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Remembering the Built Environment


it's just dave

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I get a bit tired of looking a new stuff nowadays and am finding historical perspectives and visual retrospectives quite fascinating. This is true especially when I see current use vs. former use of a piece of Nashville land. As I've stated before, when referencing the Country International Records property as an example, I'm all for property rights, but having an argument defending the cinder block burn pit with a roof and barbed wire as part of the urban fabric just makes no sense to me.

If we're to lament the loss of things, let's keep the perspective in check. Personally, I love the Cordell Hull Building as representative of its era of solid building. But, I have to ask myself what could have been had the government left the houses below the Capitol intact and built the government buildings a touch to the east or west.

Chew on this:

50s_CordellHullsite.jpg

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I knew that the townhouse on 8th Ave (Rosa Parks) just north of Commerce was the last remaining three story townhouse remaining in Nashville, but I had no idea that there was once such a beautiful collection of them right at the foot of capitol hill. Very sad to have lost all of that history. We can all be proud of the new things, but those old ones can never be replaced.

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Wow.. you mean this used to be to the east of the Capitol? Were they torn down or burned or what?

I am not sure which building Cordell Hull is.. is it depicted in the picture? I'll have to look harder next time i'm in the north part of downtown I guess.

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I knew that the townhouse on 8th Ave (Rosa Parks) just north of Commerce was the last remaining three story townhouse remaining in Nashville, but I had no idea that there was once such a beautiful collection of them right at the foot of capitol hill. Very sad to have lost all of that history. We can all be proud of the new things, but those old ones can never be replaced.
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That was just East Nashville, jice. Look up the East Nashville Fire. Incredible. You'll find photos, as well.

Now here's something else to chew on. I found this paper in my stash about the Nashville of Tomorrow, published Dec. 6, 1964. The artist's rendering here shows the "future" Nashville and brings up some interesting points. I've had to look at this at length to maintain my bearings, but the more I do, the more I recognize. The Capitol, of course, the old National Life Building, the "new" public library at Union, Cain-Sloan (the Signature lot), McKendree Methodist Church, Broadway, WHERE THE HECK IS THE RYMAN!.... it's gone in this photo. Public buildings. Have your own fun with this, but nearly 45 years ago, this is what was expected to be our downtown of the future. Looks like SoBro did okay, very dense, mid-rises. Looks like somebody actually built a high rise at Church and 2nd. Looks okay to me.

Ballpark north of town, Cordell Hull, Capitol Towers, even Metro Manor and Municipal Audiotorium. Ft. Nashborough seems to be sitting in a green field with high-rise condos for neighbors. My my.

The headline on the story" Forecast for Future: 3 Million Nashvillians

NashTomorrow_main.jpg

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