Repurposed/revitalized historical buildings in Nashville

[markhollin]

Who can't like the Hot Diggity Dogs establishment in the once tiny home at 614 Ewing Street?  Built in 1940, it exudes a throwback charm, as well as a popular stop for wieners.

 

[markhollin]

The pie-piece shaped property at Palmer Place, where it comes to a point with Lea Ave. intersection with 10th Avenue South, is the home of a 1940-era, uniquely shaped structure that has housed many different businesses over the past 76 years. Originally intended for RR and warehousing business due to just being 50 yards east of the Gulch, it has hosted numerous offices, eateries, retailers, and even a strip club, over the years. Several years ago, the building had a major overhaul, and It's primary tenant currently is Salsa Puerto Rican and Latin Cuisine.  Since it is situated right at the base of where the eastern side of the proposed Gulch Pedestrian Bridge will terminate, it will become a very busy property some someday. 

Looking SE from the intersection of 10th Avenue South, with Lea Avenue on the left, and Palmer Place on the right:

 

Looking south along Lea Avenue:

 

Looking east along Palmer Place:

[MLBrumby]

That building would be perfect for a British style pub like you see on so many tapered corners in London. 

[markhollin]

One of the best repurposing jobs in Nashville's history was the saving of Union Station and transforming it into a luxury hotel. Construction on the Richardsonian Romanesque terminal began in 1898, and had it's grand opening in 1900. Several of the best features are the barrel-vaulted ceiling with massive curved skylight; the depictions of agriculture, industry, commerce, and transportation in the lobby; the 220-foot clock tower; the amazing staircases; and the wrought-iron and wood trim throughout.

As rail travel began to decline in the 50s and 60s, the building started to fall into disrepair. In 1975 the structure was condemned and closed, allowing even further deterioration. The owners wanted to tear it down, but there was an outcry from some of the citizenry.  Eventually, Metro Government acquired in in 1985, and leased it to developers who renovated it into the sparkling hotel it is today.

 

[nashvillwill]

3 hours ago, markhollin said:

One of the best repurposing jobs in Nashville's history was the saving of Union Station........Eventually, Metro Government acquired in in 1985, and leased it to developers who renovated it into the sparkling hotel it is today.

 

Wait, are you telling me that Metro owns Union Station? I always assumed it was owned by the hotel brand? If this is the case, what are the details of the lease? If it is, in fact, owned by metro, there is a small chance that it could return as a rail terminal some day. I get that CSX owns the tracks, so that would be a huge hurdle, but if metro owns the building, that's one step in the right direction. 

[markhollin]

1 hour ago, nashvillwill said:

Wait, are you telling me that Metro owns Union Station? I always assumed it was owned by the hotel brand? If this is the case, what are the details of the lease? If it is, in fact, owned by metro, there is a small chance that it could return as a rail terminal some day. I get that CSX owns the tracks, so that would be a huge hurdle, but if metro owns the building, that's one step in the right direction. 

This from Nashville.gov website:  "Union Station was acquired from the railroad by the Federal Government and subsequently transferred to the ownership of the Metro Government and leased for redevelopment as a hotel. Designated 7/24/1999; Ordinance No. 099-1698"

[titanhog]

If Union Station had been torn down, I'm thinking that would have to be the #1 loss for the city.  Thankfully, it's still here and looks glorious on the inside, from all I can tell.

[markhollin]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite reclamation projects: the Civil War-era tobacco warehouse along the CSX tracks on 21st Avenue, just a few blocks north of Charlotte Avenue. Built in 1865, the 4-story, 28,800 sq. ft brick masterpiece once served as a tobacco warehouse for at least 90 years, and in the late 50s converted to storage facility for a printer/lithographer. Cottage Partners recently paid $2.2 million to Kimbro Equities (part of the Kimbro Oil family).  The developers want to convert the empty 151-year-old structure into either condos or office space on it's  nearly 1-acre lot.

Immediately to the east the 615 Spruce apartment project is planned for 289 units.  Within two blocks to the south are The Sheds and Aspire complexes.  There are several huge vacant lots in the neighborhood, which is ripe for further development as the Charlotte Avenue corridor gets hotter and hotter.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2016/08/18/condos-office-space-eyed-civil-war-era-tobacco-warehouse/88967552/

Looking NE from near 21st Avenue terminus near the CSX tracks:

 

Looking north:

 

Looking NW:

 

Looking west:

 

Looking SW:

 

Looking SE at the loading dock area that fed onto the CSX tracks:

 

Looking SE at chimney (or was it the freight elevator?)

 

Looking east along the CSX tracks:

 

The warehouse is in the center of this map, immediately north of the white-roofed warehouse.  You can see how much open land is around this lot, just begging for further development.

