Historic Nashville, Inc.

Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Tennessee's Executive Residence
2018-05-05 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Tennessee’s Executive Residence, 882 Curtiswood Ln S, Nashville, TN, 37204, United States
Join Historic Nashville for a very special tour of the Tennessee’s Executive Residence on Saturday May 5, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Tennessee’s Executive Residence, a classic example of stately Georgian architecture, was originally known as “Far Hills” because of the beautiful view from the home’s 10-acre site. The three-story, 16-room home was built for businessman William Ridley Wills, founder of National Life and Accident Insurance Company, and completed in 1931.
The property became the Volunteer State’s official governor’s home when the state purchased it in 1949 following Wills’ death. To date, nine governors and their families have lived and worked in the Tennessee Residence, including Gordon Browning, Frank Clement, Buford Ellington, Winfield Dunn, Ray Blanton, Lamar Alexander, Ned Ray McWherter, Don Sundquist and Bill Haslam.
During Phil Bredesen’s term (2003-2011), the Tennessee Residence underwent a major renovation led by First Lady Andrea Conte and the Tennessee Residence Foundation. Conservation Hall, a 14,000 square-foot subterranean meeting and banquet facility, was built under the front lawn of the Tennessee Residence during the renovation project. The space is used to entertain for large events on the property and includes artwork created by Tennessee artists through the hall.
Over time, the Tennessee Residence and grounds have been a welcoming point for tens of thousands of Tennesseans, as well as host to official functions for distinguished guests, including Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore; legislative leaders; numerous governors; religious figures such as Rev. Billy Graham; and other distinguished dignitaries from around the world.

**IMPORTANT** In preparation for your visit:

Please arrive as close to 10:00 am as possible, but no earlier than 9:50 am.
If possible, please bring a photo ID. (Children exempt.)
Tours typically last an hour, with an extra 10-min allotted for viewing the gardens and grounds.
If you are unable to attend, please give 24 hours notice.
When you arrive on the property, please stop at the gate and give your name through the speaker to the trooper.
Once they check your name against the confirmed security list, they will open the gate and direct you where to park.

**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Dutchman's Curve
2018-04-28 10:00 - 12:00 | White Bridge Road Trailhead – Richland Creek Greenway, 22 White Bridge Rd, Nashville, TN, 37205, United States
Join us for a walking tour of Dutchman’s Curve on Saturday April 28, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Did you know that the deadliest train wreck in US history occurred in West Nashville one hundred years ago? In 1918, two locomotives—each hauling overcrowded passenger trains—smashed into each other on a set of railroad tracks known as Dutchman’s Curve.
The site of the train wreck is now part of the Richland Creek Greenway.
Historic Nashville Inc. member Betsy Thorpe is the author of The Day the Whistles Cried: The Great Cornfield Meet at Dutchman’s Curve. It’s a book that tells the story of the train wreck and the US Supreme Court case that followed.
On April 28, Betsy will lead a members-only walking tour through a section of the Richland Creek Greenway. Giving a presentation specifically designed for Nashville Historic Inc., she will tell the story of the train wreck and discuss the historic architecture of the area.
The tour will begin on the old White Bridge. It will end at the Dutchman’s Curve Wayside, a designated resting place on the Richland Creek Greenway. A 160-year-old limestone railroad abutment marks the wayside.
Betsy contends that the two structures are the greatest artifacts of the train wreck. Using the bridge and the abutment as her frame of reference, she will examine how understanding and documenting the history of old buildings and structures helps historians and storytellers like her interpret and record historical events and culture.
Please join us April 28 for this informative and interesting tour!
We will meet at the White Bridge Road Trailhead at the Richland Creek Greenway. See map. The historical marker for Dutchman’s Curve marks the entrance to the parking lot and parking is plentiful. This is a walking tour, be sure to dress appropriately. The Greenway is handicap accessible.

