The log home where, James Robertson, the founder of Nashville is thought to have lived in around 1787. The home was dismantled in 1970 & moved to a park on Charlotte Pike to be restored. - Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, February 22, 1968
Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, June 1977 - The Ryman is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue & museum. It is famously known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974 & is a Historic Landmark for its pivotal role in the popularization of country music.
Ryman Auditorium Concert Hall & Theater (originally Union Gospel Tabernacle & and renamed Grand Ole Opry House for a period) - Interior shot of pew style seats & stage. - Nashville, March 6, 1980
Sam Davis Hotel being demolished to make way for a new convention center. Nashville, February 16, 1985 - With the Ryman nearby, the hotel housed country musicians & Grand Ole Opry fans in town for shows. When the Opry moved from the Ryman to Opryland in 1974, it drew away many downtown visitors.
Fort Nashborough, Riverfront Park, Nashville, 1986. On January 1, 1780, James Robertson founded Nashville when he led his group of pioneers across the frozen Cumberland river to a place called The Cedar Bluffs. These men built a fort here called Nashborough, which would shelter the first families until Indian attacks ended in 1792.
An exterior front view of the Sunnyside Mansion in Sevier Park. - Nashville, Tennessee, October 1986 - During the Civil War the Battle of Nashville took place on December 15th &16th, 1864 partly on the grounds of Sunnyside. During the conflict, the house was struck numerous times. The mansion was used after the battle as a hospital for wounded soldiers.
An exterior side view of the Sunnyside Mansion in Sevier Park. - Nashville, Tennessee, October 1986 - Sunnyside was built for the widow of Jesse Benton, Jr., a brother of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton. He & his brother were known for a long-standing feud & violent brawl in Nashville in 1813 with Andrew Jackson, the future president. Jesse married Mary Childress in 1817 & moved to West Tennessee. Mary was a 1st cousin of Sarah Childress, the wife of future U.S. President James K. Polk.
Log cabins standing behind Sunnyside Mansion in Sevier Park. - Nashville, Tennessee, October 1986 - After settling in Louisiana, Jesse Benton became ill in 1843, & passed away. Mary Benton moved back to Tennessee with her children, her brother William G. Childress, & niece Minerva. In 1852, Mary purchased 38.25 acres southwest of Nashville. While the Sunnyside mansion was under construction, Mrs. Benton reportedly lived in 1 of the 2 older log cabins, thought to date back to around 1790. The two log cabins were incorporated into the rear ell of the new house.
Sunnyside historical marker in Sevier Park. - Nashville, Tennessee, October 1986 - Inscription reads: Home of Mrs. Jesse Benton widow Jesse Benton who left Nashville after a feud with Andrew Jackson. Built in the 1840's, restored in the 1920's by Col. Granville Sevier. Two log cabins east of the home, reputed to have been built by the French for trade with the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians, may be the oldest structures in Metropolitan Nashville. - This marker was removed & updated in 2004.
Early construction of Riverfront Park downtown Nashville
Riverfront Park starting to take shape on the banks of the Cumberland River - downtown Nashville, May 4, 1983
The official opening of Opryland USA (later called Opryland Theme park), mile marker on Briley Parkway, Nashville, , May 27, 1972
The Wabash Cannonball roller coaster at the Opryland USA Theme Park in Nashville, June 21, 1976.. It was the second roller coaster added to the park
Historic Cane Ridge Cumberland Presbyterian Church - Old Hickory Blvd, Antioch, TN. - Some of my grandfather's relatives are interred in the community cemetery located next to the church as they attended the church for a time & resided in the area.
Cane Ridge Cumberland Presbyterian Church Historic Marker - Old Hickory Blvd, Antioch TN. The Number 21 Marker was Erected in 1982 by The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County
The Harveys Nativity Scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park - Nashville, December 1, 1957. It was one of the highlights of Christmas in the 50's & 60"s.
