The 2009 Nashville Nine

The 2009 Nashville Nine includes the following endangered properties:

The Mt. Olivet Cemetery Office and Chapel

"Silverdene," The Lawrence Finn House, 931 Main Street

Charlotte Avenue Church of Christ

Historic Schools - Countywide

Jackson House - 3500 Brick Church Pike

Home for Aged Masons - R.S. Gass Blvd. and Hart Lane in Inglewood

McCampbell House - 305 Kent Road

Neon Signs - Countywide

The Arcade Post Office - 16 Arcade, Downtown

Mt. Olivet Cemetery Office and Chapel

Built in phases between the 1870s and 1940s, this Gothic Revival‐style building served as the chapel and offices for the historic Mt. Olivet Cemetery until it was replaced with a new facility in 1996. The unique brick building features extraordinary architectural detailing such as a cathedral ceiling with original woodwork in the octagonal vestry, two bell towers, a built‐in vault, and pointed arched windows. The nineteenth century
building was likely designed by Nashville architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson, best known as designer of the Ryman Auditorium. The Tennessee Preservation Trust placed this building on its endangered properties list in
2005, the same year the entire 206‐acre cemetery with its 192,000 burials was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic chapel and office is currently vacant and deteriorated.

The Metropolitan Historical Commission and HNI are currently working with the owners on options to buy time to save the landmark.

"Silverdene," The Lawrence Finn House, 931 Main St.

Lawrence Finn, a native of Ireland, retired to this mid‐19th century “country estate” in the 1860s and lived
here with his family until his death in 1881. The Finn family is buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery. By 1908,
his son‐in‐law had subdivided the 600‐acre Silverdene farm for dozens of new home. With its Grecian
architecture and stately colonnaded facade, the home is a replica of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage mansion.
From 1926 to 1967, the East Nashville landmark was used as a roadside “tourist inn” for automobile travelers
along Gallatin Pike; later it was used as “Main Street Salvage.” The home was vacated a few years ago and
recently seriously damaged by a fire. The property is currently on the market and threatened with demolition.

Though deteriorated, the home could be salvaged and renovated for use as housing, offices, or commerce.
HNI is willing to work with the owner to buy time for the preservation of this significant Nashville landmark.
historic landmark.

Charlotte Avenue Church of Christ

Built in 1921, this local landmark is owned by the Charlotte Heights Church of Christ congregation. Built around the same time suburban housing was expanding into this part of the city, the church is a fine example of 1920s Gothic Revival church architecture in Nashville. Due to changing demographics of the neighborhood, the congregation wants to vacate the building and build a new church on property it has purchased two miles away. The congregation is looking for a new use for
their old church property after developers for a Rite Aid Pharmacy dropped plans to build on it amid opposition from neighbors who do not wish to see the community landmark razed. The property is currently on the market and its future is uncertain.

HNI encourages the congregation to sell the property to an owner that will adaptively reuse and preserve this historic landmark.

Historic Neighborhood Schools - Countywide

Nashville’s first public school opened in 1855 and the county’s first public school opened in 1907; the two school districts merged in 1964. Today, the consolidated city‐county Metro school system counts 136 schools serving nearly 75,000 students; the 49th largest urban school district in the U.S. HNI first recognized that
Nashville’s historic neighborhood schools were threatened in 2001. While there have been several success stores, such as preservation of the Eakin Elementary School near Hillsboro Village, many of the city’s historic public schools are neglected. HNI encourages the Metro School Board and city leaders to be vigilant in the stewardship of these critical neighborhood landmarks. Historic neighborhood schools are a point of civic pride all over the county and every effort should be made to preserve them. A perfect example of a school that is threatened is the John B. Ransom School in Elmington Place off West End. This school may be demolished for
construction of eleven single‐family homes. This historic city school dates from 1926 with wings added from 1932‐1955. It was last used as the Randall’s Learning Center before Metro sold it at auction in 2008.

HNI encourages the city to work with local neighborhood groups to develop a solution that will preserve this local landmark.

