Judge Miles House

Welcome to Edgefield! You’ve now crossed into the Edgefield Neighborhood: the city’s first suburb. It was first developed in the 1850s as larger estates were sold and broken up into smaller lots. Fun fact: Edgefield was actually a separate city with its own mayor until it was incorporated into the city of Nashville in 1880. 

Look to your right at 631 Woodland Street and let’s learn about one of the oldest properties in East Nashville. Constructed circa 1859, this 150+ year old residence became a school in 1870 when Mrs. Henri Weber opened Edgefield Female Seminary. She served as principal, and her husband Henri Weber taught music. Young women were instructed in English, foreign languages, music, history, and metaphysics. Later owners included J. W. Lovell, a Nashville riverboat captain, and Nashville Circuit Court Judge Roy A. Miles. It’s still called the Judge Miles House to this day. 

A fire in 1977 left the structure in peril. But thanks to the efforts of Edgefield residents Charlie and Carol Williams, the building was renovated into office space and this historic home was saved from demolition. The Miles House can be seen from a number of points within the Edgefield district and is a visual focus for East Park. Let’s move on to East Park to learn about the surrender of Nashville during the Civil War and the Great Fire of 1916.

Cross to the other side of S. 7th St. and then use the crosswalk to cross Woodland St. Turn RIGHT and then LEFT to walk down the brick path through East Park. Listen to the next stop as you walk through the park, stopping once you reach Russell Street.