[titanhog]

^^Gorgeous!!

[donNdonelson2]

Clover Bottom Mansion. Lebanon Pike just east of Stewart's Ferry Pike. Built as a private home. Now used as offices for Tennessee Historical Commission. On the property of the former plantation are the Tennessee School for the Blind, Middle Tennessee Mental Health Center, and the buildings remaining from the former Clover Bottom Developmental Center (some of which are used by other state agencies nowadays).

From Wikipedia:

"Clover Bottom Mansion occupies land on the Stones River first claimed in 1780 by John Donelson, who abandoned his homestead following an Indian attack.^[5] The mansion was built in 1858 and was the centerpiece of the 1500 acre Clover Bottom Plantation^[6][7]

The Mansion was built near Nashville's first horseracing track for Dr James and Mary Ann Saunders Hoggatt, who owned sixty slaves. Mrs. Hoggatt was a granddaughter of Daniel Smith, and her half-brothers were Andrew Jackson Donelson and Daniel Smith Donelson, for whom Ft. Donelson was named. The mansion was constructed in the Italianate style. A strong similarity to nearby Two Rivers Mansion that was being erected around the same time suggests that the same unknown contractor and/or architect was used, although no records have been found. The interior of the home had French scenic Zuber wallpaper, and the parlor had a frescoed ceiling. Clover Bottom Plantation was the childhood home of John McCline, whose autobiography "Slavery in the Clover Bottoms" provides a rare and detailed account of the life of a Davidson County slave prior to and during the early days of the Civil War.^[2][3][4] A Tennessee Civil War Trails marker was erected on the property in 2015 detailing the story of McCline. Dr. Hoggatt died in 1863, and the home was occupied at different times during the Civil War by soldiers from both armies. Mrs. Hoggatt's brother-in-law, the former U.S. and Confederate Congressman Meredith P. Gentry, was left destitute from investing his money in the Confederacy and moved into the home. He died at Clover Bottom in 1866.

In the 1886 the property was sold to Andrew Price. Mr. Price, married to Anna Gay Price, was a four term Congressman from Louisiana who had Tennessee roots. Price restored the home and added several substantial outbuildings, raising thoroughbred horses on the property.^[2][8]

In 1918, A.F. Stanford purchased the house, and his widow Merle Huddleston Stanford Davis (1907-2011) owned it until she sold it to the state in 1948. The house was converted into housing for faculty for the Tennessee School for the Blind.^[2][8] It then suffered an unfortunate period of neglect and abandonment starting in the early 1980s, until an effort led by Edward Nave and fellow members of the local Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities helped convince the state to restore it. It has been the home of the Tennessee Historical Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, since it was renovated in 1994.^[2] The property contains several important historic outbuildings, including two former c. 1858 two slave cabins that are among a handful of former slave dwellings remaining in Davidson County. There is also a c. 1850s carriage house that may slightly predate the present dwelling. The c. 1890s transverse crib thoroughbred horse barn is one of the finest 19th-century barns remaining in the area. At the initiative of the Tennessee Historical Commission, the historic outbuildings were restored by the State in 2015-16 and interpretive signs were added. Over 150 trees of native species were planted, and a walking trail is being added. The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours. Tours of the house (which has no period furnishings or exhibits) are by appointment only."

 

[titanhog]

Just wanted to mention, even though it's in Franklin, that the "Wilson" home on Clovercroft right off of Wilson Pike burned to the ground last night.  Owners were trying to rehab it and use for something related to music.  Home was built in 1861 and was beautiful.  Will definitely be missed by people in the area.

http://wkrn.com/2016/08/30/historic-home-catches-fire-tuesday-morning/

 

 

[CenterHill]

What a terrible loss.   ^

[fieldmarshaldj]

1 hour ago, CenterHill said:

What a terrible loss.   ^

It doesn't look like such a complicated design that it couldn't be re-created. I hope they do.

[rookzie]

10 hours ago, markhollin said:

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite reclamation projects: the Civil War-era tobacco warehouse along the CSX tracks on 21st Avenue, just a few blocks north of Charlotte Avenue. Built in 1865, the 4-story, 28,800 sq. ft brick masterpiece once served as a tobacco warehouse for at least 90 years, and in the late 50s converted to storage facility for a printer/lithographer. Cottage Partners recently paid $2.2 million to Kimbro Equities (part of the Kimbro Oil family).  The developers want to convert the empty 151-year-old structure into either condos or office space on it's  nearly 1-acre lot.

