Gateway to Heritage Plaza, Club Baron, Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church

Look back toward your left at I-40. On your way here, you passed under the interstate and you may have noticed an exhibit. What you saw was the Gateway to Heritage Plaza, which opened in 2012. This space honors the history of the very community divided by the highway’s construction. The EDGE Group, a landscape architectural firm owned by the NFL Hall of Famer and former Tennessee Titan Eddie George, designed the plaza. The exhibit showcases events, people, and places that represent Jefferson Street’s story with pillars representing education, religion, and entertainment. Tennessee State University artists Michael McBride and James Threalkill painted the magnificent mural at the east end of the plaza.

Walk down two buildings back toward the interstate to see the Elks Lodge, which was originally Club Baron. Built in 1955, the building stands as one of the last remaining monuments to Nashville’s golden age as the city’s Black entertainment district. When local pharmacist, Jackson H. Brown, opened the club on 2614 Jefferson Street, he joined other successful clubs such as the Del Morocco, Club Waikiki, and others. Brown also used the building as a secondary location for his pharmacy, and built a roller skating rink on the back of the building.

At Club Baron, you could hear Etta James woo audiences with her hit “At Last,” or Little Richard belt the melody of “Long Tall Sally.” But the most famous event in Club Baron’s history was a guitar battle involving a young Jimi Hendrix and a local guitarist named Johnny Jones. Those in attendance are still divided over who won the battle. Check out the mural for a representation of that night. Down the street, Jimi Hendrix regularly performed with his band, The King Kasuals, at Club Del Morocco. In 1967, Hendrix said, “That’s where I learned to play, really, in Nashville.” Club Del Morocco was demolished to make way for the interstate. The building you see today is the last physical remnant of the music club industry on Jefferson Street. Today it’s the Elks Lodge, which holds meetings and hosts events. Be sure to check out the historic marker in front of the building.

Churches were also negatively affected by the interstate’s path. One such church was the Jefferson Street Church of Christ. Formed in 1918, the location of this thriving church is now an entry ramp for the highway. Fortunately, they relocated nearby and serve the community today as the Schrader Lane Church of Christ. Now let’s look at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, where you parked. It was founded in 1887 by Reverend Huffman, and the congregation moved to this location in 1920 under the leadership of Reverend J.L. Harding. Reverend James “Tex” Thomas, also called the “mayor of Jefferson Street,” served as pastor from 1971 to 2017. Now led by Reverend Aaron X. Marble, the church is active in the community and is one of the most influential African American churches in Nashville.

Continue driving in the same direction on Jefferson Street and turn LEFT at the light on Twenty-Eighth Avenue North. Turn RIGHT  into Hadley Park and follow the road to park near the community center. This is the first part of the final stop of our tour.