Altered for the Better

Lynn Maddox McDonald

"Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly."  Francis Bacon

A familiar adage says that life is for the living, not for the dead.  And one might logically assume that a cemetery is a site for the dead.  However, the Nashville City Cemetery is a special place where the living are giving the dead new life and honor.  Thanks to the 2007 Mayor's Capital Budget project, the Metro Historical Commission, and hundreds of volunteers, the Cemetery is being restored, refurbished, and repaired.  From small tombstones that have been mended and reset to major monuments that have undergone significant work, this is a time of excitement and anticipation.  Walking through the Cemetery today, you can almost hear a whisper, "Thank you for not forgetting us."

This was not the case when I joined the Nashville City Cemetery Association in 2002.  Appropriate descriptions of the Cemetery at that time would have included the words vandalism, disrepair, and neglect.  We discussed fundraising ideas; we considered security issues.  Founding board member Fletch Coke told cautionary stories of other dedicated groups who had gathered, every 50 years or so, to save the old City Cemetery and urged us to match their commitment.   

We rallied around her words and pulled together under Fletch's leadership, assisted by Board President Nick Bailey and many other committed individuals.  Since those early meetings, over 2000 tombstones with legible inscriptions have been transcribed, photographed, and posted on the NCCA website.  A treasury of obituaries of people buried at the City Cemetery has been collected and indexed there as well.  The 19,745 entries from the City Cemetery Interment Books can now be found on the Nashville Public Library website.  The Metro Council agreed to fund the Master Plan for restoration, repair, security, lighting, and signage.  The Historic Nashville City Cemetery Endowment Fund has recently become associated with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, a collaboration that will ensure a safe future for the Cemetery.     

What a difference a few years can make!  Although there is still much work to do, we do know who our heroes are.  At the Association's Annual Meeting in December 2007, the first NCCA Volunteer-of-the-Year Award went to Fletch and Bill Coke, in honor of their dedication, determination, and devotion.   

Those fundraising ideas of a few years ago have also grown and blossomed.  The Annual Memorial Day Dash is eagerly anticipated by runners and walkers alike.  Bursting forth in the early morning hours on Memorial Day, race participants start at Greer Stadium, continue up to Fort Negley, thunder past the Adventure Science Center, and end up at the City Cemetery to receive congratulations, commemorative T-shirts, and unique awards created by Hunt Memorial.  A few months later the Living History Tour captures the spirit of Nashville as our stories come alive.  Watch for the announcements and join us for the Tour in late September as "residents" return to life and offer their insights into local history.  Proceeds from both events provide funding for our ongoing preservation needs.

There are thousands of locations around the South where old graveyards are under siege.  Fortunately, the Nashville City Cemetery is a place of activity and accomplishment.  Plan a trip to the City Cemetery for one of our scheduled tours or special events.  Become a member of the Association.  Discover our website at http://www.thenashvillecitycemetery.org .  You, too, can be a living link to this true Nashville treasure.      (Spring 2008)

Lynn McDonald is a former president of the Nashville  City Cemetery Association.

Photograph by Paul M. Pierce.

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