Shelby Park and Bottoms

Courtesy of Mike Slate

Shelby Park has been a part of the lives of East Nashvillians for more than 100 years. The park was named for John Shelby.  Shelby owned a large parcel of land in what is now East Nashville.  The property that Shelby owned and lived on was bound by the Cumberland River on the south and west, roughly Main Street to the north and South Eighth Street to the east.  Shelby did not own the land now occupied by Shelby Park.

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Video showing the past and present at Shelby Park - Shelby Park 100

Shelby Park Turns 100  - The Tennessean 10/10/2012

Shelby Park:  A special place to play ball

Riverside Drive

I wrote this article for a local newspaper, "The Nashville Retrospect." It was published in the September 2011 issue. The following is the final draft of the story and may differ from the published article. - Debie Cox

by Debie Oeser Cox

Riverside Drive is familiar to all who live on the east side of Nashville but unknown to many who reside in other parts of Davidson County. The wide boulevard seems almost out of place, meandering about three miles, through a mostly residential section from Shelby Park in East Nashville to the Inglewood community, where it merges with Greenfield Avenue.

A decision to research the story of Riverside Drive, came after reading the following embellished description in a book titled, All About Nashville, published in 1912, and written by Ida Clyde Clarke.

"Riverside Drive, a boulevard extending from Belle Meade, five miles west, to the National Cemetery, six miles north, is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. The Harding Road, from Belle Meade to the city, is an already notable and popular highway of great beauty. This leads direct to the great Broadway Bridge, on the east side of which the new boulevard extends up the river to Shelby Park, thence through a fine section of the country to Inglewood, one of the handsomest residence subdivisions in the environs of Nashville, through the center of which it passes to the Gallatin Pike and thence to the National Cemetery."

As an historical researcher, and an employee of Metro Nashville Government Archives, I had at hand a wealth of historical records in which to begin my search. Metro Archives is the repository for historical government records of Davidson County and the old City of Nashville and also houses, published material and a large newspaper clipping collection. I found resources such as the Davidson County Board of Parks minute books, Quarterly Court minutes, subdivision and road plats filed with the Register of Deeds, and historical newspaper accounts of city and county business.

An idea for building the road may have resulted from a combination of two different plans for a National Cemetery Road in the county. A 1904 editorial in a local newspaper complained about the lack of a Riverside Drive in Davidson County. A suggested route would begin at Shelby Avenue, run south to the river, then going east, follow the river bank to a point opposite the National Cemetery on Gallatin Pike. The route would then turn west and continue to the cemetery entrance. Also in 1904, Davidson County petitioned the United State Congress to provide funds to turn Gallatin Pike into a National Cemetery Boulevard from the beginning of Gallatin Pike (now Main Street) near the river in East Nashville out to the National Cemetery. Neither plan was successful. Several early 20th century maps give two names for the roadway, Riverside Drive and National Cemetery Boulevard. The road, when constructed, passed through farmland, with large tracts on the west, and undeveloped countryside to the east. Riverside Drive provided access to this farmland, raising the value of the property and allowing for subdividing the properties into residential developments.

The construction of Riverside Drive by Davidson County, coincided with the purchase by the Board of Parks of what had been a private amusement park called Shelby Park. A lawsuit against Edgefield Land Company resulted in an award of a 151 acre tract to the complainant. This 151 acre tract became the first acquisition by the Board of Parks for Shelby Park. There was a push to rename the park, with the popular choice being Riverside. The Board of Parks decided to retain the original name. Perhaps naming the planned boulevard Riverside, which would run along the river from the vicinity of the Shelby Avenue Bridge and through the park, was to placate those who favored that name for the park.

