Churches, music venues and family cemeteries listed as endangered on 2024 Nashville Nine list

A Nashville preservation group has released its list of endangered sites.

Every year, the nonprofit Historic Nashville Inc. selects nine properties from community nominations to highlight in hopes of protecting the buildings and landmarks against demolition, disrepair or redevelopment. In the past, these have included cemeteries, family homes, churches, theaters and entire city blocks, among others.

This year’s release also includes a look onto 15 “success stories,” including places like:

• John Geist & Sons Blacksmith Shop, which was highlighted in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Once abandoned, it was restored in 2015 to house what is now Geist Bar and Restaurant.
• Highland Heights School, which had fallen into disrepair when it was highlighted in 2011. Metro Nashville Public Schools has since renovated and added to the site, which now functions as KIPP Academy.
• Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, which was heavily damaged during the 2020 tornado. After it was listed in the 2020 Nashville Nine, the congregation restored the building in 2022.

View the other “success stories” here.

Here’s the roundup of selected sites for 2024:

Colemere Manor, 1400 Murfreesboro Pike

Colemere Manor was originally built in 1893 by E.W. Cole, the founder of the American National Bank. That house burned in 1929, and was subsequently rebuilt into today’s structure. For the last 13 years, the building housed Monell’s at the Manor. While the restaurant’s owners and patrons opposed the closure, the restaurant shut its doors after their lease ended. The building is owned by the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, which intends to tear it down for a runway expansion. They haven’t torn the building down yet, but others in the path of the proposed runway have been demolished. The FAA has not yet given its approval to the plan.

Day Morgan Cemetery, Clintondale Drive

This family graveyard in Bordeaux dates to the late 1800s. Originally called the Abernathy Burial Grounds, it contains burials from between 1872-1924, as well as dozens of unmarked graves. The site was damaged by a windstorm in 2021. While it has been maintained by the family for decades, the current damage is beyond what the family is able to maintain.

Belle Meade Theater, 4301 Harding Pike

This Art Deco cinema, which was constructed in 1940 and operated as a theater until 1991, has been empty for years. In its heyday, the theater hosted Hollywood stars on publicity tours. Years later, it was converted to a bookstore and a Harris Teeter grocery store, before falling empty. It is currently tied up in plans for a new development that would replace the Belle Meade Kroger and surrounding area (including the theater) with a mixed-use development.

Metropolitan Community Church, 131 15th Ave.

This congregation, which operated out of the Midtown building between 1980 and 1992, was one of the first in Nashville to welcome members of the LGBTQ community in worship. The group held some of the city’s first gay rights protests and the first-known Gay Pride celebration in 1977. The site is set to be demolished as a part of the Reed District development, which will replace the site with an apartment building, hotel, office and retail space.

Elijah Robertson House, 7704 Old Charlotte Ave.

This circa-1820 house once served as a stagecoach and tavern. It was constructed by Elijah Robertson, the nephew of Gen. James Robertson. Elements of the house were constructed by people who were enslaved. The house has fallen into disrepair and lacking stabilization, but, according to Historic Nashville, is lacking funding options because the property is a private residence.

Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 611 Creative Way

This Madison church was built in 1923 for a historically Black congregation. The site is currently leased out by the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church to a smaller congregation. Historic Nashville says the building is in fair condition, but is being highlighted because the area’s rapid redevelopment puts it at risk.

William Scruggs House, 6430 Hillsboro Pike

This 1838 log house has been listed for sale at various points over the last three years. However, the 1.72-acre property includes more than just the two-story home — it also includes historic burial grounds (which the sale listings failed to note) and a portion of the Aaittafama’ archaeological site (a Nashville Nine highlight from previous years), which is largely preserved through Metro Parks.

Merritt House, 441 Humphreys Street

This historic brick masonry home was built in the late nineteenth century by state senator Alfred Gowen Merritt and his wife Caroline Donelson. Constructed in the Italianate style, the Wedgwood Houston property was sold in 2021. The new owners plan to relocate the mansion within the parcel — despite the risk of extensive damage — and construct a large multi-use development in the surrounding area.

Small music venues across Nashville

The final entry on the Nashville Nine list sneaks in a number of additional sites by highlighting all small music venues. It references places like the Bluebird Cafe on Hillsboro Road (which is located in an unassuming single-level strip mall — the type of shopping center that is often being replaced by larger, mixed-use developments), The Basement on 8th Avenue and The Station Inn in the Gulch.