The Harveys Nativity Scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park - Nashville, December 1, 1957. The iconic Christian display stretched for 280 ft. & glowed with tens of thousands of lights while seasonal songs blasted from loudspeakers
The Harveys Nativity Scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park - Nashville. The 75-ft-deep scene featured hundreds of alabaster white sculptures, including 75 animals, palm trees, sand dunes, a manger & dozens of shepherds and wise men.
The Harveys Nativity Scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park - Nashville. The iconic Christian display depicting the birth of Jesus was sponsored by Harveys Department Store from 1953-1967. The scene was a present to the people of Nashville from Fred Harvey Sr.
The Harveys Nativity Scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park - Nashville. The Nativity Scene drew people to Centennial Park for 15 years & became a Nashville Christmastime tradition for many. It was a sight to behold & is a lost treasure now only seen through photographs such my grandfathers.
The Parthenon in Centennial Park. - The Parthenon in Nashville is the world’s only exact-size & detail replica of the original temple in Greece. Nashville took advantage of its nickname “Athens of the South” & built the Fine Art Building as a copy of Athens’ most famous building.
The Music City Queen Showboat pictured on a Cumberland River voyage. It was the smaller of two stern-wheel paddle steamers based at Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee; the other is the General Jackson.
The General Jackson Showboat on the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville. The boat was originally an attraction at the Opryland USA Theme Park & is designed to recreate the showboats that plied the waters of American rivers in the 19th century.
The General Jackson Showboat cruising on the river.
The deck of the General Jackson Showboat.
A Tennessee Historical Commission marker 3A 20, commemorating The James Gang presence in the Nashville, Tennessee area. The James Gang was a notorious band of outlaws headed by Frank & Jesse James, known for robbing banks, trains & stagecoaches. The location of the marker is on Whites Creek Pike (U.S. 431) south of Old Hickory Blvd, Whites Creek TN.
Earthman's Store on White's Creek Pike. This 1874 former general store & saloon is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the White's Creek Historic District & is the spot where James Gang member, Bill Ryan was arrested & taken to the Nashville jail after bragging about his exploits with the gang in a drunken stupor.
The historic Belle Meade Mansion is centered on the grounds of the Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, Tennessee. - The home was originally commissioned in 1819 by John Harding as the 1st red brick Federal Style house. It was upon its completion John named the property “Belle Meade” (meaning: beautiful meadow) after his father-in-law’s estate.
Belle Meade Mansion ( Back Side) - John Harding’s son, William Giles Harding began construction of a two-story, 24-foot by 55-foot addition to the home in 1853 after inheriting it in 1839.. In keeping with the Greek Revival style of the mid-19th century, the new home was “bold in silhouette, broad in proportions, & simplified in detail."
A Tennessee Historical Commission marker 3A 29, commemorating the historic Belle Meade mansion, located in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. - Nashville is home to some of the most beautiful historical sites in the United States, & Belle Meade Plantation is one of the most iconic. Located just outside of downtown Nashville, Belle Meade Plantation is a sprawling estate that has been around since before the American Civil War. Originally built by the founder of Nashville's Belmont University, Hugh Hardeman, it was used as a thoroughbred horse farm & later, a private residence. The plantation also had a race track where races were held for locals & visitors alike. President Andrew Jackson visited Belle Meade Plantation on several occasions, as did other prominent figures such as General Robert E.
The Belle Meade dairy house is located on the grounds of the Belle Meade Plantation. The building made of ashlar limestone, perfect for the cool keeping of dairy products, was constructed by Nashville stonemason, Con Callaghan in 1884.
Capitol Records Building on 806 16th Avenue South (now 38 Music Square East) in Nashville, September 1967, - In 1962, country music manager & booking agent Hubert Long built a new office building in the rapidly growing Music Row neighborhood. Long had his booking, management, & music publishing offices in the building but being a savvy businessman, he leased most of the gleaming new building to West Coast-based Capitol Records to house their new Nashville offices.
The Delta Queen Steamboat on the Cumberland River during its visit to Nashville - June 23, 1967. The Steamboat brought 180 passengers from 20 states & Canada on a pleasure cruise through Dixie.
