We are actively sorting through several legacy collections from decades old excavations done throughout Metro. These collections need to be cataloged and curated and contain a wide range of artifacts. While this is tedious work, the chance to tell the history of these sites through the artifacts is truly exciting. Volunteers are always welcome to come learn how to take care of a collection and tell these stories.

As the weather warms, we have several exciting excavations planned for the spring and summer. We will continue to excavate at Ft. Negley in support of the master plan improvements as well conduct excavations at several other Metro properties.

Lastly, we have our first class in the Archaeology Training Program. The program is geared to provide additional guided training and experience in the field of archaeology for interested members of the public, and we are still accepting participants for the class.

Above: A recently uncovered brick feature in a test unit at Fort Negley.

With all these exciting opportunities, we need you! Volunteers and students have been essential in helping with excavation and laboratory work. No experience is required to join us in the field or laboratory. Email Dr. Adam Fracchia if you are interested in participating in any of the ongoing excavations or in our archaeology laboratory.

Interns Needed!

Looking for a summer job? Interested in archaeology or preservation? If you are a current high school age student, apply to work with us at the Metro Historical Commission this summer through the Metro Action Commission (MAC) POWER Youth summer program! Applications are available now through April 24. The internship program runs from June 1-July 17 and interns make $15/hour. Learn more on the MAC website or email Dr. Adam Fracchia with questions about this specific posting.

Nashville Sites’ new self-guided tour of Centennial Park invites visitors to explore the layered history of one of the city’s most beloved green spaces. Accessible via QR codes placed throughout the park (see sign to right), the tour allows guests to follow stops in sequence or wander freely, uncovering stories where music, protest, and creativity have intersected for generations.

From ancient Indigenous pathways to the grandeur of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, each stop reveals how this landscape has evolved alongside Nashville itself. Participants encounter performance hubs like the Bandshell and Musicians Corner, gathering spaces such as the Great Lawn and Centennial Art Center, environmental highlights including the herb gardens and Lake Watauga beehives, and pop culture touchstones like the Croquet Café and the Taylor Swift bench! And as we move into March and celebrate women’s history in March, the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument offers a meaningful pause, honoring the activists whose determination helped secure the right to vote and shape the city’s civic story. Enjoy taking this free tour today!

NHF also invites you to Save the Date for our upcoming fundraiser to be held at Hastings Architecture on September 17, 2026. Stay tuned for more information!

The Metropolitan Historical Commission is now accepting nominations for the 50th 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 of 1976 or earlier (50 years of age). Infill projects should be no older than 2023. All projects must have been completed within the past three years. Previous winners may be eligible if the work is significantly different.

Nominations are due Monday, March 9, 2026.

The awards ceremony will take place in May 2026 in recognition of National Preservation Month. For more program details and submission instructions, please visit our Preservation Awards page!

Thanks to everyone who attended and otherwise supported the 45^th annual Nashville Conference on African American History & Culture, held on Friday, February 13^th! We enjoy our continued partnership with event host Tennessee State University College of Liberal Arts, and are greatly appreciative of our community sponsors:  Davidson County Register of Deeds, Frierson Foundation, Historic Nashville, Inc., Nashville Historical Foundation, Spruce Street Baptist Church, Tennessee Historical Society, and the TSU Friends of the Library. Our conference theme of “From Roots to Resilience: Reclaiming Black Journeys, Stories, and Legacies Across Tennessee” was explored across many fantastic presentations, including a conversational session between conference co-chair Linda Wynn and Cheryl McKissack, Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, the oldest minority-owned architecture/engineering firm in the United States. In case you missed the conference this year, Metro Nashville Network recorded the full video and has made it available on the Metro Nashville YouTube channel. We hope you’ll join us again next year!

The City Cemetery experienced significant tree damage during the winter storm. Parks has completed the cleanup work, but some hanging limbs still need to be addressed. Fortunately, there was very little damage to the gravestones. The Robertson lot experienced the worst damage. A large limb from the willow oak that shades it fell and broke the stone columns and ball finials, as well as some of the iron gate on the front of the lot. Stephen Hutchins was able to quickly repair the damage.

The Nashville City Cemetery Association is raising funds to honor the nearly 6,000 enslaved individuals buried in City Cemetery by supporting the NCCA’s memorial bench project. To the left you can see a prototype bench—an important step toward recognizing those whose lives and stories have too often been forgotten.

Among them are children like Mary, who died enslaved at just 3 years old in 1849; Sam, who endured a life of bondage and died at age 8 in 1864; adults like Pompey, whose 45 years were spent as the property of his enslaver until his death in 1850; and Susan, who lived to 97 but never knew freedom, passing in 1853. Their names appear in cemetery records, but their lives remain mostly forgotten and their graves unmarked.

You can donate through the NCCA's online fundraiser, and follow them on Facebook for more updates.