**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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A Night of Songwriters Benefiting Nashville's Historic Places
2018-03-10 18:30 - 22:00 | TN
In celebration of its 50th Anniversary, Historic Nashville is hosting a fundraising event featuring a very special roster of songwriters in performance at the legendary Green’s Grocery in historic Leiper’s Fork.
In addition to the 90-minute concert featuring songs and stories from Matraca Berg, Trey Bruce, Chuck Jones, and Holly Williams, a BBQ dinner provided by Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant and beer from Yazoo Brewing is included.
All proceeds from the event support the efforts of Historic Nashville including our advocacy, outreach, and programs aimed at preserving and promoting the historic places that make Nashville unique.
Cancellations will be considered an in-kind donation.

Matraca Berg is a three-time Grammy-nominated American country music singer and songwriter. Born in Nashville, she has released five albums and written many hits including “You and Tequila” for Kenny Chesney and “Strawberry Wine” for Deana Carter.
Trey Bruce is an Emmy award-winning American songwriter born in Memphis and currently living in Nashville. He has hundreds of cuts by artists like Lee Ann Rimes, Carrie Underwood, and ZZ Top. He is also a proud member of the Historic Nashville Board of Directors.
Chuck Jones is an American singer-songwriter and extraordinary guitarist from Memphis. He has written many hits over the years for the likes of George Strait, Diamond Rio, and Chris LeDoux.
Holly Williams is a singer-songwriter born in Nashville. She has been making records and touring the world to wildly positive critical acclaim for most of her life. She has toured with Lucinda Williams and Bob Dylan and is a passionate preservationist.
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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Belle Meade Plantation
2018-03-10 10:00 - 12:00 | TN
Join us on March 10, 2018 at 10:00 am as we tour the Belle Meade Plantation led by Ridley Wills II
The Belle Meade Plantation was founded in 1807 by John Harding. “Belle Meade” translates to mean beautiful meadow in Old English and French. The property began with just a single log cabin and 250 acres. The estate quickly grew to a 5,400-acre thoroughbred horse farm with a Greek Revival Mansion, deer park, train station and rock quarry which supported five generations of owners, their servants, and enslaved workers.
It is now functioning as an educational resource dedicated to the preservation of Tennessee’s Victorian architecture, history, and equestrian history.
**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of East Ivy Mansion
2018-03-03 10:00 - 12:00 | TN
Join us on March 3, 2018 at 10:00 am as we visit the East Ivy Mansion in Edgefield.
Built in 1867 by AG Stanford, the mansion has been home to various owners throughout the years. Notably, its first homeowner was Tennessee native Senator Henry Cooper. Cooper served one term in the Tennessee House of Representatives, after which he served as a judge. It is during this time that he frequented the East Ivy Mansion, concurrently teaching as a professor at the Cumberland School of Law. Cooper was infamously shot and killed later in Mexico by bandits.
The East Ivy, along with Henry Cooper, remains an important part of Nashville history. A mainstay of the Historic Edgefield district of Nashville, the mansion has stood the test of time through several natural and man-made disasters. East Ivy was one of the very few properties to survive the Great Nashville Fire of 1916, a tragedy that destroyed most of the Italianate and Queen Anne style homes in the area. In 1933, tragedy struck again when a tornado devastated most of Nashville, once again demolishing hundreds of historic homes. The East Ivy Mansion, however, remains standing. It continues to be one of the few original historic properties in Nashville. Guests of East Ivy can see that the home has almost all of its original features.
Throughout various owners and a handful of natural disasters, the Historic East Ivy Mansion has, incredibly, stood the test of time. Most impressive of all is the fact that although East Ivy has undergone reconstruction and renovation throughout the years, the estate boasts almost all of its original fixtures. In 195 the wall, pool houses, and gardens were constructed turning the estate into a beautiful, expansive compound. After another 50 years of events, rentals, and memories made, the East Ivy Mansion still stands as a tribute to this amazing piece of historic Nashville.
Street parking is available.
**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Structures in Warner Park and Beyond
2018-02-17 10:00 - 11:30 | TN
Join other history buffs for an exploration of the Hodge House, the allée, and rock walls of Warner Park; then venture beyond to learn about Fort Negley and what you can do to protect historic structures in your community.
This Metro Parks program will feature current news about the state of historic structures, on both public and private land, and efforts to conserve these landmarks.
Speakers include Metro/Warner Park staff Heather Gallagher and Cammie Claybrook, Krista Castillo of Fort Negley and Historic Nashville’s own Jenn Harrman and Robbie Jones.
Registration is required and space is limited.
Please reserve your spot by clicking here.

Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Woolworth Building
2018-02-10 10:00 - 12:00 | TN
Join Historic Nashville on February 10, 2018 at 10:00 am as we visit the Woolworth Building in downtown Nashville for a tour led by David Ewing
Please meet in front of the building on 5th Avenue.
Read a little about the Woolworth Building from an article in Bisnow:
At 221 Fifth Ave. North, the Woolworth Building was completed in 1930 and is a registered historic site as part of the Fifth Avenue Historic District. One of the original five-and-dime stores, F.W. Woolworth offered discounted merchandise as well as an inexpensive lunch counter that, before 1960, was segregated.
On Feb. 13, 1960, 124 students from Nashville’s historically black colleges walked into Woolworth as well as other counters at Kress and McClellan, sat down at the white-only lunch counters, and asked to be served — to no avail. Their goal was desegregation.
Their peaceful protests intensified in the following weeks, and were met with violent resistance, until May 10, when Nashville became the first major Southern city to begin desegregating its public facilities when six Downtown stores, led by Harvey’s and Cain-Sloan, opened their lunch counters to African-Americans.
In early 2017, Morales’ company, TomKats Hospitality, took possession of the first floor, mezzanine and basement level of the Woolworth Building, previously a Dollar General, and began work on restoring it. Much of the original architecture has been preserved, including the upper level mezzanine, gilded handrails and wall accents, and hand-laid tile. Parts of the 18K SF space that could not be preserved were re-created to echo the style of the past: flowing staircases, the rebuilt lunch counter, wood-paneled walls, turquoise colors and an Art Deco-inspired vibe.

Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/nashville/news/retail/new-eatery-at-nashvilles-woolworth-building-honors-civil-rights-past-82311?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame
2018-01-27 10:00 - 12:00 | TN
Join Historic Nashville on January 27, 2018 at 10:00 am as we visit the Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville.
We will hear about the history of the County Music Association and the Hall of Fam as well as the architecture of the building, explanations of the exhibits and events that happen at the site. If space allows, we are welcome to attend the Song Writers Session at 11:30-12 following the tour. Artist as not yet been announced, check the Country Music Hall of Fame’s website for more information.
Meet in the lobby a little before 10:00. We will be touring in two groups of 15 each.
There is parking at the Civic Center and the Library ( a few blocks away)
**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Annual Membership Meeting 2018
2018-01-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Fort Negley Visitor’s Center, 1100 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
The Annual 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.
There will be hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments.
Guests/Non-member tickets: $10. We will accept payment in the form of cash or check payable to Historic Nashville Inc. at the door.
Questions about your membership status? Email membership@historicnashvilleinc.org. or click here to renew/join.
Please RSVP by Thursday, January 18th, 2018.
**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of The Hermitage Hotel
2017-12-23 10:00 - 11:30 | TN
Join us for a special presentation and behind the scenes tour of The Hermitage Hotel led by Tom Vickstrom on December 23, 2017.
The presentation will be a PowerPoint, “A Century of Hospitality: Grand Banquets, Chefs, and Menus of The Hermitage Hotel.” The hotel is beautiful with holiday decor and offers a true spirit of cheer and hospitality. The hotel is also a fine example of HNI’s preservation easement program and a sucess story of HNI leaders in the late 1970s.
For those wishing to stay on for lunch at the hotel’s Capitol Grille or Oak Bar, the hotel will validate your parking voucher as complimentary. Otherwise daytime valet parking is $13 at the hotel. Various other self-parking downtown options include the public library garage and McKendrie garage.
**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of World War I and American Art at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts
2017-12-07 18:00 - 19:30 | TN
Join us for a very special behind the scenes tour of World War I and American Art at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts on December 7, 2017.
World War I had a pervasive presence in the lives of Americans, before and after the United States entered the hostilities, and artists of all generations, aesthetic positions, regions of the country, and political points of view took notice and reacted. This exhibition provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine World War I and its impact on American art.
Historic Nashville guests will meet the group in the Frist cafe at 6pm to get their Frist entrance tickets and meet the docent. Admission is FREE for HNI members.
Parking in the Frist lot will also be discounted for HNI members at $5, rather than the regular rate.
The tour will begin promptly at 6:30pm and last approximately 40-50 minutes after which guests will be invited to enjoy the exhibit on their own.
**Please use the Eventbrite reservation form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Croft House & Grassmere Historic Farm
2017-11-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN, 37211, United States
Join Historic Nashville for a members-only tour of Croft House & Grassmere Historic Farm on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Please plan to join us for an exclusive in-depth program and tour of the Croft House and Grasmere Historic Farm at the Nashville Zoo. Have you ever wondered why there is an old house located in the middle of the Nashville Zoo? Maybe the question should be, why is there a zoo around an old house? The Croft House at the Nashville Zoo has many stories to tell. It is one of the oldest houses in Davidson County open to the public and was owned by one family through five generations. Who were the last owners? What was their connection to Cuba? How does Cuba connect to the Nashville Zoo? We will explain all of these interesting facts.
In addition, insight will be provided about the cemetery relocation on this site that occurred in 2014 and what we have learned.
Meet at the main zoo entry plaza for an escort to the Historic Farm. We will then escort everyone back to the entrance after the tour. Parking is free for HNI members attending the house tour.
After the tour, all are welcome to visit the zoo, which will then require regular paid admission and the zoo parking fee at that time.
**Please use the Eventbrite ticket form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of St. Cecilia Motherhouse
2017-11-04 10:00 - 12:00 | St. Cecilia Motherhouse, 801 Dominican Drive, Nashville, TN, 37228, United States
Join Historic Nashville for a members-only tour of St. Cecilia Motherhouse on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Description of the St. Cecilia Motherhouse from the website of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia:
On thirty-two acres located in downtown Nashville, St. Cecilia Motherhouse is an oasis on the north side of a busy southern city. It provides a peaceful setting with numerous reminders of our 150 year history that lift our hearts in joyful praise and thanks to God. St. Cecilia Motherhouse was completed in 1862. Additions in 1880, 1888, 1904, and 2006 completed the building. Today it houses the sisters in formation in our novitiate, the sisters who administer and teach at our schools in Nashville, sisters who serve the community through specific duties at the Motherhouse, and our retired sisters. The center of our home and our life is the beautiful Chapel of St. Cecilia. Here the sisters gather as a community three times daily, spending additional time in personal prayer and making frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
**Please use the Eventbrite ticket form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
2017-10-28 10:30 - 12:30 | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4905 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN, 37220, United States
Join Historic Nashville for a members-only tour of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 10:30 AM
This tour will be led by Father Gregory.
The church congregation has been in Nashville since 1917. Founded by Greek immigrants that moved here from St. Louis. The present building on Franklin Rd was constructed in 1986.
Plentiful parking is available behind the church.
For more information visit: http://holytrinitynashville.org/about-us/
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Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Fort Negley Park
2017-10-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Fort Negley Visitor’s Center, 1100 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Join Historic Nashville for a members-only tour of Fort Negley Park on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Meet at the Fort Negley Visitor’s Center at 10:00am.
**Please use the Eventbrite ticket form below. If the form does not appear in your browser click here to RSVP. **