Subdivision plats filed in 1910 show sections of Riverside Drive. One plat, of Sharpe and Horn's 6th Addition, surveyed May 19th 1910, had the road name as "Boulevard from New Bridge to National Cemetery." A survey plan of the roadway filed, in 1911, with the Davidson County Register of Deeds, calls the road "Riverside Drive, Extended from Shelby Park to Gallatin Pike." The new 80 foot wide road was to begin on the Rufus Fort farm, near the Cumberland River, east of the Shelby Park and run out into Inglewood and over to Gallatin Pike. The original plan, calling for the road to run through Kirkland Avenue, was soon altered, with the road merging into the existing Greenfield Avenue. The plan called for two driving lanes, each 20 feet wide, with a center grass plot, also 20 feet wide. On each side of the roadway was to be a 10 foot walkway for a total width of 80 feet. The cost of grading and paving the road was estimated to be $20,000. Workhouse inmates provided the labor under the supervision of George Hobson. The November, 1912 issue of Municipal Journal, reported that about 3 miles of the roadway had been macadamized and that the project should be completed within 5 or 6 months. The road from Shelby Park to its merger with Greenfield is about 3 miles so it is probable that the county project also included that part of the drive that ran through the park. There was about five miles of roads through the park, including an entrance at 19th and Lillian Streets. The park section began at Pugsley's Branch, at the end of what is now Davidson Street. The drive ran along the river to Sycamore Lodge before turning up the hill, and winding around towards the railroad underpass, to the beginning of the county section of the road. A rock quarry located in the park was used to supply crushed stone to pave the roadways. At the time the road was built a railroad was also being built between the park and the new road. The section of the railroad where the underpass is located was on Dr. Rufus E. Fort's farm. The Board of Parks worked with Dr. Fort and the railroad company so that the underpass could be built to connect the park road with continuance of Riverside Drive.

The 1910 census for Davidson County, lists the families owning property and living in the vicinity where the county section of the road would soon be built. Dr. Fort, previously mentioned, owned a large estate, which he called Fortland, east of Shelby Park. Robert M. Dudley was a hardware merchant in Nashville and he lived on Rosebank Avenue, a little east of the new road. He was president of the Pioneer Water Company, which sold bottled water from Pioneer Springs. The location of the springs today would be along the east side of Riverside Drive, just north of Rosebank Avenue. The Gasser family and the Neiderhausers, immigrants from Switzerland, operated dairy farms in the neighborhood. Dr. G. N. Tillman lived on Porter Road and his property backed up to the new drive. Others impacted by the boulevard were the Ashworth, Handley, Waters, Shinkle, and Turney families.

Another section of Riverside Drive was to be constructed by the City of Nashville, along the river from the new bridge to the edge of the park. The area, which was along today's Davidson Street, was undeveloped and then known as Shelby Bottoms. It was not until the summer of 1914, that Mayor Hilary Howse announced that the city would begin construction. Mayor Howse suggested leaving the Sparkman Street Bridge approach and traveling along South First Street to the river and on to the park. One of the Aldermen thought a better route would be from the bridge, down Shelby Avenue, then out South Fifth to the river. Murrey's 1925 Atlas of Nashville shows Riverside Drive beginning at Crutcher Street at South Seventh Street. The street then runs along the river to Shelby Park. A deed from J.P. Meredith to the City of Nashville filed July 27, 1914, describes the road to begin at Shelby Park and continue along the river and connecting with Crutcher Street 130 feet west of South Seventh Street. Park Board Minutes, from May of 1914, also give the route from Crutcher to the park entrance. The name Riverside for this portion of the road was short lived and was soon changed to Davidson.

In the spring of 1930 and succeeding years, American Legion Post #5, successfully petitioned county highway commission asking that the median strip be cleared of weeds and stumps and for permission to plant poppies, irises and trees in the median of the drive. In the winter of 1932, Dr. Rufus E. Fort asked, and was granted, permission by the commission to beautify the plot between the two lanes, in front of his property. In May of 1938 the Nashville Iris Association bulletin announced tours of public plantings of irises at the Municipal Iris Gardens in Shelby Park and of Riverside Drive.

