E.S. Rose Park, Currey Hill & Fort Morton

You are now looking at E.S. Rose Park, which is currently used by Belmont University for athletics. But if you could go back in time to the 1860s, you would be able to see three Civil War forts from where you stand. You heard about Fort Casino on the last stop, and now we’ll tell you more about Fort Morton and Fort Negley. 

Rose Park sits on Currey Hill, the site where Fort Morton once stood. Fort Morton was built in 1862 after the city surrendered to the Union Army. During the Civil War, these forts required the labor of many free and formerly enslaved African Americans. The areas where these laborers lived were called “contraband camps,” because escaped slaves were seen by the Confederate Army as property that had been seized (aka contraband). Today, we would call them refugee camps. The Edgehill and nearby Bass Street communities originated from these encampments.

In 2020, Belmont leased land from the city to expand its athletic complexes—right here at Rose Park. Metro Council approved the agreement. This deal was met with significant push back from the Edgehill community. Residents argued that leasing the land was good for the university but would have unforeseen consequences on the neighborhood. The relationship between Edgehill and Belmont continues to evolve. We encourage all who visit Rose Park to learn about the history and symbolism of Currey Hill as a beacon of hope and freedom.  

Fort Negley is half a mile east from Rose Park. Completed in 1862, the fort was manned by soldiers in the US Colored Troops division. To learn more about Fort Negley, take our walking tour on Nashville Sites. It is narrated by Gary Burke, a descendant of a Black Union soldier stationed at the fort. The intersection of these three Civil War sites—Fort Casino, Fort Morton, and Fort Negley—remain an integral part of Edgehill’s story of community and diversity.

Fun Fact: Currey Hill was named for Robert Brownlee Currey—Nashville’s mayor from 1822 to 1824. Over 200 years ago, he built a large house that sat on top of the hill.

Continue walking up Edgehill Ave. until you reach Carter-Lawrence School on your right, at the corner of Twelfth Ave. South.