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The next Metropolitan Historical Commission public meeting will be held on Monday, July 20 at 12:00 p.m. at the Howard Office Building, 700 President Ronald Reagan Way. You can find a full list of upcoming and previous MHC meetings on our website.
Metro offices will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of the 4th of July holiday. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!
We are having an exciting month of archaeology! We began excavations in support of the Nashville Zoo. A team of volunteers and students are helping to excavate a nineteenth-century building foundation next to the historic Croft House. In the process of documenting the foundation wall, we have uncovered everything from animal bones to chamber pots to gilt buttons. Please follow our dig blog on our social media for daily updates.
Volunteers have also been busy cleaning and sorting these artifacts, trying to determine what some of these artifacts could be. Volunteers are always welcome to come learn how to take care of a collection and tell these stories.
In July, we will begin work on a grant-funded project from the Tennessee Wars Commission. The grant will fund a new archaeology website and public artifact reporting survey as well as the creation of a booklet of 20 important artifacts from Davidson County.
We will also continue the Evenings with an Archaeologist series welcoming retired Tennessee State Archaeologist Nick Fielder to the series in July.
With all of these exciting opportunities, we need your help! 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.
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Enslaved Memorial Project
On June 13, the Nashville City Cemetery Association held a dedication ceremony for a new memorial bench in Section 30 of the Nashville City Cemetery honoring the thousands of enslaved men, women, and children who rest in unmarked graves throughout the cemetery grounds. The ceremony featured remarks from NCCA Board Member and former Metro Councilmember Jacobia Dowell, MHC Chair Linda Wynn, MHC Commissioners Gary Burke and Betsy Phillips, NCCA Co-Presidents Betsy Thorpe and Susan Laux, Davidson County Historian Dr. Lea Williams. The program also included a musical tribute by Fisk Jubilee Singer alumnus Jordan Holland, poetry by Nashville Youth Poet Laureate Marcus Robinson, and a reading of the names enslaved people owned by the city by District 17 Councilmember Terry Vo. Vice Mayor Angie Henderson, Metro Councilmembers Antoinette Lee and Sandy Ewing, and former councilmember Tanaka Vercher were also in attendance. We would like to thank the NCCA for this deeply meaningful addition to the City Cemetery, the many hands who painted memorial rocks, and everyone who made the dedication such a moving and memorable event.
Thanks to everyone who attended the Ann Roberts Lecture Series Fundraiser: Celebrating Nashville Women on Screen, In Art, & In Print in May. NHF has posted recordings of the lecture series to its YouTube channel and NHF's website!
Save the Date!
Thursday, September 17, 6-8 PM – that’s the date and time to save for this year’s NHF fundraiser, "Sipping through History: Echoes of the Ben West Library." Located at 225 Polk Avenue, the former library is now the handsomely reconfigured offices of Hastings Architects.
We will be honoring Tim Walker, Executive Director of the Metro Historical Commission from 2009-2025, while enjoying a cocktail buffet catered by Bacon & Caviar; touring the Mid-Century Modern icon; and, as a special feature for those with fond memories of the children’s department at the library and those who have only heard about it, mingling with the famed Tom Tichenor puppets.
Watch for the invitation in your email box! (And if you are interested in being a sponsor, please let us know at nashvillehistoricalfoundation@gmail.com)
We also welcome new board member Sean Cofoid. A Nashville Sites ambassador and founder/owner of Cofoid Consulting Co., Sean brings extraordinary experience and skill in all things technological to the board. We’re so glad to have you, Sean!
William Driver, "Old Glory," and the Nashville City Cemetery
On July 3, the Nashville City Cemetery will be featured on News 2's Good Morning Nashville and several other NextStar news outlets around the Nation for their America 250 coverage. The story will cover how a Nashvillian named the United States flag.
Sharing the Spirit of America
On July 8, 2026, Americans in all 50 States and 5 Territories, the District of Columbia, and Minor Outlying Islands of the United States will read the Declaration of Independence together, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the date of its first public reading. In Nashville, the Buchanan Log House invites you to experience this shared moment of history, reflection, and community on Wednesday, July 8 from 4:00 to 7:00pm. Doors open at 4:00pm for tours; the reading will begin at 5:00pm.
The Lincoln Exhibit: Honoring Legacy. Celebrating Freedom.
