Methodist Publishing House South

This is a pictorial history of buildings occupied by the Methodist Publishing House.  Some were gone long before we can remember, others are very familiar.  Only the building at 810 Broadway and the current location in Metro Center are still in existence.

Nashville City and Business Directory, 1860-1861, front.

In May of 1854, Nashville was chosen to be the site of a publishing house, by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.  In April of 1855, the building was opened to the public, "to survey the House and its operations." (Republican Banner, April 14, 1855.)  In February of 1872 a fire caused considerable damage to the publishing house building.

Nashville City and Business Directory, 1860-1861, rear.

It was soon decided to erect a new building to replace the fire damaged structure.  The architect was John L. Smith.  The building of cut stone, was to have four stories at the front.  The business offices and storefront were to be located on the first floor and the remaining floors were rented, before construction began.  At the rear of the building, on the river bank, would be three basement floors. The new building was completed and occupied by the end of January, 1973.

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Republican Banner, May 21, 1872

Methodist Publishing House ca 1874, TSLA

Note the difference in color of the new building in the photo above and of same building about 20 years later.  Coal soot and smoke caused all of the downtown building to turn gray with a few years after the were built.

Methodist Publishing House, Public Square, east side, ca 1890. TSLA

Hopkins Atlas of Nashville, 1908

The 1908 atlas, above, shows the location of the publishing house, in regard to the court house.  By the time the map was published,  the publishing house had moved from the square, and the building had been sold to P. A. Shelton.  The building with the number 170 and P. A. Shelton printed across, was built for the publishing house in 1872-73.  

In early 1905, plans for a new publishing house were submitted to the building inspector of Nashville and a building permit was issued.  In October of 1906, the business had moved from the old location, on the public square, to the new building on Broadway at Ninth Ave. North.

Advertisement 1930, Nashville Then and Now, 1780-1930

United Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, ca 1937. UMPH history.

In 1957, Methodist Publishing House left the building on Broadway for the move to 8th Ave. So.  The building on Broadway was sold in July of 1957, to the University of Tennessee, for $450,000. 

Methodist Publishing House building as it looks today, 810 Broadway,

By Andrew Jameson (Own work)

Methodist Publishing House, 210 8th Ave, So., The Tennessean, Sept. 30, 1057

In January of 1955 Methodist Publishing House announced plans for a new administration building at 8th and Demonbreun.  The new building would be adjacent to the printing plant, located on Demonbreun Street.  In late September of 1957, the move from 810 Broadway to the building at 8th and Demonbreun (210 8th Ave, So.) had been completed and the new building was opened to the public for inspection.

Methodist Publishing House, 8th and Demonbreun, 2015, By Michael Rivera (Own work)

In July 2014, the Methodist Publishing House, purchased property in Metro Center, on Rosa Parks Blvd. The 125,000 square foot building, was completely renovated and the publishing house moved into the new headquarters in July of 2015.

The current home of the Methodist Publishing House, Metro Center, 2016, google images

 

 

Timeline:

May, 1854, Nashville was chosen to be the site of a publishing house, by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.  

April, 1855, the building was completed, occupied and opened to the public, for inspection.

February, 1872, a fire caused considerable damage to the publishing house building.

May, 1872, plans submitted for new publishing house building to be erected.

January, 1873, new publishing house building competed and occupied.

In early 1905, plans for a new publishing house were submitted to the building inspector of Nashville.

October, 1906, the publishing house moved to the new building on Broadway.

January, 1955. Plans announced for new building, at 8^th and Demonbreun. 

July, 1957, Broadway building sold to the University of Tennessee.

July 2014, property was purchased on Rosa Parks Blvd, for new administrative offices.

July, 2015, the publishing house moved into the newly renovated building in Metro Center.