Statements
Mission
The Nashville City Cemetery Association, Inc. is a membership organization which works to protect, preserve, restore, and raise public awareness of and educate on the Nashville City Cemetery in collaboration with the Historical Commission of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.
Background
Opened in 1822, the City Cemetery is the oldest continuously operated public cemetery in Nashville. A walk through the cemetery is truly a walk through Nashville's history. The gravestones tell the stories of individuals and families from the 1820s to the present day. On March 9, 1820, the Mayor of Nashville and the Aldermen purchased from Richard Cross four acres of land located 'on the plains, south of town, for its burying ground.' The cemetery opened on January 1, 1822. Fourteen years later, the cemetery had outgrown its original site and more acres were acquired. By 1850 the cemetery was the final resting place for over 11,000 people of every race, religion and economic status. Since the opening, there have been 20,000 interments in the City Cemetery. Four of Nashville's founders, James and Charlotte Robertson and John and Ann Robertson Cockrill; four Confederate generals: Felix Zollicoffer, Bushrod Johnson, Richard Ewell, and Samuel Read Anderson; the man who named the American flag 'Old Glory', Captain William Driver; Union Navy Commodore Paul Shirley; a Tennessee Governor, William Carroll; 15 mayors of Nashville, and two of the original Fisk Jubilee Singers, Mabel Lewis Imes and Ella Sheppard Moore, are among the interesting people buried in the small and peaceful cemetery. The City Cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 because of its historical and architectural significance. In 2010, the Metropolitan Council allocated a $3.5 million appropriation to repair and restore the City Cemetery to its nineteenth century appearance. In June 2013, the Nashville Tree Foundation designated the Nashville City Cemetery as an arboretum with over 40 species of trees. Through the partnership with the Master Gardeners of Davidson County, the cemetery boasts several beautiful period gardens reflecting the Antebellum time frame. Its quiet beauty can provide an escape from the busy world outside its walls. The Nashville City Cemetery is located at 1001 Fourth Avenue South, at the corner of Fourth Avenue South and Oak Street. The Nashville City Cemetery is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. seven days a week, all year. There are signs within the Cemetery and an informational board in the breezeway of the Keeble Building to assist visitors with self-guided tours as well as a Nashville City Cemetery online app.
Impact
The Nashville City Cemetery Association, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Historical Commission and Metro Parks, is responsible for the day-to-day repair and restoration as well as the educational programming of the Nashville City Cemetery. The Association has paid to restore vandalized tombstones, to plant trees, and to provide upkeep and maintenance. In the past year, COVID-19 has drastically changed our programming and outreach efforts. In 2020, we launched a self-guided mobile app that allows visitors on and off site to tour the cemetery. Volunteers are working monthly to maintain the Cemetery, removing trash, brush, dead limbs, etc. In 2019, the Cemetery restarted the monthly Second Saturday Tours, which focuses on a variety of topics including African American history, women's history, the Cemetery gardens, Civil War and Veterans, and cemetery symbolism and tombstones. Our annual Memorial Day Dash, a 5k race held at the Cemetery and the annual Living History Tour in October are our two flagship events. These events bring awareness of the cemetery to more members of the community each year.
Needs
Our most pressing need is to raise funds for continuing restoration efforts. Our annual fundraisers, the Living History Tour, the Memorial Day Dash, and the Membership Drive all contribute to our on going efforts on behalf of Nashville City Cemetery preservation. Membership support is critical in making this happen. Another area of need is volunteer support. Volunteers are needed for the Living History Tour, the Memorial Day Dash, Clean Up Days, and Special Events.
Board Chair Statement
Established to "protect, preserve, restore, and promote the Nashville City Cemetery," the NCCA has been working on this for several decades now. The cemetery is the final resting place for James and Charlotte Robertson, two of the founders of our city. It includes mayors, a governor, generals, and enlisted men from the Revolution to the 20th century, and business and civic leaders. It is an outdoor museum of sculptural memorials, interesting panels telling the stories of those interred here, and an arboretum. It is a place to walk, relax, learn some of our own history, and celebrate how far we have come as a people, and a city. Come and help us to further that mission, by contributing today.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - Historical Organizations |
| Secondary Category: | Community Improvement, Capacity Building - Single Organization Support |
| Tertiary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - |
Areas Served
Nashville City Cemetery is located at 1001 Fourth Avenue South* at the corner of Fourth Avenue South and Oak Street.
| TN - Davidson |
