Statements

Mission

VISION: A vibrant historic urban neighborhood of individuals, families, and businesses living and working together while sharing values about community and quality of life.

MISSION: Create a proactive sustainable engagement of the entire community to embrace a vision of cherishing, protecting, and preserving the neighborhood's core values. Specifically:
a. QUALITY OF LIFE: Caring about the physical, social, and emotional well-being of this neighborhood and all of its residents by supporting and sustaining a deeply-ingrained culture of community involvement.
b. INCLUSION: Cultivating a friendly culture of community that welcomes people with diverse voices and viewpoints to shape and guide this neighborhood's future.
c. NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRITY: Preserving and enhancing its historic and architectural character while promoting new development that complements the old.
d. COLLABORATION THROUGH COMMUNICATION: Using all available communication strategies to promote relationships and create an informed and involved citizen base.
e. ENVIRONMENT: Championing all elements of environmental stewardship across the boundaries of this neighborhood.

Background

Historic Germantown Neighborhood Association (HGN), incorporated in 1991, is a membership-based association created to accomplish and promote the organization's Vision, Mission, and Core Values within Germantown's boundaries. Specifically:
a. To preserve the area's historic architecture and urban character;
b. To promote social and economic diversity;
c. To guide future development;
d. To foster a strong sense of community within Germantown's boundaries and the surrounding communities so as to improve residents' quality of life; and
e. To engage in charitable activities that will accomplish the purposes set forth above.

Membership in HGN is open to all residents, property owners, and business owners within the boundaries of Historic Germantown (a sector of Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee bounded on the south by the northern border of Jefferson Street, on the west by the eastern border of Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, on the east by the Cumberland River, and on the north by the southern border of Hume Street, the Magdeburg spur of the greenway, and the southern edge of the Metro District property). No person shall be denied membership in HGN because of race, color, national origin, sex, religious belief, gender, age, sexual orientation, economic status, or disability.

HGN shall not engage in any political activity that is prohibited by the Internal Revenue Services for entities designated as 501(c)(3) organizations.

Impact

In its most recently completed fiscal year (January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021), HGN supported its primary exempt purpose of Historical Preservation & Community Development through a host of community events designed to educate the public and increase awareness and appreciation of the rich cultural history of the Germantown area and by a variety of initiatives representing the public interest in protecting historic and cultural resources throughout the Germantown area.

HGN has had a special focus on working with developers to help educate them on the neighborhood in which their project will reside and encouraging design elements which will complement existing elements (brick sidewalks, for example) and, in the process, enhance the quality of life for the neighborhood.

The successes of HGN measure both big and small, but all are impactful. On the last Saturday of each month, a crew of volunteers from the community (sometimes ten, sometimes twenty or more) will spend an hour policing the streets, sidewalks, and alleyways of the neighborhood picking up trash. Each volunteer typically collects ten to twelve lbs. each month.

Throughout the year, HGN sponsors a number of initiatives designed to build community awareness and spirit. Examples from the past few years include a spring garden tour, a winter "soups on" gathering supported by area restaurants and bakeries for the benefit of neighboring Buena Vista Elementary School, a Christmas-focused activity (home tours and community stroll in past years), and the annual 5-K Oktoberfest run which also serves as a major fundraiser for HGN.

Needs

As with any all-volunteer organization, human capital is an ongoing need. Whether for Board service, Board committee support, the monthly Neighborhood Clean-Ups, or other activities, people are always needed. The neighborhood has many residents who chose to live in Germantown because of its appeal. Many don't realize the demanding work required to make Germantown so special. This makes communication an additional primary need.

Although many have chosen to live in Germantown, some residents rent, rather than own, their living space. Many are, effectively, passing through, rather than settling. - HGN must have a multi-pronged communication platform to reach most, rather than some, residents. Facebook, NextDoor, website, flyers, e-mail blasts, etc. are used, but the messages must be constant and current to be effective. Work is especially needed to build a collaborative process with apartment communities.

HGN is in the middle of an initiative to support public art. Over the past few years, two major sculptures have been leased and displayed on property owned by Assumption Church on 7th Avenue North on loan to HGN for this purpose. Additional conversation is underway about a permanent sculpture and other public art executions. Funds generated by HGN help to support this effort.

CEO Statement

The President of the HGN Board serves as the chief administrative office of HGN.

Board Chair Statement

The purpose of HGN is clear: "to create a proactive sustainable engagement of the entire community to embrace a vision of cherishing, protecting, and preserving the neighborhood's core values."

This is a neighborhood where, in large part, residents (and business owners, for that matter) have made intentional decision to be here. Some have made an investment in property and intend to be here for a long time. Others, primarily renters, are here for a brief period of time. In all cases, though, the neighborhood's history, climate, and uniqueness has been the draw.

Our job with HGN is to maintain and enhance that uniqueness, so that in the future, the neighborhood will be equally appealing, if not more so.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Community Improvement, Capacity Building  - Community & Neighborhood Development
Secondary Category:	Community Improvement, Capacity Building  - Support NEC
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

Historic Germantown -- a sector of Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee - is bounded on the south by the northern border of Jefferson Street, on the west by the eastern border of Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, on the east by the Cumberland River, and on the north by the southern border of Hume Street, the Magdeburg spur of the greenway, and the southern edge of the Metro District property). Notwithstanding its urban setting today, the neighborhood is considered to be Nashville's first neighborhood.

TN - Davidson