Historic Nashville, Inc.

TNCHE Fall 2021 Webinar
2021-11-16 19:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | TN
Join the Tennessee Council for History Education on Tuesday, November 16 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (central) for “Achieving the Dream and the Reality of Partisan Politics: Tennessee Women After Ratification” with Dr. Carole Bucy. Her talk will be followed by a Q&A session. This virtual program will also include a special presentation for the Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year award.
To register, please complete this form. You will receive a follow-up email from Kira Duke with the link for the virtual event. A certificate will be provided to all those who attended for professional development credit. If you have any questions, please contact her at kira.duke@mtsu.edu.

Metropolitan Historical Commission Meeting
2021-11-15 12:00 - 13:00

Historic Trades Day at Travellers Rest
2021-11-13 08:00 - 17:00 | TN
About this event

Historic Travellers Rest presents Historic Trades Day on November 13, 2021 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
This program will feature historic artisans and hands on crafts. Activities and artisans will include:
• Nora Glickstein demonstrating lacemaking.
• Roy Overcast demonstrating pottery making.
• Kelly Hamlin from Wolf Gap demonstrating natural dyes.
• Melissa Goodwin weaving on the loom located in our Weaving House.
• Candle dipping with Travellers Rest staff.
• Guided house tour of Travellers Rest.
• On-site or take-home activities: hanky dolls, thaumatropes, quill pen writing
We hope you will join us at this great on-site program! Tickets can be purchased in advance. Once you have purchased a ticket, you may arrive any time during the program. Enjoy interacting with our wonderful artisans, several who will have wares for sale, tour the historic home, and participate in hands on crafts. Activities will be spread across our grounds so you may visit stations at your own pace. Last admission is at 3 p.m. but guests are welcome to enjoy activities on the grounds until 4 p.m. We recommend planning for 2- 3 hours to enjoy all the activities.
We encourage you to bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy on the grounds.
Tickets are available at www.historic-travellers-rest.eventbrite.com. Adult admission (13+) is $15, students (6 – 12) $10, Educators- $12, and children under 5 are free.
This is primarily an outdoor event, with rain plan.
We will be continually monitoring the COVID outbreak numbers and implementing precautions and guidelines for this event as needed for the safety of our guests and staff.

Historic Nashville Behind-The-Scenes-Tour of Gower Cemetery
2020-04-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Centenary United Methodist Church, 6809 Gower Road, Nashville, TN, 37209, United States
Join us Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 am for a tour of Gower Cemetery led by Gower’s descendants Marsha Fagnani and Jana Stephenson
One of the earliest settlers in this area, William Gower (1776-1851) arrived in 1780 at the Bluffs settlement, now Nashville. He and his wife Charlotte Garland settled near Overall Creek in 1800 and had fifteen children, many of whom became prominent community leaders. A Methodist minister for over half a century, William founded Gower’s Chapel on his farmland. A larger chapel, erected in 1850 on Gower land, served as the local schoolhouse. Also on his original farm, The Gower Cemetery was established in 1816 with the burial of William’s mother, Obedience Blakeley Gower.
In early 2017, the Friends of Gower Cemetery initiated efforts to restore and preserve the cemetery with the help of historian Fletch Coke and Tim Walker, Executive Director of the Metro Historical Commission. Metro Nashville Public Works did an initial cleaning and continued to maintain the grounds while work was in progress. Archaeologist, Dan Sumner Allen IV was hired to oversee the restoration; completed in 2018. Mr. Allen has identified 115 burials which include Gower family members and 6 enslaved Gower and Woodward African Americans. There are 13 tombstones for 14 burials. An incredible amount of history for this family, the land, original Gower’s Chapel and present Centenary United Methodist Church has been located by the Friends group.
Important info:
– Free parking at the church
– It is a short walk to the cemetery
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**Please click here to register via Eventbrite**

HNI Annual Membership Meeting
2020-01-30 18:00 - 20:00 | The Hermitage Hotel, 231 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN, 37219, United States
Historic Nashville, Inc.’s Annual Membership Meeting is an opportunity to meet and mingle with other Historic Nashville members and learn more about HNI’s plans for the new year. New Board members and officers will be introduced and voted in by the membership at the Annual Meeting.
The 2020 Annual Meeting will feature keynote Tom Vickstrom, Director of Finance at the Hermitage Hotel, who will share the history of the Hermitage Hotel and this historic place’s vital role in women’s suffrage as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.
There will be hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments.
Guests/Non-member tickets: $15 to be paid in advance or at the door.
RSVP by January 24 at: hni2020meeting.eventbrite.com