In celebration of America's 250th anniversary, the Buchanan Log House will host a rare special exhibit exploring the life and legacy of President Lincoln. Curated by a historian, the exhibit features 40–50 historic artifacts. Opening on July 8—the same day as the Declaration of Independence reading—the exhibit will be available for visitors to explore. It will remain on display for two weeks, during which the Buchanan Log House will offer special public hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
250 Documents for the 250th
The Society of American Archivists America 250 Task Force has put together an online repository that tells the story of our country in documents. Sourced from institutions across the United States and internationally, the collection aims to highlight the full range of America's documentary heritage and the role archives have played in preserving and understanding our history.
The Promise of Progress: 25 Places on the Pursuit of Equality
For the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the National Trust has mapped 25 places where Americans have grappled with questions of equality, citizenship, freedom, justice, and belonging. Together, these historic places tell a more complete American story—one that acknowledges both the nation’s aspirations and its contradictions. What places would you add to the National Trust's map of 25 places?
Looking for a way to celebrate America 250 this year? In Dialogue with America is a year-long public humanities project created for the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. The project invites adults to engage the American story through sustained reading, reflection, and dialogue rather than debate or commentary. Curated by educator and cultural facilitator Michelle René Hill, the project brings together literature, historical scholarship, and visual art to explore how American identity has been shaped through story, memory, power, and cultural imagination. Rather than advancing a single argument or viewpoint, In Dialogue with America creates structure and space for inquiry, interpretation, and shared meaning making-over time.
Over twelve months, participants explore a series of thematic inquiries into the American story. Each month centers on a single theme and approaches it through three complementary lenses (participants choose to either read the fiction or nonfiction selection):
• Fiction, to explore lived experience and narrative
• Nonfiction, to provide historical and cultural context
• Visual art, to engage imagination and symbolic meaning
Themes include national origin stories, American exceptionalism, race and representation, capitalism and culture, land and belonging, and the ongoing question of who gets to tell the American story. Participants may engage independently or in groups, and the project is designed to work equally well for individuals, book clubs, libraries, and community organizations.
Visit www.indialoguewithamerica.com to learn more about the program and how to join!
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Make plans to join the Annual Rep. John Lewis Way March on Saturday, July 18. The march will begin at 8:00 am at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North and continue through downtown Nashville. This community event brings together local elected officials, civic organizations, and residents to celebrate the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis and other Civil Rights leaders from Nashville and beyond.
This year's theme, "Protect Our Vote. Protect Our Future." highlights the ongoing importance of civic engagement and voting rights. The event offers an opportunity to reflect on Nashville's important role in the Civil Rights Movement while honoring those who helped shape a more just and equitable society. The march will take place rain or shine.
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Buchanan Log House--Tours take place on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month, from 10 am. to 2 pm. Upcoming tour dates: June 26, July 10, July 24, August 14, free
The Parthenon--Self-Guided Exterior Architecture Tour--During the Parthenon’s temporary museum closure, enjoy a self-guided audio tour and discover the exterior architecture of the famed Parthenon. This free exterior architecture tour is available 24/7! From the outside of the Parthenon, follow along with museum experts as they describe the exterior, identify Greek gods and architectural features, and tell the story of the architectural sculpture. We encourage you to listen to each section on your own device, look closely, and follow the prompts to dig deeper and learn more. Sidewalk graphics are on-site to help you get started.
Centennial Park--History Tours:1897 Exposition--Join a Parthenon expert each Thursday at 10 am to see Centennial Park as you never have before. Upcoming tour dates: July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30. Be advised, this outdoor tour is subject to cancellation due to poor weather conditions.
Cheekwood--An American Story: Paintings from The Parthenon’s Cowan Collection--through August 23. Experience the Cowan Collection as it has rarely been seen—outside its permanent home of The Parthenon. Featuring works by 57 painters, this collection was gifted to the city nearly a century ago by James M. Cowan and reveals how American artists at the turn of the 20th century shaped a national artistic identity.
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
Nashville Public Library, Main-- 25 Years on Church Street--through July 31
Andrew Jackson's Hermitage--Path of Glory--Flags on display through July 15
TN State Museum--TN Writers | TN Stories: Timothy D. Johnson, Robert Neyland: The West Point Engineer who built Tennessee Football--August 8, 10:30 am; Lunch and Learn: Jeff Sellers, "Stories in Stone: African American Contributions to the Construction of the Tennessee State Capitol"--August 20, noon; Museum Highlight Tours--Friday and Saturday at 2:00 pm.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum--From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music-online exhibit; Music Row: Nashville's Creative Crossroads--online exhibit; 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 historicalcommission@nashville.gov
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