Excavation work proceeds on the site where the Sam Davis Hotel once stood across from the historic Ryman Auditorium for the Nashville Convention Center - Nashville, March 12, 1985
Construction of the Nashville Convention Center & adjoining Stouffer Hotel (now the Renaissance Nashville Hotel). - Nashville, November 1985 - The hotel was physically connected to the Nashville Convention Center until the demolition of the convention center in June 2017.
Demonbreun's Cave in downtown Nashville - There is a large crack in the facade along the Cumberland River which is named for Timothy Demonbreun. In the 1760s, it served as a part-time shelter for Demonbreun, a French fur trader & long hunter from Illinois. Demonbreun would later open a store in frontier Nashville & became one of the city’s most prominent residents.
Demonbreun's Cave Marker 3A 32 - Downtown Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. This Tennessee State Historical Marker is located along the Cumberland River next to the Music City Star Train Depot & pedestrian bridge, south of Riverfront Park.
Christmas Parade going toward 2nd Avenue , Downtown Nashville - December 4, 1960. Union Station, the Old Post Office (now the Frist Museum), the Estes Kefauver Federal Building, Customs House, & First Baptist Church line the road along Broadway.
Davidson County Court House, Nashville, March 19, 1986. - Built in 1937 the building held city & county offices, courtrooms, & the county jail. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Currently the building serves as Nashville's City Hall & houses the offices of the Mayor of Nashville & the Nashville City Council therein.
An exterior view of the historic Elliott School, located on Madison Street between Sixth & Seventh Avenues in the Germantown area of Nashville, 1986. - Built in 1916, the Elliott School was originally designed by notable architectural firm Marr & Holman whose Nashville work included the main United States Post Office (now the Frist Museum) & the Tennessee State Supreme Court. The school closed in 1971.
Historic plaque at Elliott School, Nashville, Tennessee, 1986 - The full plaque reads: 1873, 1916; Building Committee: A.E. Potter, Chrm.; Wm. Nelson - Aberceda; Marr & Holman, Architects.
Historic Elliott School, in the Germantown area of downtown Nashville, 1986, before it was renovated. Though it was added to the National Historic Register in 1979, it sat vacant until 1995 when it was converted to offices. More recently the former school has been reconstructed into 44 condominium spaces.
Fannie Battle Day Home located at 911 Shelby Avenue in East Nashville, 1961. The horse-drawn fire wagon has a driver & a young boy seated on his left, with a young man behind the wagon as they progress in front of the children & staff of the Day Home. - The Fannie Battle Day Home is the 2nd oldest childcare center in the United States, founded in 1891 by Mary Francis “Fannie” Battle , a Nashville humanitarian & social worker born near Nolensville, in the Cane Ridge area. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held on November 12, 1958.
The John Diell Blanton Academic Building decapitated & gutted after a fire broke out, Nashville, January 9, 1973. - The building served as the main classroom facility at Belmont College. Flames, led by high winds raced through the 50 year old 2 story structure, causing an estimated damage of more than $2 million dollars. The college launched a fund-raising drive to repair the damages the building suffered.
A view of the cupola of the Tennessee State Capitol building, located in downtown Nashville. - The State Capitol was constructed between 1845 & 1859. It was designed in Greek Revival style by architect William Strickland. Strickland died before construction was completed; his son, Francis W. Strickland, oversaw the completion of the project. The cupola was reputedly modeled on a Greek monument to Lysicrates & designed to be illuminated at night like a lantern.
President James K. Polk's Tomb, Tennessee State Capitol, Nashville. - The tomb of the 11th United States President / former Governor of Tennessee is located on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. Polk died soon after leaving office in 1849 at his Nashville mansion, Polk Place. His wife, Sarah Childress Polk, was buried near her late husband when she died in 1891. The Polks were originally buried at Polk Place, but their remains were subsequently disinterred & moved to the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol, in 1893. James & Sarah Polk were reburied just 300 ft. away from the statue of President Andrew Jackson, who mentored Polk in his early career.