HNI Behind-The-Scenes-Tour of The Woman's Club of Nashville
2019-12-07 10:30 - 12:30 | The Women’s Club of Nashville, 3206 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN, 37215, United States
Join us Saturday December 7, 2019 at 10:30 am for a tour of The Woman’s Club of Nashville

** Ticket reservations open Wednesday November 20, 2019 at 6:00 PM**

In 1927 Judge Beauregard Daniel chose a five-acre lot overlooking Hillsboro Pike as the place to build a permanent home for his art collection. The House was to be a lofty white columned Greek Revival house, a perfect setting for his many European treasures.
Having outgrown their previous clubhouse purchased from the Ridley Wills family at 217 Louise Avenue, the J. B. Daniel House, as it is now known, became the home of the Woman’s Club of Nashville on November 14, 1957.
Though the four-story house included 14 rooms, four bathrooms and a full basement, the club’s continued growth in membership made expansion necessary. On December 5, 1977, a contract was signed between the Woman’s Club of Nashville and David F. Lane, Contractor, to add an auditorium to the present building. The auditorium now known as Haley Hall, was named after Lera Herbert Haley, the Club’s first President.
Today, the Woman’s Club of Nashville maintains the preservation and restoration of the House, conforming to the characteristics and architectural structure of the period in which it was built. The House was listed in the National Register of Historic Sites and the Tennessee Register of Historic Sites on May 26, 2016, by the State Review Board of the Tennessee Historical Commission.

Click here for more history about the Woman’s Club

Important info:
– There is parking on the Golf Lane Side of the house and is handicapped accessible.
– Meet at the front entrance.

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Ticket reservations open Wednesday November 20, 2019 at 6:00 PM
**Please click here to register via Eventbrite**

HNI Behind-The-Scenes Tour at The Hermitage Hotel – Headquarters of Woman Suffrage Campaign
2019-08-31 10:00 - 12:00 | The Hermitage Hotel, 231 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN, 37219, United States
Join us Saturday August 31, 2019 at 10:00 am for a tour at The Hermitage Hotel – Headquarters of Woman Suffrage Campaign

** Ticket reservations open Thursday August 8, 2019 at 6:00 PM**

In August 1920 Tennessee’s 33 Senators and 99 Representatives came to Nashville for a special session called by the Governor. At stake was a hotly contested issue of national importance. From all across the United States, leaders and special interest groups arrived and so did news journalists. They called it “The War of the Roses.” The debates progressed in the state capitol for eight days. When it was finished, the United States Constitution was forever amended. The Hermitage Hotel was the center of much of the activities. Its 250 guestrooms rooms & suites, its lobby, meeting rooms, and dining room were filled to overflowing with pro and anti campaigners. Legislator’s votes were influenced, argued, and strategized to an intense degree here. A fundamental right was at stake – one that had been advocated since 1848! The eyes of the nation were on Tennessee. Some 27 million people would be immediately affected by the outcome. It was a make or break legislative vote since Tennessee was the last essential state. Ultimately it was a tie-breaking vote by one legislator that tipped the scales – a shining example that one vote truly does matter.
With this the 19th Amendment of the United States Constitution was passed, giving women the right to vote across the country. Come hear and see more about this at The Hermitage Hotel. The public spaces of this historic hotel will be featured in a step back in time glimpse behind the curtain of history. Narration & tour to be provided by Tom Vickstrom.

Important info:

Meet at historical display area of the lobby.
Complimentary valet parking available to lunch guests; other hourly parking options offered at the public library and various sites nearby.

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Ticket reservations open Thursday August 8, 2019 at 6:00 PM
**Please click here to register via Eventbrite**

HNI Tour of Donelson’s Historic Belair Mansion, now Belle Air Inn “Nashville Nine Success”!
2019-08-28 18:30 - 19:30 | Belair Mansion, 2250 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN, 37214, United States
Join us on Wednesday August 28, 2019 at 6:30 pm for a very special Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Donelson’s Historic Belle Air Mansion, now Belle Air Inn “Nashville Nine Success”!

