Historic Nashville Announces 2018 Nine Most Endangered Historic Properties

Historic Nashville, Inc. announced its 2018 Nashville Nine, a list of the city’s most endangered historic places, at a press event held yesterday (Oct. 25) at Bobby’s Idle Hour on Nashville’s historic Music Row. Historic Nashville Vice President Trey Bruce revealed this year’s Nashville Nine properties (which include Bobby’s Idle Hour) that heavily focus on the threat new development has on maintaining Nashville’s unique character.

Among the properties in jeopardy on this year’s list are 1030 16th Avenue South, (the current home of Warner/Chappell Production Music,) the Monroe Harding Children’s Home at 1120 Glendale Lane in Green Hills, 1028 16th Avenue South, (the home of Bobby’s Idle Hour Tavern,) and 1022 16th Avenue South, where Ed and Patsy Bruce operated the Ed Bruce Talent Agency in the late 70’s through the ’80’s.

Trey Bruce, whose family owned 1022 16th Ave. S. on Music Row, was instrumental in saving the iconic RCA Studio A in 2014. With HNI, he has focused on preserving both the physical character of the Music Row neighborhood and the music industry that still lives on the row. He has helped establish a Music Row Preservation Fund with HNI and seeks to see the neighborhood designated the Music Row Cultural Industry District.

“The properties placed on the Nashville Nine list are buildings and places that appear vulnerable in Nashville’s climate of development,” said Bruce. “This is a way for us to make city officials and citizens aware that these places exist and that we’re watching out for them. Finding people that care about historic places is easy but making them aware is the hard part. We think the Nashville Nine is the way to do that,” says Bruce.

The 2018 Nashville Nine was nominated by members of the community and will be the focus of Historic Nashville’s advocacy and outreach throughout the coming year. The non-profit accepts nominations for historic properties threatened by demolition, neglect or development and strives to bring public awareness to the historic places that matter most to Nashville.

Last year, HNI chose to break from their traditional nine properties and listed only one, Fort Negley Park, in an effort to bring attention to how the city’s growth is impacting the character and story of the city. The former site of Greer stadium represented the greater trend seen across the city that encourages new development over preserving the historic places that make Nashville unique. As a result of the listing and outcry from the community, plans were abandoned, and the site will be developed as a park and historic site.

Over the years, Historic Nashville has successfully assisted in preserving numerous landmarks including the Ryman Auditorium, Union Station, and the Hermitage Hotel. HNI accepts nominations for the Nashville Nine year-round at historicnashvilleinc.org.