridge, now the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. She was also a founder of the Civic Design Center and The DISTRICT in addition to working so hard on the preservation of historic neighborhoods through historic zoning overlays. There’s lots more to say, though not enough space here to say it! It's no surprise that Ann has being awarded the highest non-architect honor that AIA Tennessee can bestow on an individual for a significant body of work influencing the built environment – the 2025 Samuel Morgan Lifetime Achievement Award. Fortunately for all who treasure Nashville, Ann continues to be an engaged, proactive advocate for the city skyline and its sites. Congratulations to Ann for this honor and a lifetime of thanks from all of us.
Don't forget to check the NHF website frequently as new articles are posted monthly and the site includes information about upcoming events as well. You can also follow NHF on Instagram @nashvillehistoricalfoundation.
We are still working with students and volunteers to conduct archaeology at several locations in Nashville and need your help! We have some amazing collections from throughout Nashville that we are working on in the lab where volunteers regularly help us clean, sort, and inventory the collections. We also have been conducting limited archaeology testing at Fort Negley ahead of the renovations of the masterplan. The public has been participating in these excavations, and all are invited to join. Email Dr. Adam Fracchia if you are interested in participating in any of the ongoing excavations.
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Above: A family helps excavate a unit in Fort Negley.
Right: Test Units 1 and 4 at Fort Negley showing the excavated stone parapet wall.
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Work to repair broken markers in sections 15 and 16 funded by the NCCA has been completed. Hutchins Stonework is now working to finish up additional repairs in sections 1 through 12 funded by the MHC. The NCCA plans to fund additional repairs with the money raised from this year’s Memorial Day Dash. The Fort Nashborough Chapter of the NSDAR has funded the restoration of the markers of John and Ann Cockrill. Ann will receive a new lid that will be hand carved by Stephen Hutchins. This replacement is needed due to the stone’s extensive delamination. John will receive minor repairs and both will be cleaned. We expect the work to take place in the next month. Three new markers were installed in the cemetery. In section 12 a marker for the Clarkson family was installed. Fletch Coke and descendant Tom Clarkson worked on the research that led to the marker being placed. The marker was funded by Tom Clarkson. In section 29, 2 markers were added for the partial remains reburied earlier this year that were discovered during the construction of the apartments to the south of the cemetery.
Work at the Nashville City Cemetery
The Metro Historical Commission is seeking applications for a full-time Maintenance & Repair Worker at the historic Nashville City Cemetery. See full position details and instructions here. Applications are now due August 18th!
Centennial Park and the Parthenon: Don't forget Museum Tours, History Tours, and Architecture Tours are available all month long. This month's free Parthanon Book Club meets on August 4to discuss the young adult novel lifestyles of gods and monsters by Emily Robertson. Attend the Metro Parks Centennial Arts Center annual Tennessee Craft Exhibition of Midstate Chapter artists reception on August 8. Enjoy free admission for MNPS students, staff, and faculty--and the entire families on August 14 for MNPS STEAM Night- Space Explorers. Join Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel and Renee Schultz for a symposium on Women Athletes and Tennessee Trailblazers on August 19. Also on August 19, enjoy a guided nature walk around the park. And don't forget the Water Lantern Festival on August 23 or Musicians Corner, which kicks off the fall series on August 29.
Fort Negley: Guided walking tours are available on weekly on Tuesday-Saturday. Explore with a geologist during Fossil Finders on August 9. The Nashville Civil War Roundtable meets on August 19 and Living History with a Union Soldier from the 10th Illinois is on August 23. And don't forget to mark you calendar for September 6with Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor will present "How Freedom-seeking People Took Enormous Risks and Survived the Civil War.
Shelby Bottoms/ Cornelia Fort: Meet at the Shelby Bottoms Nature Center on August 15 and learn to transform old textiles into something new at Craft Night: Rag Rugs. Then on August 16, meet at the Cornelia Fort Trailhead in Shelby Bottoms to walk the old runways and learn about the history of Cornelia Fort Airpark.
Two Rivers Mansion: Summer guided tours begin August 8 and occur every Monday, Thursday and Friday through September 12. Multiple tour times are available each day. Also, mark your calendar for the Restoration Reveal and Ribbon Cutting by the Donelson Hermitage Chamber of Commerce on August 9, High Tea at Stone Hall on August 16-17, and "Go Where Glory Waits You"-Discovering Irish Antebellum History Through Stories and Song on August 24.
Don't miss the Full Moon Pickin' Party at Warner Park on August 8 or the Campfire Cooking Lesson at Bells Bend Park on August 9.
The Main Library will remain closed following the fire in the adjacent parking garage.
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Roses and Rosé--August 6
TN State Museum--TN Writers | TN Stories: Jennifer C. Core and Janet S. Hasson, "Tennessee Samplers: Female Education and Domestic Arts, 1800-1900" (University of Tennessee Press) in conversation with Julia Doyle--August 9
National Museum of African American Music--R&B Bingo--August 9 and 10
Belle Meade Historic Site--Summer Fest--August 10
Bellevue Harpeth Historic Association--lecture by Joyce Blaylock, author of Adelicia--August 11
National Museum of African American Music--In the Pocket: Chuck & Friends--August 11
TN State Museum--Music for Seniors: Craig Duncan's Tennessee Bluegrass Revue--August 13
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Black Arts Bash--August 16
Open Streets Nashville--Summer Series (5-mile loop downtown to walk, bike, and explore)--August 17
Belle Meade Historic Sites--The Art of Belle Meade tour--August 19
TN State Museum--Lunch and Learn: 100 Years of Grand Ole Opry--August 21
Frist Art Museum--PechaKucha Vol. 50: A 50-Year Vision--August 21
TN State Museum--Storytime: Camilla Can Vote--August 23
Frist Art Museum--One Garment at a Time: How Alabama Chanin is Preserving the Fading Tradition of Quilting in the South--August 28
Travellers Rest--Date Night at the Museum--August 29
National Museum of African American Music--Nissan Free Wednesday--free admission on the first Wednesday of each month courtesy of Nissan
TN State Museum--Hands -On History--Tuesday-Friday at 10:30 am
TN State Museum--Museum Highlight Tours--Tuesday-Saturday at 2:00 pm
Frist Art Museum--Architecture Tours--each Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 pm
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum--From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music-online exhibit
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum--Music Row: Nashville's Creative Crossroads--online exhibit
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum--Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues--online exhibit
Check out our online newsletter archives!
Have a preservation-related event that you want us to include? Send a message to Jessica.Fitzpatrick@nashville.gov
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