Travellers' Rest, home of Judge John Overton , was built Federal style in 1799 on the west fork of Mill Creek about 7 miles south of Nashville. The property was originally called Golgotha before it became known as Travellers' Rest. At the farm, Overton, bred Arabian horses & raised & sold, peaches, apple tree slips, & cotton. Judge Overton was one of the 1st lawyers in Nashville & was very involved in Nashville government & politics. From 1804-1810 he sat on the Superior Court of Tennessee. He moved in 1811 to the new Supreme Court of Errors & Appeals. Judge Overton was a friend of John Donelson & lifelong friend of Andrew Jackson with whom he helped found Memphis in 1826 through a land venture. He also helped launch Jackson’s campaign for president.
Travellers' Rest Historical Marker 3A 30, Nashville (Crieve Hall) in Davidson County, Tennessee. - Travellers' Rest is is one of Nashville’s most historically important houses & the most significant of those involved in the Civil War. Upon the Judge’s death in 1833, his wife, Mary, inherited the property. She gave the property to her son, Colonel John Overton, when he reached adulthood. The Colonel opposed secession but remained loyal to his state when Tennessee joined the Confederacy. When the Union occupied Nashville in 1862, John Overton fled his home to avoid arrest & imprisonment. Appointed to the rank of colonel by the governor before the war, Overton traveled with the Army of Tennessee, providing financial & logistical support, & offered his home to be General John Bell Hood’s headquarters during the Battle of Nashville in December 1864.
Tennessee Historical Marker 3A 15 is related to the Old Stone Bridge over Mansker's Creek in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. - In Goodlettsville’s early days, after the settlement at Mansker’s Station & before it was 1st incorporated as a city, there was an influx of people traveling between the 2 major cities in this area: Nashville, Tennessee, & Louisville, Kentucky. Goodlettsville happened to be right in the path of this journey. Because of all these travelers were coming through Goodlettsville, it was decided a new means of transportation was needed. Wagons & horses could only take people so far so fast. Something else was necessary. Construction of this bridge began around 1837, when officials decided to build a stagecoach line between these 2 major cities.
The Old Stone Bridge over Mansker Creek - Goodlettsville, Tennessee. - This historic bridge is located about 12 miles north of Nashville & is one of Tennessee's oldest bridges made of stone with masonry arch construction. This dual arch bridge was built circa 1837-1849 as part of the stagecoach road that connected Nashville to Louisville. Over the course of its existence, it has seen history literally pass over it. Andrew Jackson & James K. Polk both crossed over in their carriages, on their way to & from political meetings. Sam Houston once passed this spot on his way to settle an “affair of honor” on the dueling grounds in Franklin, Kentucky. And during the Civil War skirmishes took place around the bridge between Union & Confederate cavalry.
The memorial grave marker of Casper Mansker, located in Goodlettsville’s Peay Park, June 1981. The plague reads: In Memory of Casper Mansker 1746-1820; Goodlettsville's First Citizen: He erected his fort, called Manskers Station in 1780, 1 mile north on Manskers Creek. He was laid to rest in the community he served for 40 years. His remains were moved to this site by the Goodlettsville Men's Club, 1956. - Casper Mansker was originally buried at the site of his station. Mansker was a prominent Cumberland frontiersman, a longhunter, pioneer, Indian fighter, soldier & one of middle Tennessee’s first European explorers & settlers. He was a signer of the Cumberland Compact in 1780, which established the first government in the Cumberland Valley.
Indian graves unearthed, Goodlettsville, Tennessee, August 28, 1958 - Beside a Goodlettsville chimney, two Indian graves were unearthed Thursday by excavators on the old William Connell Farm, a mile north of Goodlettsville on old Springfield Road. Outlined with stones, the graves were discovered during remodeling of the 118-year-old Connell house. The landmark became the home of Mr. & Mrs. J.C. Garrett who purchased the house & a number of surrounding acres.