In May of 1959, garden clubs in the Inglewood area erected a plaque on Riverside Drive, dedicating the roadway to American servicemen who fought in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The effort to plant flowers and trees along the double drive was started anew and for many years, Nashville residents enjoyed the beauty of the Riverside Drive. A plaque in the median of the drive read:




RIVERSIDE DRIVE

A MEMORIAL
DEDICATED TO OUR AMERICAN SERVICEMEN
WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WARS I & II
AND THE KOREAN WAR
DEVELOPED 1933
RELANDSCAPED AND REDEDICATED
MAY 30, 1959
SPONSORED BY
CLUBS OF INGLEWOOD

Today, Anthony Viglietti, an Inglewood resident, is leading a community project to restore Riverside Drive to the beautiful boulevard it once was. Mr. Viglietti and volunteers from the community have planted Cherry trees along the median and plan to plant poppies and irises in the future. The memorial plaque was damaged by a hit and run driver recently. Through the efforts of Mr. Viglietti the plaque has been repaired and will soon be rededicated.



Note – The Shelby Avenue Bridge has also been called the Broad Street Bridge, the Sparkman Street Bridge and the McGavock Street Bridge and may be referred to by any or all of those names in this article.

EAST NASHVILLE LANDMARK

EAST NASHVILLE LANDMARK HISTORIC LOG HOUSE

THE TENNESSEAN, EVENING EDITION, AUGUST 8, 1928 

A century-old log house, one of the landmarks of early East Nashville, was destroyed last night by fire starting at 9:30 o’clock from an unknown source.  The house at the end of Rosebank avenue was originally owned by the Vaughn family, and later by the Cornelius, Scheffer and Wilkes families and at the time of its destruction was owned by George L. Hicks, vice-president of the Dixie Life & Accident Insurance Company.

The house had passed into Mr. Hicks’ hands but a few weeks ago.  Its value was estimated at $14,000, with only about one-third of this amount covered by insurance.  Only a few rugs had been moved into it by Mr. Hicks and these, with a range were the only articles destroyed.

Built of Logs.

Built of huge logs and covered by hand-hewn weather boarding, the house was a combination of old handwork and modern construction.  It had recently been modernized by Mr. Wilks and had previously been improved by W. R. Cornelius.

Member of the Vaughn and Brown families lived in the house during its first 40 years.  It was among the first built in that section of East Nashville, then an open country, and remained throughout its 100 years of existence a center of the community.

The late W. R. Cornelius bought the house in 1862.  In it he lived until near the end of the century.  Throughout the days of the Civil War the family watched the coming and going of Federal and Confederate troops from the estate surrounding the house.  The elder Mr, Cornelius sold the house to the Rosebank Nursery Company and his son, W. R. Cornelius rebought it in 1903.  Five years later he sold it to Frank Wilk, who retained the lovely house until recently.

Two stories in height, the house had nine large rooms, typical of early Southern architecture.  Many expressions of regret have been made over its passing as it was regarded as one of the finest old mansions in East Nashville.

The house was located in the highlighted area of the plat.  By 1908 William R. Cornelius had divided his father's East Nashville farm into lots and sold the lots on which the old log house stood to Henry Shafer.  Shafer soon died and the house passed to his daughter Mrs. Frank [Katherine] Wilk.  Frank Wilk sold the house to Mr. Hicks in 1928 a few weeks before it burned.  The house was located near the present intersection of Rosebank and Eastland Avenues. 

Roxy Theater, Northeast Nashville

by Debie Cox

Major Ernest Hutton, a Nashville pharmacist, opened Red Cross Drugs in 1914, at the corner of Wilburn and Meridian Streets.  The drug store was described in a pharmaceutical publication as "one of the most beautiful stores in the city" with a soda fountain, a tile floor and double show windows.  

 

Tennessean, September 13, 1914, courtesy Paul Clements

The drug store was at 301 Wilburn St. and housed in the building was a barber shop at 303 Wilburn St. and other shops at 305 and 307 Wilburn   By the 1930's 301 Wilburn was occupied by Caplan's Dry Goods Store.  In the 1940's the store became Morris Dry Goods and about 1950 the store became Dixie Five and Dime.  