Immediately to the east the 615 Spruce apartment project is planned for 289 units.  Within two blocks to the south are The Sheds and Aspire complexes.  There are several huge vacant lots in the neighborhood, which is ripe for further development as the Charlotte Avenue corridor gets hotter and hotter.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2016/08/18/condos-office-space-eyed-civil-war-era-tobacco-warehouse/88967552/
 

I used to work as a mechanical draftsman at that building back in 1977, when Cutter's Machine Co. and Cutter's Exchange started to use that structure, either by owning or leasing.  Cutter's sold specialized supplies and machinery for the garment-manufacturing industry, and the Machine Co. built equipment for handling and shearing fabric from large rolls.  That building has seen all kinds of businesses in the past, and when we ("Cutters'")had it, there had been a bakery there at some distant time in the past, and we found petrified cookies on large sheets in a gigantic brick oven.  It had been an annex for the main buildings (one of which currently is shown as Cliff's Cabinets and one used to be Second Harvest) on nearby Warner St. at that time.

The building always has been creepy, but even back then, at least its presence had been appreciated by few like me. -==-

[PaulChinetti]

On August 30, 2016 at 4:23 AM, markhollin said:

Looking NE from near 21st Avenue terminus near the CSX tracks:

They don't build them like this anymore. 

[CenterHill]

That really is an incredible building.   I had no idea it even existed up there sort of hidden along the tracks.   I'm sure it could tell many stories, although maybe none as good as Rookzie's petrified cookies (i have that image stuck in my head now, LOL).     

[BnaBreaker]

12 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

They don't build them like this anymore. 

They're still capable of still building them like that, or at least close to that, they're just generally too cheap to build them like that anymore. 

[markhollin]

Speaking of classic old mansions, it was just announced today that historic Belair Mansion In Donelson was purchased for $1.55 million and will be restored/converted into an event center for weddings, corporate events, etc.  The new owners plan to spend an additional $1.5 million on the process, including restoration of the 2,500 sq. ft. rose garden, and constructing a new 8,000 square foot carriage house that could seat 400 as part of the nearly 5-acre property. So wonderful to see this circa-1838 wonder and it's 5-acre site revitalized to be enjoyed by many.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/homes/2016/08/31/events-center-planned-historic-belair-mansion-property/89653214/

 

[donNdonelson2]

This should be great news for the long term survival of this once grand old gal of Donelson! While her owners of the last few years have done great work to maintain the structure (I think the photo posted above is prior to their ownership), she needs the TLC that only folks with pretty deep pockets can provide.

The photos I've posted are more current than the one that ran with the story in today's announcement, I believe.

[donNdonelson2]

Here is another photo of Belaire that shows the facade after restoration completed by the couple who just closed on the sale of the property. 

[PaulChinetti]

13 hours ago, BnaBreaker said:

They're still capable of still building them like that, or at least close to that, they're just generally too cheap to build them like that anymore. 

Yeah I guess it was more, "I wish they would build them like that, instead of stucco looking buildings with tiny balconies." 

[BnaBreaker]

8 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

Yeah I guess it was more, "I wish they would build them like that, instead of stucco looking buildings with tiny balconies." 

Yeah, you and me both.  Maybe in twenty years when that stucco begins to crack and they start to realize that their cheap ass buildings have a shorter shelf life than a can of baked beans, developers will learn their lesson and go back to making buildings the right way.  

[arkitekte]

1 hour ago, BnaBreaker said:

Yeah, you and me both.  Maybe in twenty years when that stucco begins to crack and they start to realize that their cheap ass buildings have a shorter shelf life than a can of baked beans, developers will learn their lesson and go back to making buildings the right way.  

That would actually depend on developers intending to retain a development for longer than 5 or so years before they flip it. They don't care. Whatever can be built the quickest, cheapest is the game. 

[PaulChinetti]

12 hours ago, arkitekte said:

That would actually depend on developers intending to retain a development for longer than 5 or so years before they flip it. They don't care. Whatever can be built the quickest, cheapest is the game. 

And maybe this is too big government-y but is there something that codes can do about that? I look at germantown and a lot of their new development that is going up is brick, is that a neighborhood thing?

[PruneTracy]

1 hour ago, PaulChinetti said:

And maybe this is too big government-y but is there something that codes can do about that? I look at germantown and a lot of their new development that is going up is brick, is that a neighborhood thing?

It would be difficult to enforce building material choices through codes unless it pertained to safety.

Germantown has a historic overlay, but it's important to note that simply using brick doesn't guarantee quality or longevity of the overall structure.

Ultimately, the burden is on the groups and individuals who buy properties from developers and their contractors to demand higher-quality buildings. Our economic climate prioritizes short-term profits over long-term stability, so it's not surprising to see property management and real estate holding firms favor cheap construction with a relatively short design life. But anyone who buys a house or enters into a condominium association should make a point of emphasizing build quality, regardless of the finishing materials. Builders and developers will get the message sooner or later.