Downtown Nashville

Photo of plat books at our storage facility
With the Main Library temporarily closed after the June 10th fire in the adjacent parking garage, Metro Archives has been working at our offsite storage facility – where there are plenty of projects waiting for us. Wanna know what we've been working on?
Scarritt-Bennett Center Collection - Celebration of Culture Festival
The semester is wrapping up, so Metro Archives is sharing another great blog post from our fall intern, Morgan Stence. Morgan processed the Scarritt Bennett Collection, which includes materials from the Celebration of Cultures Festival—learn about it in her own words.
Fire Company Number 4
October is Archives' Month - a month-long celebration of archivists and archival work. And this year's theme is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week. So "We didn't Start the Fire!", but we're helping prevent future ones from happening!
Black and white photo of Donelson Branch Library.
Donelson Branch Library has served its community since 1966. Its success has played an integral part in the approval of a new facility for Donelson. 
1888 Sanborn Maps
The third week of June marks Lightning Safety Awareness Week, and thanks to our volunteers, we’re currently transcribing more weather journals. Here are a few excerpts highlighting some of Nashville’s past “electrical events.”
Nashville City Cemetery
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of Nashville's oldest continuously-operated public cemetery - the Nashville City Cemetery. Nestled quaintly on the northeast side of Fort Negley and just off 4th Ave S, the cemetery might seem like only a quiet piece of Nashville's history, with only the graves of many Nashvillians. But if it could speak, it would have many interesting anecdotes to tell.
View of Archives front doors
October isn’t just about pumpkin spice and ghosts—it’s also Archives Month! We celebrate archivists and the importance of historical records. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at Metro Archives and our staff.
Main Library under construction.
Can you believe it?! The downtown library has called Church Street home for 20 years now! Let's take a look back at the history of the downtown library, and how it came to call 615 Church Street home.
From Metro Archives Photos - Metro Council member, Thelma Harper
The world lost an extraordinary woman on April 22nd, 2021, when former State Senator Thelma Harper passed away. After making history by becoming the first African American female elected to the State Senate, her work of shattering ceilings was far from over.
From City Beautiful Scrapbook in 1956 - Ford Green Elementary students with anti-litter signs
Keeping the streets, rivers, and neighborhoods clean in this city over the years hasn't been easy, but one of the ways was with the City Beautiful Commission, that was established in 1953. In honor of Earth Day, here's a look at the commission that helped clean up the streets.
Tennessean photo from 2003 when the bears were being cleaned
Most citizens of this city that have lived here for a few years know what I'm referring to when I say the "Edgehill Polar Bears", but do you know the history of them? Well here are the "bear" necessities.
Sign advertising the construction of the Municipal Auditorium
September is usually my month for educational posts, but this year I’m switching it up with new images and footage. This post features a slideshow from a collection I’ve been processing, along with new material from our Audiovisual Heritage Center.
Clipping from the Journal and Tribune from August 18th, 1920
Though the outlook in Tennessee seemed bleak before the battle began, the state surprised the nation by becoming the 36th and final state to ratify the Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution 100 years ago. Here’s a look back at how it all unfolded…
Historical photo of a group of nurses in 1902.
This month’s Nashville history post lets photography do the talking, with a series of slideshows to enjoy. It begins with a tribute to medical workers for their dedication during these challenging times and ends with a bit of “Some Good News—Archives Edition.”
Word search document with a jumble of letters and a list of words to find.
With schools closed and parents suddenly homeschooling, it can be tough to teach on short notice with limited resources. That’s where Metro Archives and the Library come in—and learning can still be fun! Here’s a word search featuring words and names tied to Nashville’s founding.
Headline from the Tennessan for Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining.
Borrowing John Krasinski’s idea of sharing “Some Good News,” here are historic Nashville news clippings from past pandemics and epidemics. Rather than focusing on devastation, these highlight positive stories and moments of hope from those same difficult times.
Closed for violation of National Prohibition Act by order United States District Court
2020 marks several important anniversaries, including the 19th Amendment, celebrated with a new permanent Special Collections exhibit and additional temporary displays. It also marks 100 years since Prohibition began, a milestone that had a lasting impact on the country.
Vintage poster advertising that Coal is the life blood of the struggle.
This time of year is often tied to holidays and cold weather, and keeping warm with HVAC systems. But there was a time in Nashville’s past when staying warm meant dealing with soot-filled air and far less comfortable heating methods.
