And then miraculous changes began to happen. At the urging of the NCCA Board and other dedicated preservationists, Mayor Purcell and the Metro Council approved a generous sum for repair and restoration of the City Cemetery, and teams of hard-working individuals began the painstaking process of bringing the place back to life. a process which has continued under Mayor Dean's administration as well. Visitors to our Living History Tour last fall were delighted by what they saw -- cleaned and restored tombstones, new fences, and elegant and colorful landscaping. The cemetery, open from 9:00 to 5:00 every day, has once again become a favorite venue for the city's walkers and runners.
And then miraculous changes began to happen. At the urging of the NCCA Board and other dedicated preservationists, Mayor Purcell and the Metro Council approved a generous sum for repair and restoration of the City Cemetery, and teams of hard-working individuals began the painstaking process of bringing the place back to life. Visitors to our Living History Tour last fall were delighted by what they saw -- cleaned and restored tombstones, new fences, and elegant and colorful landscaping. The cemetery, open from 9:00 to 5:00 every day, has once again become a favorite venue for the city's walkers and runners.
I moved to Nashville in June of 2003 and quickly embarked on a crash course in its history. Everyone I met seemed driven to tell me all the city's stories and secrets, from long-married couples who met at Tootsie's, to recipes for spice round! One grey Sunday afternoon my husband and I drove to the City Cemetery to pay our respects to the memory of James and Charlotte Robertson, William Driver of "Old Glory" fame, and some of the earliest Fisk Jubilee Singers. I remember feeling a little sad that the final resting place of these worthy individuals was such a rundown, unkempt little graveyard, with its broken, dingy stones and tumbledown fences. I was disappointed that Nashvillians could turn their backs on such a vital part of their history.
I moved to Nashville in June of 2003 and quickly embarked on a crash course in its history. Everyone I met seemed driven to tell me all the city's stories and secrets, from long-married couples who met at Tootsie's, to recipes for spice round! One grey Sunday afternoon my husband and I drove to the City Cemetery to pay our respects to the memory of James and Charlotte Robertson, William Driver of "Old Glory" fame, and some of the earliest Fisk Jubilee Singers. I remember feeling a little sad that the final resting place of these worthy individuals was such a rundown, unkempt little graveyard, with its broken, dingy stones and tumbledown fences. I was disappointed that Nashvillians could turn their backs on such a vital part of their history.
by Kathy Lauder
I moved to Nashville in June of 2003 and quickly embarked on a crash course in its history. Everyone I met seemed driven to tell me all the city's stories and secrets, from long-married couples who met at Tootsie's, to recipes for spice round! One grey Sunday afternoon my husband and I drove to the City Cemetery to pay our respects to the memory of James and Charlotte Robertson, William Driver of "Old Glory" fame, and some of the earliest Fisk Jubilee Singers. I remember feeling a little sad that the final resting place of these worthy individuals was such a rundown, unkempt little graveyard, with its broken, dingy stones and tumbledown fences. I was disappointed that Nashvillians could turn their backs on such a vital part of their history.
And then miraculous changes began to happen. At the urging of the NCCA Board and other dedicated preservationists, Mayor Purcell and the Metro Council approved a generous sum for repair and restoration of the City Cemetery, and teams of hard-working individuals began the painstaking process of bringing the place back to life. Visitors to our Living History Tour last fall were delighted by what they saw -- cleaned and restored tombstones, new fences, and elegant and colorful landscaping. The cemetery, open from 9:00 to 5:00 every day, has once again become a favorite venue for the city's walkers and runners.
But that wasn't the end of it. One chilly evening last winter, I left work at dusk and took the long way home, down 4th Avenue. Twilight normally softens the rough edges of the city streets and quiets the daily tumult, but on this evening there was something more. The cemetery had come alive with light! The rows of new streetlamps, just installed, imparted a timeless elegance to the place. The cemetery looked larger now, and there was a new sense of history there. At last I felt we were truly honoring our beloved dead, and bringing respect to this sacred place. Drive by some evening. You'll see. (Fall 2009)
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