** Ticket reservations open Friday August 23, 2019 at 6:00 PM**

The Belair Mansion was included on Historic Nashville’s 2014 Nashville Nine list of endangered properties, and has recently opened as a bed and breakfast, the Belle Air Inn! “A Nashville Nine Success Story”!
Belle Air sits at the beginning of Downtown Donelson and is a very visible historic and civic landmark as you enter the area. Most plantations and pre-civil war Mansions are far out of town with no accessibility to where people want to visit. Belle Air is about 4 miles from the Nashville Airport and 5 ½ miles from downtown along Lebanon Pike. It is unique in that it is almost 6 acres and can be a retreat in the middle of the city. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Belle Air is significant because of its architecture. Representative of the great houses of the well-to-do Southern landowners in the first half of the nineteenth century, it remains as an example of these houses which once were abundant but have now mostly disappeared from the scene. It’s important that Belle Air is preserved for the benefit of those who might not otherwise be able to come in contact with such an example of the architecture of the Old South. Many families prominent in the social and economic development of Nashville have either lived in or been entertained in Belle Air.
Lewis & Connie James have brought this historic treasure back to life with a luxury touch!
Free parking is available on site.
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Ticket reservations open Friday August 23, 2019 at 6:00 PM
**Please click here to register via Eventbrite**

Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Barbershop Harmony Society
2019-07-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Barbershop Harmony Society, 110 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join us for a tour of Barbershop Harmony Society on Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 10:00 am.

**This is a RESCHEDULED tour (original date was May 11th, 2019)
** Limited ticket reservations open Tuesday July 25, 2019 at 6:00 PM**

Cassi Costoulas, Strategic Initiatives Manager of Barbershop Harmony Society will be leading the tour.
Founded in 1938 as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA), the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) preserves and extends the reach of a uniquely American close harmony musical art form whose roots lie in African-American improvisation and European harmony traditions. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee since 2007, our nonprofit organization provides active programs and resources in music education, publishing, performance, and community outreach.

Fun facts about the BHS building:

Our building was built in 1923 and was formerly a Bible printing press.
The final decision to use this as our headquarters building on 7th Avenue was because of the popular Dominant 7th chord commonly found in the barbershop style of music. Call it serendipity.

Important info:

Tour group will meet at the front entrance on 110 7th Avenue North
Suggested parking the Nashville Public Library Garage or various free street parking if
available

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Limited ticket reservations open Tuesday July 25, 2019 at 6:00 PM
**Please click here to register via Eventbrite**

Historic Nashville Behind-The-Scenes Tour of the Historic Ben West Building
2019-06-29 10:00 - 11:30 | Hastings Architecture Associates (former Ben West Building), 225 Polk Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join us Saturday June 29, 2019 at 10:00 am for a tour of the Historic Ben West Building (now Hastings Architecture Associates)

** Ticket reservations open Thursday June 13, 2019 at 6:00 PM**

This prominent New-Formalist landmark completed in 1965 served as Nashville’s Main Public Library for more than 35 years. After the Main Library was relocated in 2001 the building remained dormant for long periods until private owners purchased it with the intent to restore the original structure and give the building new life as creative office space.
The revitalization of this architectural treasure relied on a fierce commitment to the original design intent. The Georgia Cherokee marble panel façade was cleaned, repaired, and/or replaced with new marble from the original quarry. The original curtainwall frames were left in place, replacing the glass with modern, high-performance glazing. The original terrazzo floor in the lobby was refurbished, as was the terrazzo-clad monumental stair which connects the two main floors.
The interior design creates a workspace that is as open and authentic as possible – original concrete columns, shear walls, and pan-slab floor/ceiling structure were stripped, cleaned, and left exposed to reveal the beauty of the original craftsmanship. Modern architectural intervention, as part of the adaptive reuse, adheres to a strictly black and white color palette to forefront the historic design. The workspace offers varying degrees of privacy from individual call rooms and focused work space to a large café and open studio. A walnut slat wall – directly inspired by a similar wall in the library’s original auditorium – delineates between public spaces and the studio. Illuminating the history of the building, linear pendant lights run diagonally across the ceiling of the open studio in reference to the book stacks which once ran the same direction.