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A Brief History of Fort Negley Park
By Krista Castillo
In 1805, Judge John Overton of Travellers Rest began obtaining the property known as St. Cloud Hill. Although privately owned, the wooded hill became a popular retreat from the growing city.
In February 1862, the Federal Army took possession of Nashville. Over the spring and summer, military officials, recognizing the possibility of enemy invasion, initiated an ambitious defensive strategy and the army seized private property for the purpose of constructing fortifications. In southeast Nashville, Captain James St. Clair Morton selected St. Cloud Hill for due to its proximity to the southern approaches to the city via the Louisville/Nashville rail line and the Franklin and Nolensville Pikes.
Thousands of African Americans enslaved within the city and on nearby plantations viewed federal forces as protectors. Soon makeshift camps grew around the hills designated for fortifications. Unprepared for the massive influx of refugees and the challenges of hiring enough laborers to complete the defenses, military officials formulated a system for employing former slaves. Plagued by internal disputes, corruption, prejudice, and indifference, the army rarely fulfilled promises of pay, rations, and shelter. As a result, hundreds perished from exposure, disease, and hunger in the camps.
Permanently displaced by war and the end of the slave system, many African Americans remained in the refugee camps established on St. Cloud Hill. Over time, these residents settled into comfortable neighborhoods surrounding Fort Negley. Children growing up in the segregated neighborhoods separated by St. Cloud Hill found freedom from society’s strict racial codes within the old fort’s protective walls.
Between the summer of 1862 and September 1867, thousands of Federal troops, including United States Colored Troops, occupied St. Cloud Hill. Jacob Coonley’s 1864 panoramic image reveals soldiers peering over the eastern slope to the rail yard and the remains of more than 11,500 Federal soldiers contained in three Federal cemetery lots on and around St. Cloud Hill, including the City Cemetery.
When the Federal Army abandoned Fort Negley’s stone skeleton and St. Cloud Hill in 1867, picnickers returned to the site. Some envisioned a grand manicured boulevard stretching from an elaborate public park on St. Cloud Hill to the Capitol Building. Although attempts in 1913, 1926, and 1929 to establish a National Park at Fort Negley in honor of the Battle of Nashville were unsuccessful, newspaper reports from across the country reveal the significance of the battle and the fort in American cultural memory.
In 1928, the Nashville Park Board purchased the 50-acre parcel from Judge Overton’s heirs for the purpose of establishing a public park. Between 1934 and 1941, funding and labor provided by the Works Progress Administration made restoration of the fort and enhancement of the park possible. The WPA Project Proposal dated May 1, 1935 stated, “The park will be a decided addition to the park system of the City of Nashville besides adding an excellent historical point of interest for tourists.” Fort Negley Park boasted four softball diamonds, a hard ball diamond, a lighting system, stone bleachers, a stone comfort station, and a multi-level stone retaining wall constructed along the park’s eastern boundary. Decorative boundary walls along Chestnut Street and encircling the fort structure and the large stone entrance, key components of WPA design and construction, emphasized the city’s desire for creating a large multi-use park in south Nashville. These decorative walls, the retaining wall, and large portions of the bleachers remain on the property today.
Although the surrounding African American neighborhood developed from the Civil War-era conscripted labor camps, the eastern portion of Fort Negley Park catered to thousands of white ball players and spectators throughout the 1940s and 1950s. In 1946 and 1953, the Park Board rejected requests from the African American community to designate Fort Negley as a “Negro” park. During the mid-1960s, the construction of I-65 and I-40 displaced the neighborhoods located south of St. Cloud Hill forever altering the character of the area. Later, the Edgehill Urban Renewal Program allowed for the leasing of portions of the park to the Children’s Museum (now Adventure Science Center) and the Nashville Baseball Club, Inc., at nominal rates.
While Metro sought to revitalize the area through new construction, others worked toward national recognition of Fort Negley Park as a historic site. In 1975, the site was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Five years later, Metro Historical Commission funded a study for the purposes of acknowledging “a growing awareness of the uniqueness of Fort Negley in the region” and for developing “a concept for the ultimate use of the historic resources to the advantage of the community at large.” In conclusion, the study recommended eliminating unauthorized use of the site, clearing the hilltop of uncontrolled vegetation, interpreting the fort structure, promoting tourism, and providing basic amenities such as picnic tables and restrooms.
The Fort Negley Master Plan released in 1996 expanded on these recommendations, calling for a interpretative center and dedicated professional staff. Fort Negley Park, including the stabilized and interpreted fort structure, opened in 2004. Three years later, the city constructed the Fort Negley Visitors Center. The 2007 Supplement to the 1996 Master Plan, recommended reclamation of the eastern portion of Fort Negley Park once the Nashville Sounds vacated the property. The plan envisioned the addition of a Civil War museum and research center, a multi-purpose green space, and a pedestrian connection to the Nashville City Cemetery.
Of the five major fortifications constructed by 1864, only Fort Negley remains today.
