Main Branch of the Nashville Public Library, 2008. Photograph courtesy of Gary Layda.

Metro Archives in the Nashville Public Library. Image courtesy of MHCF.

The Civil Rights Room is located in the Nashville Public Library on the 2nd floor. Image courtesy of Nashville Public Library.

Aerial view of the courtyard at the downtown library, 2005. Image courtesy of Gary Layda.

Circa 1941 photograph of the Nashville Public Library bookmobile. Library employees Mrs. Frances Parkes and Mrs. Leah Rose traveled with the with the truck to rural parts of the county. Image courtesy of Nashville Public Library.

Insert in the Tennessean detailing the amenities of the new Nashville Public Library, 2001. Image courtesy of MHC.

Rendering of the Grand Reading Room. Image courtesy of MHC.

Plans detailing the multi-floor layout of the new Public Library. Image courtesy of MHC.

Donna Nicely, the director of the Davidson County Library system, in the conference room of the new downtown library. Image courtesy of MHC.

Photograph during construction of the second floor atrium, which now contains multiple murals depicting the city of Nashville since its founding. Image courtesy of MHC.

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Main Branch of the Nashville Public Library, 2008. Photograph courtesy of Gary Layda.

Downtown Schools and Education

Stop 9 of 9

Nashville Public Library and Metro Archives

Established in 1871, the first library open to the public was operated by the Library Association, which merged with the YMCA in 1875—as you learned earlier in the tour. In 1897, the state legislature passed the Library Law, and the local government opened the Howard Library in 1899. Andrew Carnegie donated $100,000 to Nashville, and a large library was completed on Polk Avenue in 1904. Over the next eighty years, twenty library branches expanded across the Metro Nashville area. In 2001, the new 300,000 sq. ft. main library building, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, opened to the public.

The Neo-Classical façade of the main branch of the Nashville public library system pays homage to the city’s architectural roots with its Ionic columns and central portico. Special collections on the second floor include local history in the Nashville Room, a permanent Woman’s Suffrage exhibit, and a dedicated Civil Rights Room. The third floor includes the Metro Archives collections and exhibits.

The library maintains a wide-range of educational experiences for children, teens, and adults. Programs include adult literacy, NPL Studio, puppet shows in the Children’s Department, conservation and preservation, genealogy, art and rare book galleries, hearing-impaired program accommodations, and an abundance of materials and programs related to Nashville history. The library also offers guided and self-guided tours. Tours should be scheduled at least one week in advance.

To learn more about the library, visit our other tours on Nashville Sites. Also to learn more about the role of education in Nashville take our Athens of the South walking tour or upcoming driving tour. Now, onto the conclusion to complete your tour on Nashville Sites!

Complete Tour

Tour Stops

Nashville Female Academy and Downtown YMCA

Church Street and YMCA Way, Nashville, TN 37203

Tennessee State University Avon Williams Campus

330 Tenth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37203

Nashville School of Law

1000 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37203

Ward Seminary

161 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37203

Hume-Fogg High School

700 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

Lipscomb University Spark Downtown Campus

147 Fourth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219

Seeing Eye Dog Training School

315 Union Street, Nashville, TN 37201

Sarah Porter School

217 Fifth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219

Nashville Public Library and Metro Archives

615 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219

Full Record & Citation

Title Nashville Public Library

Creator Nashville Historical Foundation

Author Mary Ellen Pethel, Staff; 2018

Date 2001

Address 615 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219

Description The Neo-Classical style façade of the main branch of the Nashville public library system pays homage to the city’s architectural roots with its Ionic columns and central portico, while also incorporating modern details. The large bronze entry doors depict native plants and animals of Tennessee. Special collections on the second floor include local history in the Nashville Room, the Civil Rights Room, allowing visitors to explore an extensive Civil Rights collection, and a large collection titled "Votes For Women: the Legacy of the 19th Amendment." The third floor includes the Metro Archives collections and exhibits as well as the Grand Reading Room, which lined with a series of eighty hammered copper repoussé panels by Gregory Ridley detailing the rich history of Nashville.

Type Building

Coverage Area 1

Source Hart Freeland Roberts, architecture firm; Robert A. M. Stern Architects; Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, owner

Contributor WPLN; Gregory Ridley; Andrew Carnegie; Ben West; Memucan Hunt Howard

Subject Downtown; Education; Government and Politics; Museums; New Nashville

Keywords Buildings, Civil Rights, Library, Local Government, Metro Archives, Neoclassical, Programs, Radio, Woman's Suffrage, Nashville Public Library

Rights CC BY-NC 4.0

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