Important info:
– The entrance can be found on Polk Avenue
– Parking is available at the downtown Public Library and free street parking if available

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Ticket reservations open Thursday June 13, 2019 at 6:00 PM
**Please click here to register via Eventbrite**

HNI Behind-The-Scene Tour "Walking Back In Time" with Mary B. Williams and Frank Schwartz
2019-06-22 10:00 - 12:00 | Downtown Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St, Nashville, TN, 37219, United States
Join us Saturday June 22, 2019 for a very special Historic Nashville Inc Behind-The-Scene Tour “Walking Back In Time” with Mary B. Williams and Frank Schwartz

** Ticket reservations open Monday June 3, 2019 at 6:00 PM**

Leading the tour will be Mary B. Williams and Frank Schwartz, both are 94 years young.
Mary B Williams is a Southern jewel with a smile that lights up a room and stories that entertain for hours. Her laughter is contagious. She is sunshine with red lipstick with an educated charming Southern accent. From her early days in East Nashville, to her role as a wife, mother, model, actor and entrepreneur, she has documented it all. Was one of the most notable tour guides of Nashville, she has a passion for history.
Morris Frank Schwartz, Jr. was president and CEO of Rich, Schwartz & Joseph from 1957 to 1976. He was the third generation in his family of brilliant retail merchants of women’s fine apparel here in Nashville. The company had store downtown on 5th and then 6th Avenue North, moving in 1955 to West End, and in 1961 then opened a second store in the Belle Meade Shopping Center. Customer service and high-quality apparel were the foundation of their success. Merchandise included dresses, furs, lingerie, accessories, and shoes. They were innovative in many ways. Frank has spent his working career in Nashville with class and culture and quality, and we are proud to know him as a gentleman. He is a Vanderbilt graduate and served in the Us Navy during World War II.

This circa 1927 photo (from the Rich-Schwartz 60th anniversary booklet) shows a window of the original store, which opened in 1902 and was located on Fifth Avenue North. (Image: Frank Schwartz and Jewish Federation of Nashville Archives)

Important info:
– Group will meet in the 1st floor conference room.
– Suggested parking the Nashville Public Library Garage or various free street parking if available

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Ticket reservations open Monday June 3, 2019 at 6:00 PM
**Please click here to register via Eventbrite**

Walking In Their Footsteps: Downtown Nashville Women's History Walking Tour
2019-06-01 09:30 - 11:00, 2019-06-01 09:00 - 10:30 | Tennessee Supreme Court, 401 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN, 37219, United States
Join Historic Nashville, Inc. for a very special guided walking tour of women’s history in downtown Nashville. Back by popular demand, this tour closes out Historic Nashville’s celebration of Preservation Month. There are two tour times, 9:00am-10:30am or 9:30am-11:00am.
“From the earliest days of the settlement that would become Nashville to the present, women have been involved in every aspect of Nashville’s growth and development including education, the arts, business, politics and music as well as advocating for our city’s beautification and preservation of our historic resources,” said Jenn Harrman, president of Historic Nashville, Inc. “Several of our board members who are historians have researched and developed this tour, which will include stops along the route to see the places and hear the stories of the women who have led and shaped our city from its beginning to the present day.”
Among the many stories highlighted on the tour are:

One of the founders of Nashville who has a street named in her honor
The slave who lived near the Courthouse and purchased freedom for herself and her son
An African American suffragist who addressed the Tennessee General Assembly in 1920
The sculptor who created the Victory statue at War Memorial Auditorium
The woman who started the first Sunday School for poor children in the city
The manager of the Ryman Auditorium who hosted entertainers and speakers from around the world and who brought the Grand Ole Opry to the Mother Church
The Civil Rights leader whose challenge to the mayor made Nashville the first Southern city to desegregate lunch counters in 1961

Tours are approximately 90 minutes and require walking a little over 1.5 miles downtown.
The tour starts at the Tennessee Supreme Courth Building at the corner of Charlotte and 7th Avenue North and concludes approximately 1/4 mile from the tour start at the Hermitage Hotel at 231 6th Avenue North, which has public restroooms available.
Tours will be held rain or shine. All proceeds will support the programs of Historic Nashville, Inc. Due to limited space, ticket sales are final and cancellations will be considered an in-kind donation to Historic Nashville, Inc.

Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Marathon Motor Works
2019-04-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Barry Walker Marathon Motor Works, 1305 Clinton Street, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join us for a tour of Marathon Motor Works on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 10:00 am led by Owner Barry Walker

** Ticket reservations open Monday March 11, 2019 at 6:00 PM**

HOW IT BEGAN
The year was 1884 when the Southern Engine and Boiler Works company was founded in Jackson, Tennessee. As a manufacturer of gasoline engines and industrial boilers, the company was one of the first of its kind in a growing industry. By 1904, this locally owned and operated organization had grown into the largest plant of its kind in the United States. While there were numerous automobile companies buying components and assembling vehicles in their factories, only a few were actually manufacturing the entire vehicle using their own design and components they’d built onsite. At Southern Engine and Boiler Works, a young engineer William Henry Collier wanted to be among those creating the entire vehicle and convinced the directors of the company to allow him to build a car he designed.
THE FIRST CARS
Collier’s enthusiasm and ingenuity paid off, and in 1907, the company announced their first vehicle with a gasoline engine. It was so successful that excited investors gave $50,000 to be a part of the action.
By 1909, the company released two different models, the A9 and the B9. Each vehicle featured a 35 horsepower, 4-cylinder engine. The A9 was a five-seater touring car, while the B9 was a rumble seat roadster. For just $1,500, people could purchase either, with a top being an optional extra. As the cars gained popularity, the company produced more and more starting with just 20 cars in 1907, increasing to 400 in just two short years.
By 1910, Southern Engine and Boiler Works had been renamed Marathon (as a result of a name dispute with another company in the area) and relocated to a larger facility in Nashville. New models were added to the company’s offering and soon buyers and auto dealers from around the world were coveting their vehicles. The enthusiasm for Marathon Motors continued to grow, causing dealers to flock to Nashville and having a positive impact on the city’s economy.
After being abandoned and suffering from years of neglect, the Marathon Motors Factory was discovered by Barry Lyle Walker, a real estate visionary who recognized the possibilities of the once booming facility. His vision was to develop a thriving creative community that would serve as a cultural, artistic and performing arts venue. After purchasing the property, he began renovation. A challenging aspect to the refurbishing was the fact that each of the buildings on the property had been built in different time periods, and thus were of different architectural styles. The new spaces that evolved are not only unique, they capture the essence, personality and creativity that the founders of Marathon possessed. Walker even scoured the world to find one of the original vehicles, finally obtaining one in 1990.

**We will meet in the showroom. Parking lot behind the showroom on 14th will have a designated free parking area for HNI members only.

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Ticket reservations open Monday March 11, 2019 at 6:00 pm

**Please use the button below to register via Eventbrite. If the button does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of African American Culture
2019-03-16 11:00 - 12:30 | The Nashville Visitors Center, 501 Broadway, Nashville, TN, 37203
Join us for a tour of African American Culture on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 11:00 am led by Chakita Patterson.

** Ticket reservations open Monday February 18, 2018 at 6:00 PM**

Surrounded in the bliss of country music, it is a little-known fact that Nashville was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. However, students at the city’s predominantly black universities led the way in nonviolent protests in the 1950s and 60s. Journey with us to attractions and local hideaways around the city that is significant to African American history and culture on this 1.5-mile outdoor walking tour.

**Meeting Point: This tour meets by the front door of “The Nashville Visitors Center.”
The Nashville Visitor Center is inside the glass tower of the Bridgestone Arena. We’ll meet outside the front door at 501 Broadway.

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Ticket reservations open Monday February 18, 2018 at 6:00 pm

**Please use the button below to register via Eventbrite. If the button does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

Old House Fair
2019-03-02 09:00 - 15:00 | TN
Save the date for the 2019 Old House Fair on Saturday, March 2, 2019, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Sevier Park Community Center. Check back in February 2019 for additional information. (The Fair is held on the first Saturday of March on odd years.)
Sponsorship opportunities now available.
Parking Information
Would you like to volunteer for the Fair? Visit Hands On Nashville for this and many other volunteer opportunities.
The Metropolitan Historical Commission Foundation and partners will host the 2019 Old House Fair on Saturday, March 2, 2019, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Sevier Park Community Center, 3021 Lealand Avenue. The Old House Fair is a FREE day-long festival showcasing new ideas, practical advice, innovative materials, and quality services for homeowners to learn more about sustainable and historic products and services, and gain tips for planning and executing your project.
Exhibitors included companies, retailers, and artists experienced in working with homes of many ages and styles, from Antebellum to Mid-century Modern.
Sponsorship opportunities available. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact Robin Zeigler at robin.zeigler@nashville.gov or 615-862-7970 ext.79776.