In 1936 Crescent Amusement, owned by Nashville businessman Tony Sudekum, purchased the drug store property.  Crescent Amusement also bought the adjoining lot, to the north, fronting on Meridian Street.  The drug store had originally opened onto Wilburn Street.  Crescent Amusement proposed opening the building to Meridian Street and changing the address from 301 Wilburn to 827 Meridian St.  A request was made to add a small addition on the north side of the building front.  A barber shop located at 303 Wilburn would be moved to the addition on Meridian.   Plans called for altering the existing building along Wilburn to the alley to be used as a movie theater, by installing a balcony, and a heating and air conditioning system.   

Roxy Theater - Image credit John Utley

The plans were controversial and neighbors appeared at a zoning hearing to protest the theater on Wilburn and an additional store front on Meridian St.  A property owner on the street said at the hearing that a movie theater should not be located in a residential neighborhood and he feared a negative effect on his property value.  After several set backs and appeals the plans were finally approved and by the end of 1937 the Roxy Theater was in business.   The theater marquee was above the Wilburn Street entrance that opened into a small lobby.   

Roxy Theater - Image Credit "North Edgefield Remembered"

Orville Oeser, resident of the neighborhood, went to work as an usher at the Roxy about 1952.  In 1954 Dixie Five and Dime moved to a building on the opposite corner.  The theater building was once again altered.  The Wilburn Street entrance was closed and the old Roxy sign was taken down.  A new lobby was opened into the old store front at the corner of the building that fronted on Meridian St.  The entrance  was redesigned and a new Roxy marquee was placed at the Meridian St. entrance.  

Roxy Theater  - Image Credit, Glenn School Collection, Martha Petty

The new lobby was much larger and had a long case in the middle with candy all around the sides, a popcorn machine on each end and a soft drink dispenser.   The beautiful terrazzo tile floor that had served the drug store for many years now graced the theater lobby.  Northeast Nashville residents have many happy memories of the old Roxy Theater.  It was within walking distance of neighborhood children and a Saturday matinee was a must for those growing up in the 1950's.  Teens took over in the afternoon and couples filled the theater at night.

In May of 1959 Crescent Amusement sold the property to the Nashville Revival Center and the Nashville Revival Center is listed in the Nashville City Directory for the first time in that year. Church services were held in the theater auditorium.  The part of the building that housed the variety store became a self service coin laundry, the Roxy Speedwash, by 1960.  A barber shop continued to occupy the 1937 addition on the north front of the building.  For many years Mr. Roark was the barber.  By the late 1970’s the church was gone and the old theater was being used for storage. 

In 1979 Nashville record producer Aubrey Mayhew purchased the building and an adjoining vacant parcel of land.  Mayhew intended to open a recording studio in the old building.  In 1986 the Roxy Production Center was a reality, with several studios and 16 employees.  Mr. Mayhew had big dreams for the old Roxy.  He planned to construct a Hollywood style soundstage on the adjacent vacant land, with hopes of luring movie production to Nashville.  Although the recording studio did operate for some years, most of Mr. Mayhew’s dreams were never realized.  Mr. Mayhew died in the spring of 2009 and his will instructed that the property be sold.

Robert Solomon had been looking for a place to revive the Woodland Sound Studios for several years when he learned that the Roxy property was for sale in 2009.   Country and Rock stars such as Johnny Cash, The Oak Ridge Boys, Barbara Mandrell, Kansas, Neil Young and Jimmy Buffet recorded albums there.   Solomon owned this business, housed in the old Woodland Street Theater, and it was badly damaged in the 1998 tornado.  Solomon purchased the 8,400 square foot Roxy Theater building in December of 2009.  In addition to housing Solomon's recording studio, the old Roxy will be used as a movie theater, but will focus on live theatrical and musical performances. 

Roxy Theater, Northeast Nashville by Debie Oeser Cox is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.