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Jay Brothers

1947 Revisited - Old Nashville

Updated: Jul 30, 2022

While working on a presentation about the West side of Nashville, came across this 1947 terrific map sponsored by Jersey Farms Milk Service on the Tennessee Virtual Archives. So many cool aspects of this work - an amazing snapshot of old Nashville.

No interstates.

Nashville Municipal Airport off Murfreesboro Rd. was well outside the city in 1947

Marks St. Mary's Orphanage off White Bridge Rd.

The Veteran's Administration (V.A.) Hospital remains on White Bridge Rd. (before it moved to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center campus).

West End High School hasn't changed to W.E. Middle yet.

Richland Golf Club remains.

Pre-Ensworth School.

Pre-Vine St. Christian Church move.

The old railroad & tresle cut across West End Ave. past Fairfax before I-440 built.

Municipal Children's Home remains off 54th Ave. near Charlotte Ave.

The Nations general area was still known as Richland

Pre-Briley Parkway

U.S. 70 South was a main route to Dickson & Memphis and is still labelled on maps as Memphis-Bristol Highway - running the width of the great state of Tennessee

The southern end of Chickering Rd. was labelled Belle Meade Pike!

Lipscomb College had a small campus just south of Caldwell Lane

Ward-Belmont College remained

Catholic School for Boys remained on West End Ave. at 21st Ave. So.

Vanderbilt University only reached to Garland Ave.

St. Thomas Hospital was still on Hayes St.

Protestant Hospital was right behind on 20th & Church St.

Agricultural & Industry State Normal college (not yet Tennessee State Univ.) was on Centennial BL

Sulphur Dell at 4th between Jackson & Herman

St. Cecilia Academy was still at the Domican Motherhouse in Buena Vista area

Knapp Farm for Peabody College area labelled

The State Hospital for the Criminally Insane was on Ezell Rd.

Central State Hospital was north of the above entry



Try to answer these quesetions & reply back.....

What is Protestant Hospital now?

Where is St. Cecilia Academy now?

When did Sulphur Dell close?


Look in your area of town & note what you see and Don't see!!

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cjpendley - nashville
cjpendley - nashville
Dec 31, 2023

I remember driving past the DeBerry center before they connected Harding Place and cut off the old Ezell road. I remember sitting at those tracks well past midnight waiting for a slow moving train to pass.

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Jay Brothers
Jan 04, 2024
Replying to

Ha, thanks for visiting the site. So that answers why Ezell Rd. is disconnected there. I grew up on the west side of Nashville so it is useful to get history trivia from other parts of our fair town. Jay

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