Presentations
Please check back for a complete list of 2019 sessions that will include topics such as energy efficiency and restoring a 1950s era ranch.
Tentative Sessions (times to be announced.)
Restoring Your Ranch House
Learn how a local preservationist undertook an award-winning restoration of a historic 1954 Ranch House in Madison. This session will review lessons learned and suggestions on repairing and restoring original character defining features such as wood frame windows, asbestos shingle siding, interior moldings, and exterior trim. This session will include a review of all the cool original features of a Ranch House, including steel kitchens, laminate countertops, electric wall heaters, and tile bathrooms.

Holistic Approach to Home Renovation
Renovating an old home? How to take a holistic approach and achieve compounding beneftis. Whether you are renovating or updating your home, taking a holistic approach to the design and construction can create many benefits beyond energy efficiency. E3 Innovate, Nashville’s experts in green renovation, shares the top 3 strategies for creating a high performance home. Using integrated design techniques and the application of the latest technologies, this holistic approach helps homeowners achieve healthy indoor quality, personalized comfort, and long-lasting durability.

Historic Nashville Inc’s Economic Incentive
Preservation Easements are the strongest tool for preserving your historic building or home. During this workshop, representatives from Historic Nashville, Inc. will discuss their preservation easements program including what is a preservation easement what are the benefits of donating an easement, and how a preservation easement can ensure the preservation of your historic home. Historic Nashville, Inc. established the state’s first preservation easements program in 1982 and currently owns 18 easements within Metro Nashville-Davidson County including the Hermitage Hotel and the Southern Turf.

HNI Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Historic Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville
2019-02-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Nashville Speedway, 625 Smith Ave, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join us for a Behind-the-Scenes tour of the Historic Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 10:00 am led by Donnie Redd, Historian of the track.

** Ticket reservations open Monday January 21, 2018 at 6:00 PM**

The Fairgrounds Nashville originally opened in 1891 as a horse racing track named Cumberland Park. The park became the home of the Tennessee State Fair in 1906 and was purchased by the Davidson County government (later Metro) in 1910.
The track first featured “horseless carriages” and motorcycles on June 11, 1904, on a 1 1/8 (1.125) mile dirt oval. Races were canceled after a motorcycle ran into the back of a car that was lining up. Harness (horse) racing events were also held at the track. In September 1904 another series of races was organized. Most of the entrants came directly to Nashville from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. Racing pioneer Barney Oldfield was one of the entrants. People marveled at cars driving over 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour). The track began holding annual events in September 1915 to coincide with the state fair. Many of the same drivers from the Indianapolis 500 brought their cars down to Nashville.
In 1958 car racers decided to build a paved racetrack. The racers ended opposition from horse racers by building a horse track. The racers got a 10-year lease from the state fair board in order to build a paved 1/2 mile track which shared the front stretch with a 1/4 mile track. On July 19, 1958, the first race was held at the new speedway. Races were held only on the 1/4 mile track (except for special events).
The track held at least one NASCAR Cup race each year from 1958 to 1984. A capacity crowd of 13,998 watched Joe Weatherly win the first NASCAR race on August 10, 1958. Geoff Bodine beat Darrell Waltrip for his second career win in the last Winston Cup race (1984) at the track. NASCAR left the track because the grandstands are too small, and because of a dispute over who would manage the track took place prior to the start of the 1985 season. Of the 42 Cup races, Richard Petty has nine wins, with Darrell Waltrip right behind with eight wins. Waltrip won 5 of 6 races between 1981 and 1984. Waltrip’s victory in the 1988 Busch Series event gives him the career best nine wins total at the track.
The speedway is currently an 18 degree banked paved oval. The track is 0.596-mile (0.959 km) long. Inside the larger oval is a quarter-mile paved oval. A lot of hard work and support from many has been a part to save the future of the speedway when announced in 2010 the final season. A crowd of over 3,000 people, the largest ever to attend a Metro Nashville council meeting was a determining factor for the track to be saved. The Formosa family last year was awarded a five-year contract for the speedway, the longest lease awarded dating back to the 2004 season. Speedway Motorsports Inc. is presently in negotiation to team with Formosa Productions to bring back the glory days of NASCAR premier national racing events. The addition of major NASCAR events mixed with local racing would contribute to the success of property campus which will include a new Expo Center and a new stadium for use as a soccer complex.

**Enter the Speedway at the back entrance off Wedgewood onto Raines Ave gate there is a ticket booth sitting in the middle of the road.
**We will park behind the track next to the buildings. There will be someone directing us where to park.

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Ticket reservations open Monday January 21, 2018 at 6:00 pm

**Please use the button below to register via Eventbrite. If the button does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **
