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The next Historical Commission public meeting will be held on Monday, September 15 at 12:00 p.m. at the Midtown Hills Police Precinct, 1441 12th Avenue South. You can find a full list of upcoming and previous MHC meetings on our website.
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. Tickets are still available, and include dinner from Edley's BBQ and live entertainment!
Staff are working with the General Services Department Division of Sustainability to plan a series of Sunnyside tours for the MetroConnect tour series, which opens Metro office buildings and sites for tours to other Metro employees. These tours are scheduled throughout October and November, and we look forward to showcasing the recent renovations and work to uncover the site's history.
Final site work will begin in late September to reconstruct the early 20th century Summer House, a gazebo-like structure over the historic well location. The work will be overseen by James Dunn of Vintage Millwork. Volunteers are needed on Saturday, September 27, especially those with construction experience. Please contact Tim Walker if you are interested.
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Grant Updates
At the August MHC meeting, Lauren Walls of New South Associates presented the Davidson County Cemetery Survey Project Phase 4 findings. Video of that presentation can be found here. In addition to the Phase 4 deliverables, New South is also working on a summary of African American cemeteries based on the last four phases of field survey. This summary will explore the unique challenges and physical characteristics of these sites, individual case studies, existing research, knowledge gaps, and a list of known African American burial grounds in Davidson County. MHC will use this information in upcoming grant applications that will request dedicated funds for a standalone phase on African American cemeteries.
MHC staff member Caroline Eller, who has led the countywide cemetery survey project, recently met with Graham Perry (Cemetery Specialist, Tennessee Historical Commission) and members of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society of Nashville to discuss the formation of an African American cemeteries coalition for Davidson County. Goals of the coalition include community engagement, advocacy, research assistance, oral histories, and site-specific projects where possible. MHC is working to contact other local organizations who may be able to assist in these efforts. If you or your organization are interested in being part of the coalition, please reach out to Caroline Eller for more details on this initiative.
Historical Markers
Interest in new historical markers continues to roll in each month, but we also continue to receive news of damaged or missing markers throughout the county. We replace these markers as funds allow. Many thanks to an anonymous donor last year who paid for the re-installation of the Battle of Nashville Attack by U.S. Colored Troops on the Confederate Right Flank marker on Polk Ave. The marker was re-installed on August 20.
We also recently installed a new historical marker in North Nashville, honoring Pearl Creswell and the mid-century gem Creswell House on 17th Ave N. The house is stilled owned by the Creswell family and we were thrilled to celebrate with them in early August. This marker was funded by the 2023 Participatory Budget, which also funded the Kossie Gardner, Joseph Yusef Harris, J.W. Frierson, College Hill, and North Branch Library markers.
Mark you calendars! We have several unveiling ceremonies planned in the coming weeks. We hope you can join us on Saturday, September 6 at 11:00 am to unveil the Mills Bookstore and Zibart's Books and Records marker on the 700 block of Church Street (across the street from the Doctors Building). On Saturday, October 4, we'll welcome an international delegation of elected officials and scholars to join us in celebrating the unveiling of the Primo Bartolini historical marker on the 500 block of Rep. John Lewis Way South. Finally, we'll unveil the Compton-Burton House and Farm historical marker on Burton Hills Blvd. in Green Hills on Wednesday, October 8.
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 Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 13 at 10:30 am when Nashville Sites will launch their newest tour: Lights, Camera, Nashville! in collaboration with the Belcourt Theatre to celebrate their 100th anniversary. This cinematic tour of Music City was written by Belcourt historian T. Minton with MTSU graduate student Amélie Andalle and was narrated by the wonderful Demetria Kalodimos. Covering everything from well known filming locations to forgotten community theaters, this tour will bring that Hollywood magic to every corner of Nashville. A limited number of the launch poster (above) will be available for FREE at the launch event.
This fall, enjoy an abundance of in-person learning opportunities about Nashville’s built environment!
Nashville Sites Live
First, the Nashville Sites Live: McKissack and Black Architecture panel has been rescheduled. It will now take place on Thursday, October 9 at 4:00 pm at the North Branch Library, 1001 Monroe St. in Nashville.
Register here for an exploration of Black architecture with emphasis on the McKissack family, who founded the nation’s first Black-owned architecture firm, and other influential Black architects. Brian Tibbs and Dr. Learotha Williams, Jr will share their knowledge; Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel will moderate the discussion.
The complimentary event, open to the public, is presented by the Preservation Society of Nashville in partnership with Nashville Sites, the signature project of the Nashville Historical Foundation, working alongside the Metro Historical Commission.
Modernism in Nashville
Later in the month, and back by popular demand, NHF will host a series of three lectures on the topic of modernism and how it manifested in Nashville.
David Paine will talk about the Development of Modernism in America on October 23, Kem Hinton will discuss Mid-Century Modernist Architects Practicing in Nashville on October 30, and Sandra Shelton will provide examples of Nashville Modernism in Photographs on November 6. Check the NHF website for details and sign-up information. The fall lecture series will be held at the Fort Negley Visitors Center.
New Articles on the NHF website
If you haven’t visited the NHF website recently, you may have missed some articles by NHF board members. Store with a Story about Pangaea, Not a Frank Lloyd Wright about the house at 2616 Belmont Blvd, and The House with the Cannon in the Front Yard, are the latest entries. New entries are posted at least once a month and can be found in the Archives section. You can also follow NHF on Instagram @nashvillehistoricalfoundation.
September is Tennessee Archaeology Awareness Month! There are several exciting events planned for this month, including Archaeology Day at Bells Bend on September 27 (see flier below). We are celebrating 30 days of archaeology with the Tennessee Council on Professional Archaeology’s Blogfest. Check out the blog and join the MHC at Archaeology Day!
We are still working with students and volunteers to conduct archaeology at several locations in Nashville. We have some amazing collections from throughout Nashville with volunteers regularly helping us clean, sort, and inventory the collections in the archaeology lab. Volunteers have worked with artifacts from Ravenwood Park and Sevier Parks as well as Grassmere at the Nashville Zoo. We also have been conducting limited archaeology testing at Fort Negley ahead of the renovations of the masterplan, and we have made several interesting discoveries. 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: Volunteers help clean artifacts from Sevier Park and Ft. Negley in the Sunnyside archaeology lab.
Right: Artifacts recovered from a soil layer dating to the occupation of Fort Negley during the Civil War. The artifacts pictured from left to right: a small, carved shell button, a rusted iron button, a copper-alloy friction primer (from firing cannons), and a lead minié ball bullet.
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The Nashville City Cemetery Association will be hosting a headstone cleaning workshop on September 13 from 10:00 am-12:00 pm. Email Bryan Gilley for more information about attending.
Work to Repair broken markers in sections 1 through 16 has been completed. Another round of repairs may happen in the spring when the Cockrill marker replacement takes place.
Davey Tree Company completed work to remove dead wood in several trees in the cemetery. Our goal is to have dead wood trimmed out of the trees annually to prevent damage to markers and promote healthy trees in the cemetery. While doing this work, a sycamore in Section 21 was removed due to more than 60% of the tree being dead. Additionally, an American Holly in Section 29 was removed for the same reason.
A Veteran’s Administration marker application was submitted for Mexican American War veteran Sterling B. Lucas, whose exact burial site within the City Cemetery is unknown. NCC Manager Bryan Gilley selected a marker location as close as can be known based on existing cemetery records.
We'll have more information next month about the annual October Lantern Tours!
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Centennial Park and the Parthenon: Guided architecture, history, and museumtours are available each month! The Musicians Corner Fall Series kicked off over Labor Day weekend and will continue every Saturday in September. Join MHC archaeologist Dr. Adam Fracchia on September 9 for Parthenon Symposium: Archaeological Discoveries in Nashville. Learn about en plein air painting at Painting the Parthenon on September 25. End the month with Kidsville Family Festival on September 27.
Fort Negley: Guided walking tours are available weekly, including multiple times on Saturdays! On September 6, Friends of Fort Negley Park and Metro Parks present Path to Freedom, an annual public lecture in celebration of International Underground Railroad Month. This year's presentation is by Dr. Amy Murrell Taylor entitled "How Freedom-seeking People Took Enormous Risks and Survived the Civil War." Purchase your tickets today for this amazing event! Join the Nashville Civil War Roundtable on September 16 to hear from author Michael Hardy present "Feeding Lee's Army," based on his new book. Then on September 20 drop in at the park any time between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm for the Civil War Living History with Union Soldier from the 10th Illinois. Round out your Civil War history experience this month with the Sons of Union Veterans meeting on September 23.
Beaman Park: Explore the natural history of Little Marrowbone Road on September 12. Join Luke Mahrenholz, Western Highland Rim Steward for Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Friends of Beaman Park Board member, for a short walk and talk program exploring the surprising ecology, geology and plant life found along the roadside near the scenic creek.
Two Rivers Mansion: Summer guided tours are wrapping up next week. They take place every Monday, Thursday and Friday through September 12. Multiple tour times are available each day. Also, mark your calendar for Music at the Mansion featuring "The Moonlighters" Big Band on September 20, and the Tennessee Beer, Wine, and Shine Festival on October 18.
Bells Bend: Join LinnAnn Welch on September 20 for a program exploring the First Tennesseans. This program introduces children to the Paleo through Mississippian cultures that inhabited Tennessee before European contact. Included will be First Peoples technologies such as the atlatl.
Shelby Bottoms/ Cornelia Fort: Fridays by the River are back for the fall! Enjoy the beautiful weather, great food, and live music at the Riverview Pavilion in Shelby Park each Friday this month (an through most of October). Need a little more dancing in your life? The Family Square Dance is back by popular demand on September 26.
Friends of Shelby is hosting this free movie event on Saturday, October 4 outdoors at the Cornelia Fort Airpark in Shelby Bottoms. The film tells the amazing story of the Nashville native who died young while transporting planes for the US military during World War II and who is the namesake for the Airpark. The filmmaker Judy Miller will be with us to introduce the film and have a Q&A following. Several members of the Fort family will be in attendance as well!
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The Main Library will remain closed following the fire in the adjacent parking garage.
Join Elliott Robinson at the Goodlettsville branch on September 16 to celebrate the Civil Rights Room at Nashville Public Library: 20 Years of Sharing Nashville's History with the World.
Now in its third year, the Then and Now program explores the history and impact of Nashville's minority communities through the scholarly work of historians and the personal stories of community members. The series is moderated by Dr. André L. Churchwell, Senior Advisor on Inclusion and Community Outreach at Vanderbilt University. The first panel in this academic year, focusing on East Nashville and the Meigs School Story, will take place on September 17 in the Main Gymnasium of Meigs Middle Magnet School.
On September 23, the NPL Foundation Next Chapter Society will host a lively discussion of That Librarian by Amanda Jones. This free book club is open to anyone and will meet at Smith & Lentz Brewing.
The Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU is looking for a Preservation Assistant to join their team! This position will support the public service mission of the Center for Historic Preservation by fielding and appropriately responding to public requests for preservation assistance. This is a part-time, temporary position. Full details are available here. The application deadline is Sept. 19, 2025.
The Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial offers two grant opportunities for organizations and communities centered around Tennessee’s unique stories. The total combined allocation for these two grant opportunities is $3,500,000. The two grant opportunities are:
Project Support Grants (up to $20,000)
Community Support Grants (up to $25,000)
Grants are facilitated by the Tennessee State Museum and will be reviewed until funding is exhausted. Successful grant applicants will propose projects that support the mission of the Tennessee Semiquincentennial Commission, which is to promote an inclusive statewide celebration and educational commemoration of America’s 250th by interpreting and preserving Tennessee’s unique stories, objects, landmarks, and places across our diverse state that defined who we are as Tennesseans and Americans. The Commission has a statewide focus on Tennesseans and Tennessee events that have shaped American democracy from the Revolutionary era to the present.
Both Project Support and Community Support Grant applications will be accepted until September 15, 2025 (11:59 p.m. CDT) and January 20, 2026 (11:59 p.m. CST). Applicants for the September deadline will be notified of acceptance or rejection by October 30, 2025. Applicants for the January deadline will be notified of acceptance or rejection by February 26, 2026. Additional deadlines may be added at a later date if funding is available. Grants will be made until funding is exhausted.
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Preservation Society of Nashville invites you to their second annual fundraiser, Paint the Town. This year's event will be held at Clementine Hall on September 13 at 6:00 pm. |
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Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society--virtual monthly meeting--September 6
Frist Art Museum--Educator Workshop: Fabric of a Nation--September 6
TN State Museum--Lunch and Learn: AMERICANAFEST: Becoming a Collector, Curator, and Archivist--September 11
Frist Art Museum--Conversation: Sally Mann with Ann Patchett--September 11
TN State Museum--TN Writers|TN Stories: Serina Gilbert and Learotha Williams, From the Fiery Furnace to the Promise Land in conversation with Natalie Bell--September 13
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Cheekwood Harvest--opens September 13
National Museum of African American Music--Roots Uncovered: Keb' Mo' Exhibition--September 13
Bellevue Harpeth Historic Association--Fieldtrip to Belmont Mansion--September 13
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Music City Rose Show--September 13-14
Belle Meade Historic Site--The Art of Belle Meade--September 16
TN State Museum--Homeschool Day: Archaeology Month--September 16
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Cheekwood After Hours: Bryant Fleming's Vision Water--September 17
Frist Art Museum--Panel Discussion: "Food for Thought: Threads of Meaning"--September 18
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere--Sunset Safari: Rhinestones and Rhinos--September 19
TN State Museum--Photography Day--September 20
Frist Art Museum--Paducah Day Trip: Behind the Scenes at the National Quilt Museum--September 20
Frist Art Museum--Workshop Series: Witnessing Art Through Expressive Writing--September 20
Belle Meade Historic Site-Fall Floriography Workshop--September 21
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens--Cheekwood After Hours--Blevins Japanese Garden (Shomu-en)--September 24
Travellers Rest--Live at TR Songwriters Night--September 25
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage--Lafayette's Last Adieu--September 25
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage--POEtry: An Edgar Allan Poe Living History Event--September 26
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere--Hispanic Heritage Festival--September 27
National Museum of African American Music--Artway Nashville--September 27
TN State Library and Archives--Tennessee History Day Research Roundup--September 27
Belle Meade Historic Site--Hauntingly Creative: Halloween Gourd Painting--September 28
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
Frist Art Museum--Architecture Tours--each Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 pm
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
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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