Browse Items (28 total)
Sort by:
William Walker, "Grey-eyed Man of Destiny"
Born May 8, 1824, Walker moved to this site from 6th Ave. N. in 1840. He graduated from the University of Nashville summa cum laude at the age of fourteen. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and University of Heidelberg before…
Ward Seminary
Ward Seminary for Young Ladies, founded in 1865 by Dr. William E. Ward, stood at this site many years. Dr. Ward, a graduate of Cumberland University in Lebanon in both law and divinity, died in 1887. The school was sold, but continued to operate as…
Vauxhall Garden
This fashionable place of entertainment was established by Messrs. Decker & Dyer in 1827 and operated for more than a decade. It covered several acres & included a ballroom, dining hall and miniature railroad. President Andrew Jackson was honored…
Vanderbilt University
An independent, privately supported university founded 1875 by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, New York shipping & railway magnate, who gave $1,000,000 to start the university & expressed his wish that it should ‘contribute to strengthening the ties…
University of Nashville
The University of Nashville was an educational institution that existed as a distinct entity from 1826 until 1909. Born out of Davidson Academy and Cumberland College, the University of Nashville played a large role in making Nashville the "Athens of…
Union Station
Union Station is a former railroad terminal, now hotel, that served the passenger operations of eight railroads then with service to Nashville, Tennessee. Erected by the Louisville & Nashville Terminal Co. dedicated Oct. 9, 1900, the Romanesque style…
Tennessee State Capitol
Designed by William Strickland, noted Philadelphia architect who also designed the tower of Independence Hall. Construction was commenced in 1845 and completed 1859. Strickland died in 1854 and is entombed in the north portico. His son Francis,…
Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School (Tennessee State University)
Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School for Negroes first opened its doors to 247 students in 1912. This site gave birth to a new era--public higher education for Tennessee's African Americans with emphasis on occupational…
Ryman Auditorium, Birthplace of Bluegrass
Built 1891 as Union Gospel Tabernacle for religious revival meetings. Renamed Ryman Auditorium 1905 for steamboat captain Tom Ryman, the building’s chief contributor. The greatest musician’s, actors, dancers, speakers, made the Ryman “the most famous…
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University first held classes in 1864, even before Fisk University. First located downtown, the school moved to 21st Avenue in 1874. Roger Williams provided courses that served as an equivalent to secondary education and some basic…