Ad for Dury's business in the Tennessean, in 1978
As part 1 of a 3-part series on Nashville photography institution Dury’s—and in honor of National Photography Month—read about how one of the city’s oldest businesses got its start and has remained a beloved staple in Nashville over the years.
Blue triangle with YWCA.
The Nashville Room has a small exhibit of photographs to celebrate the availability of a new collection documenting the activities of the YWCA Blue Triangle Branch. Come see our resources!
A woman in a pink dress speaks into a microphone at an event, with blurred guests sitting at tables in the background. The text "You're the singing star" is at the top of the image.
One of our most-utilized resources here in Special Collections is the Nashville Banner clippings: articles about every aspect of Nashville life from the 1950s through the 1990s. In this post, I use Banner clippings to tell you the story of two popular types of night spot entertainment: mechanical bull riding and karaoke!
Photo of the Edward Carmack statue in front of the capitol building
Anyone who’s walked down Charlotte Ave near the Capitol may recognize the statues along its edges—Sam Davis on the southwest corner and Sgt. Alvin C. York on the southeast. But do you know who stands in the middle, overlooking it all, or why that figure is there?
Southern Festival of Books poster showing War Memorial Plaza.
Every October, the Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word, turns our “it city” into “lit city.” With three days of thoughtful, exciting programming, this event has long been a fall-time favorite, appealing to more than just bookworms. I investigated the roots of this community-building festival using primary and secondary sources from NPL Special Collections.
LEGO figure with hardhat wears shirt reading LEGO contest 2018.
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Registration for the 8th Annual LEGO Competition is open! Calling all brick builders—kid, teen, and adult! 
Headshot from a Cohn High School yearbook in 1963.
If the name “Paula Herring” sounds familiar, you may already know where this is going. If not, keep reading. This post explores the tragic 1964 murder of young Paula Herring, drawing from Michael Bishop’s new book, A Murder in Music City: Corruption, Scandal, and the Framing of an Innocent Man.
Stain glass windows at the Ryman Auditorium.
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Nashville Public Library is excited to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Ryman Auditorium and host Ryman Auditorium: Soul of Nashville, a brand new art exhibit exploring the iconic venue’s rich history. The exhibit is on display at NPL’s Main Library downtown from October 21 through February 25. 
six buffalo graze in front of a zoo building.
Before the Nashville Zoo opened in 1991, the city nearly purchased animals for a zoo around the time Metro Government formed in 1963. I recently stumbled across this fascinating story and thought it was too good not to share.
1795 survey map of Tennessee.
June 1, 1796 marked Tennessee’s birth as a state—feels like just yesterday. In honor of the years since, here’s a brief look at Tennessee’s beginnings and how the state celebrated its centennials through the years.
A vintage black-and-white photo of a woman kissing a baseball player in a "VOLS" jersey over a dugout railing.
Nashville may be known as Music City, but we also LOVE our professional sports – whether the boys have sticks, bats, or footballs, fans will turn out to cheer on our local teams.
portrait of woman wearing decorative scarf.
In honor of African American History Month, I’m recognizing Senator Thelma Harper of District 19, the first African American woman elected to the Tennessee State Senate. Before her historic 1991 election, she served eight years on the Davidson County Metro Council.
Construction photo from the Titans Stadium.
Hard to believe it’s been 18 years since the Titans’ first game in their new home and jerseys. Through seasons of players and coaches, they’ve remained a hometown favorite. Construction on “Adelphia Coliseum” began in May 1997. Metro Archives has photos of the build—enjoy some Titans nostalgia!
Stand Up for Someone's Rights Today
December 10th is Human Rights Day and the library has the information to help you answer "What is that?"
Black-and-white photo of a man speaking from a podium decorated with the Olympic rings against a fluted backdrop.
Did you know Nashville has an Olympic history? It’s small, but real. While Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Games (and Salt Lake City the 2002 Winter Games), Nashville once mounted a strong campaign to host the 1996 Olympics—challenging ideas about its size and infrastructure.
Metro Nashville seal.
53 years ago, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County was implemented, combining two separate governments into one. Learn more about the consolidation process and how it helped shape the city Nashville is today.
Program for the closing exercises at the Nashville College for Young Ladies in 1882.
I transferred to the Archives a month ago and have been diving into the collections ever since. One of the coolest I’ve discovered is the small collection on the Nashville College for Young Ladies. In honor of Women’s History Month, what better topic to explore than women’s education?