Edgefield Neighborhood- Fatherland Street

This is a walking stop, so keep on walking down Fatherland Street as you learn about the Edgefield neighborhood. The first American property owner of this area was James Shaw, who received 640 acres in exchange for his service in the American Revolution. Then, in 1818, David Shelby bought the land and built two houses called Fatherland and Boscobel—still street names in East Nashville today. The estates were subdivided as building lots in the 1850s after the completion of the Edgefield Suspension Bridge in 1853. His son, Dr. John Shelby, sold the remaining land in 1854.

Neill S. Brown, Governor of Tennessee from 1847-1849 and U.S. Minister to Russia from 1850-1853, named the area Edgefield. His home, Idlewild, was just north of Main Street near the start of our tour. Edgefield became an independent municipality in 1868 and was annexed as part of Nashville in 1880. The 1916 fire destroyed many of the historic buildings, but a wave of new construction in the late 1910s and ‘20s brought in new residents and architectural styles. Edgefield was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Now let’s highlight a few notable sites.

606 Fatherland is a mid-19th century two-story home influenced by Carpenter Gothic style. Note its symmetrical five-bay facade highlighted by decorated bargeboards and fascias. 700 Fatherland was the only commercial building in the neighborhood’s core and housed the H.G. Hill grocery store. It was built in 1919 after the 1916 fire had destroyed the previous home and businesses on these lots. Finally, let’s look at 711 Fatherland. This two-story, three-bay brick home is one of the oldest in the neighborhood. The home was constructed c. 1858 and is attributed to Oscar Boehm—a German immigrant born in 1827. Ready for a fun fact? For a short time, 711 Fatherland was the home of the infamous western outlaw Jesse James and his family.

From Fatherland and 8th, turn LEFT and walk one block to Russell St. Begin the next narrative as you turn RIGHT and continue walking down Russell St. through the Edgefield neighborhood. Stop when you reach South 10th St.