Oak Hill (Davidson County)

    Oak Hill is a city in southern Davidson County that exists within Metro Nashville-Davidson County. It was founded in 1952, and it remained in existence along with several other satellite cities when Nashville and Davidson County were merged in 1963.

   Oak Hill is completely residential and has no commercial buildings. It is generally bounded by Granny White Pike on the west, I-65 on the east, Old Hickory Boulevard on the South, Woodmont Boulevard on the north. The western boundary varies from Granny White Pike in places.

   The terrain is generally hilly and homes are above average in cost when compared with the rest of Davidson County. 

A street in Oak Hill.

 City government

    The city of Oak Hill provided limited services and relies on Nashville-Davidson County for police and fire protection as well as public schools. The city of Oak Hill provides street maintenance and paving, monthly chipper service, twice-weekly backdoor trash pickup, a recycling program, right-of-way maintenance, and other services. Oak Hill also issues building permits and manages building codes inspections.

Notable features

  A popular destination in Oak Hill is Radnor Lake State Park, located on Otter Creek Road. The 1,100-acre park features popular hiking trails as well as a man-made lake.

    The city is also home to the Tennessee Governor's Mansion.

    The city also is the location of Traveller's Rest, the historic home of early Nashville resident John Overton.

A hiking trail at Radnor Lake.

History

    John Overton came to the Nashville area in 1789, 10 years after its founding, and established a horse-breeding farm he called Traveller's Rest in the Oak Hill area. The home stayed in the Overton family until 1938.
    Part of the Battle of Nashville during the Civil War took place in Oak Hill. The Glen Leven home built in 1857, located on Franklin Pike south of Thompson Lane, was used as a field hospital during the battle.Historical markers about the area's role in the Civil War are visible throughout Oak Hill.

    Radnor Lake had its roots in 1913, when the L&N Railroad bought a thousand-acre tract in the Overton Hills to build an earthen reservoir to supply water for steam engines and livestock in the Radnor rail yards. The area was also used as private hunting and fishing grounds for company officials and guests. L&N  stopped all hunting and fishing on the site in 1923 and declared it a wildlife sanctuary. After a battle over developing the area in the 1960s, Radnor Lake was named Tennessee’s first natural area and protected ecosystem. 

    The City of Oak Hill was established in 1952 as a result of the post-World War II suburbanization of Nashville. The city was established to insure that the area remained residential in character.

     Other cities within Metro Nashville include Berry Hill, Belle Meade and Forest Hills.

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