The Jackson House - 3500 Brick Church Pike

This home is a wonderful example of a vernacular farmhouse dating to the Victorian Era remaining in Davidson County. While the Jackson House was built around 1885, the rear ell contains an earlier building, probably dating to the antebellum period. One of Davidson County's finest examples of vernacular Queen Anne-style architecture, the Jackson House incorporates a bay window, a turret, and Eastlake detailing – details commonly found on urban houses from the period, but less common in the countryside. The home’s proximity to I-24 has somewhat diminished its rural setting and increased its value to developers who plan to subdivide the large estate.

HNI encourages the owners to preserve this historic home and to create buffer zones from any future development so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of this landmark.

HNI encourages the congregation to sell the property to an owner that will adaptively reuse and preserve this historic landmark.

Home for Aged Masons - Inglewood

The Home for Aged Masons, a three‐story limestone building constructed in 1913‐1915, and the nearby ca.1915 Boy’s School are the only surviving buildings from a larger complex dating to the early twentieth century, when the Tennessee Masons provided a campus to house widows, orphans, and the aged in the Masonic "family." Designed by the Nashville architectural firm of Asmus & Norton, who designed the landmark Cathedral of Incarnation on West End, the Colonial Revival‐style Home for Aged Masons is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Purchased by the State of Tennessee in 1941 for use as a tuberculosis hospital, the property was vacated in the 1990s, but is currently undergoing a renovation. Plans for renovations are in the works.

HNI encourages the State of Tennessee to adaptively reuse these historic buildings, perhaps donating or leasing them to a community nonprofit organization, to ensure their future preservation.

McCambell House - 305 Kent Rd., Donelson

This two‐story brick Federal‐style home was built around 1790 by the Hall brothers. The McCampbell family acquired the estate in the 1840s. Since the mid‐20th century, most of the grounds have subdivided and
developed. The McCampbell House remained a private residence although in recent years deferred maintenance has resulted in the house and grounds becoming overgrown and deteriorated. The owner recently passed away and willed the vacant house to the State of Tennessee for potential use by State Museum.

As one of the few remaining pre‐1800 residences in Davidson County, HNI encourages the State Building Commission to initiate plans to stabilize and rehabilitate this important piece of Nashville's architectural history.

Historic Neon Signs - Countywide

Popular since the 1930s and ‘40s, neon signs are important local examples of eye‐catching outdoor advertising, affiliated with roadside and commercial architecture both downtown and in the suburbs. These flashy electric signs promoted everything from bowling alleys, restaurants, liquor stores, nightclubs, and motels to drive‐in theaters, car dealerships, and tourist attractions. Currently there are no specific
government protections for these popular landmarks, resulting in the signs being threatened by development or neglect. Good examples of neon signs are located at Weiss Liquor sign on Main Street in East Nashville, Krispy Kreme donuts off Mufreesboro Pike and bowling alleys in Madison and Donelson as well as at the Loveless Café, Drake Motel, Elliston Place Soda Shoppe, Donut Den, and the Walter Nipper’s Nashville Sporting Goods on 8th Avenue North. Iconic neon signs also grace Nashville’s skyline, promoting WKDF and the L&C tower, as well as the guitar‐shaped scoreboard at the Nashville Sounds ball field.

HNI encourages owners of these signs to maintain them and restore them where needed as well as city leaders and planners to consider adopting (or modifying) ordinances that will protect these local works of art.

The Arcade Post Office - 16 Arcade, Downtown

Located in the historic Arcade shopping mall in downtown Nashville, this U.S. post office has operated continuously at this location since 1903. Downtown users love the funky 1950s Art Deco architecture and
convenient location. For over a century, local residents, office workers, and visitors have used this building to post their packages and letters to locales around the world while enjoying the smells and tastes of the neighboring peanut shop and restaurants. Recently, the local district office announced plans to close this post
office branch, resulting in an overwhelming public outcry in support of keeping the location open.

HNI fears that if this post office were to close, the entire Arcade, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, would be threatened and implores the U.S. Postal Service to reconsider and keep the Arcade Post Office open.

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