Broadway
Broadway represents the heart of Nashville's historic downtown district. While it is best known for its honky tonks, restaurants, bars, and shops, Broadway also holds the key to some of the city's most significant people, places, and events. From the shadows of the Ryman Auditorium to the famed poet, and Hume-Fogg High School graduate, Randall Jarrell to the train depot-turned-hotel Union Station--Broadway Avenue serves as the link that connects Nashville's past and present. For walking tours related to Broadway, go to the "Walking Tours" tab on the homepage or see below for embedded maps.
On the corner of 9th and Broadway find Christ Church Cathedral. The cathedral is often open 9-5 on weekdays, Saturday 9-12, and Sunday services. From their website, "In June 1829, a congregation in Nashville elected the first Vestry of Christ Church and a little over a year later laid the cornerstone of the first Episcopal church structure in Tennessee. By 1837, Christ Church parish had grown to 72 members. Christ Church was fortunate to escape occupation by Federal troops during the Civil War and by 1867 had 145 communicants on its rolls. Construction began in 1889 on the current structure at 9th Avenue and Broadway, a building now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It opened its doors for worship in December 1894, the first Eucharist celebrated there on Christmas Day of that year."
Located at 701 Broadway, U.S. Customs House, one of the oldest buildings still standing in downtown Nashville. According to Nashville Downtown Partnership: "When President Rutherford B. Hayes laid the cornerstone of the Customs House on September 19, 1877, it symbolized the end of Southern Reconstruction after the Civil War. Approval for a federal building dates to 1856, but construction delays and the Civil War caused Nashville to wait for more than twenty years for a facility to house federal courts, customs, and post office. Treasury architect William Appleton Potter designed this grand example of the Victorian Gothic style. From its massive yet ornate stone block a central clock tower soars. The many rich details, such as the Gothic lancet windows and a deeply inset triple-arch entrance, make this an exceptional example of Victorian Gothic architecture. In the 1990s the Customs House was declared surplus property by the federal government and was turned over to Metro Nashville government which worked toward its renovation and reuse. The building is now leased from the city by a private firm which renovated its interior and leases the space to office tenants – a significant milestone in historic preservation in Nashville."
Located at 800 Broadway visit a historical marker that recognizes the 1880 celebration of the city's centennial anniversary. The centennial celebration lasted from April 23 through May 30. There were parades, oratory, music, historical, art and commercial exhibits; theatrical performances, and “the grandest display of fireworks ever seen in Nashville.”
Located at 1001 Broadway is Union Station. According to state historian, Carroll Van West, "This National Historic Landmark symbolizes the power of railroad companies, specifically the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad, over the transportation and economy of turn-of-the-century Tennessee. Built between 1898 and 1900, and designed by L&N company engineer Richard Montfort, the building is a significant Tennessee example of Richardsonian Romanesque style. The magnificent passenger train shed . . . was an engineering marvel for its time. In 1900 it was the longest single-span, gable roof structure in the country. After a fire damaged the shed, and no viable preservation alternatives were identified, the shed was razed in late 2000. For seven decades, Union Station served Nashville passengers as a massive stone gateway to the metropolitan corridor represented by the national rail system. In 1975 the station was condemned and closed. . . Metropolitan Nashville officials acquired the rapidly deteriorating structure in 1985; by the following year, Union Station had been restored as a hotel and restaurant."
This historical marker, located at 700 Broadway next to Hume-Fogg High School, honors famed poet and author Randall Jarrell, who was a graduate of Hume-Fogg High School and Vanderbilt Universty in the 1930s. He published Blood for a Stranger in 1942, the same year he enlisted in the Army. He published Little Friend, Little Friend in 1945), which described in detail the fears of soldiers fighting in World War II and moral dilemmas of war. He published several other volumes of poetry -- all characterized and informed by his experiences in the war. Some argue that he was the greatest American poet of the WWII generation.According to the American Academy of Poets, "What Jarrell’s inner life was in all its wonder, variety, and subtlety is best told in his poetry...His gifts, both by nature and by a lifetime of hard dedication and growth, were wit, pathos, and brilliance of intelligence. These qualities, dazzling in themselves, were often so well employed that he became, I think, the most heartbreaking English poet of his generation...Always behind the sharpened edge of his lines, there is the merciful vision, his vision, partial like all others, but an illumination of life, too sad and radiant for us to stay with long—or forget." Randall Jarrell died tragically after being struck by a car while walking on October 14, 1965. He was only fifty-one years of age.
The final site in this exhibit is the famed Ryman Auditorium, "In May of 1885, Captain Thomas Ryman attended Reverend Jones’ tent revival intending to raise a ruckus; however, when he heard the Reverend’s message, his heart was changed. Ryman repented his sins and vowed to build a great tabernacle for Reverend Jones so that he would never again have to preach under a tent in Nashville. Thomas Ryman built a beautiful tabernacle, and named it the Union Gospel Tabernacle, which was to project the Reverend’s voice clearly and powerfully to a great crowd. After Ryman died on December 23, 1904, thousands came to remember him on Christmas day at the Union Gospel Tabernacle he had built. While leading the memorial service, Jones proposed renaming the building the Ryman Auditorium. . . . The Ryman Auditorium began hosting events for artists, speakers, magicians, political icons, and more. From Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft to entertainers such as Enrico Caruso, Harry Houdini, and more, the Ryman became, much like it is today, the cultural epicenter of Nashville. In June of 1943, the Grand Ole Opry moved to the Ryman Auditorium. For 31 years, the Ryman hosted the Grand Ole Opry along with other performers, featuring country and bluegrass icons Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Chet Atkins, Red Foley, Little Jimmy Dickens, Hank Williams, The Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Minnie Pearl, and many more. In 1974, the Grand Ole Opry left the Ryman to broadcast from the brand new Grand Ole Opry House. For twenty years, the Ryman closed their doors to events and were only open during the day. Gaylord Entertainment decided to renovate and restore the Ryman Auditorium, cleaning up the Mother Church while also preserving the precious history that dwelled within. The renovators orders were to 'pull the gum off the bottoms of the pews but leave the nicks and scratches.' Since 1995, the beautiful Ryman Auditorium has continued to host . . . some of the world’s most renowned artists. Experts say the Ryman’s acoustics are among the finest in the world, second only to the Mormon Tabernacle, surpassing even Carnegie Hall. Performers and fans alike adore the Ryman Auditorium because of its rich history, beautiful architecture, and extraordinary acoustics." (Excerpt from Ryman Auditorium, This Day in History, June 25, 2001).