National Trust Touts Nashville as Preservation Surprise

Ryman Auditorium, Union Station and even the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center have placed a national spotlight on preservation in Music City.

Hear the audio.

The sites are featured in the summer edition of Preservation Magazine put out by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The group has planned to have its national conference here in October to showcase places like the Frist Center.

Editor James Schwartz says the old post office identifies what he sees as a strength in Nashville’s preservation track record.

“There are cities that have beautiful art deco post offices. Few of them have been treated with the kind of care which you see here in Nashville, and few of them have been re-envisioned.”

Schwartz says it’s not enough to just save buildings. To be practical, they must often be repurposed and functional. In the case of the Schermerhorn, Schwartz says even new buildings can preserve old architecture.

Longtime Metro Historical Commission director Ann Roberts says the national conference is a testament to local preservation efforts in recent decades, despite losing some historic places along the way. Roberts says visitors will tour East Nashville neighborhoods and historic universities.

“Taking people to see Fisk and the Aaron Douglas murals, people haven’t seen those things and they don’t even know they’re here.”

Roberts says the entire region will also have an opportunity to show off. Tours will head south to Franklin and Murfreesboro.

See the Nashville segment in Preservation Magazine.

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