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Stop 11 of 12

Nashville Skyline (middle of the bridge)

Look out at the amazing Nashville skyline - can you find Nashville’s “Batman Building?” The famous building in Nashville’s skyline resembles the shape of the comic hero’s mask! This building houses the headquarters for phone company AT&T as well as other businesses. This 33-story skyscraper was completed in August 1994 and was, for many years, the tallest building in the entire state! Now look for the building with the letters L&C at the top. The L&C Tower was Nashville's first true skyscraper and the tallest in Tennessee until 1965. The L&C tower is 31-stories-tall and originally served as the home of an insurance company. The building was designed by architect Edwin Keeble, and many consider it to be his masterpiece. As the kids check out Nashville’s skyline, parents should also take in the amazing architecture and views as well. 

Fun fact: Inside the “Batman Building” is a three-story-tall garden, enclosed in glass and temperature-controlled so it can flourish all year round. The scramble letter is “I” for “Inside the Batman Building.”

Before you reach the end of the bridge, you will see an elevator to your RIGHT, and a staircase on your LEFT. Both will take you down to ground level and the location of Cumberland Park. If you so choose, you can also walk to the end of the bridge and turn RIGHT to reach the park.

Tour Stops
Full Record & Citation
Title John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
Creator Nashville Historical Foundation
Author Tim Walker, NHF Executive Director; 2018
Date 1909
Address 108 First Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37201
Description The Sparkman Street Bridge was built from 1907 to 1909, connecting East Nashville to downtown. Howard M. Jones was the lead engineer while Foster-Creighton Company and Gould Contracting of Louisville led construction. The structure was an engineering achievement, featuring the first use of reinforced concrete trusses in the United States. This method supported the weight of streetcar traffic and later held the weight of rush hour traffic throughout the twentieth century. The bridge closed to road traffic in the 1990s, later reopening as a pedestrian bridge with excellent views of the river and downtown. Called Shelby Street Bridge after the street name changed from Sparkman, the bridge was later renamed the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in 2014 in honor of Nashville journalist John Seigenthaler (1927-2014). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Type Building
Coverage Area 1
Source Howard M. Jones, architect
Contributor Foster-Creighton Company; Gould Contracting Company of Louisville; John Seigenthaler
Subject Architecture; Downtown; Innovators; New Nashville; New South; Transportation; National Register of Historic Places
Keywords Bridges, Buildings, Cumberland River, East Nashville, John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge
Rights CC BY-NC 4.0
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