Cannery Row

This site has a long and storied manufacturing history. Beginning in 1856, A.W. Putnam started the Tennessee Plow Factory, manufacturing iron plows on this site. In 1861, Thomas Sharp and J.T. Hamilton took over the business and changed the name to Nashville Plow Works. With the start of the Civil War, Hamilton and Sharp re-focused their manufacturing efforts to produce swords for the Confederate Army. When Union troops seized Nashville in February 1862, they were arrested and charged with treason. The factory reopened in 1865 under the name Tennessee Plow Works and was part of Nashville’s New South industrial boom after the Civil War. It closed and the buildings were demolished.

In 1883, the Nashville Mill Company built the buildings you see now. The largest building was known as the Cannery, where foods were processed, canned, and then sent to Union Station for shipment to stores across the country. In the 1920s, the building was purchased by Fletcher-Wilson Coffee Company, and later sold to Dale Foods Company. After two decades of making jellies, jams, mustard, ketchup, and peanut butter, owner Perry Dale stopped production and opened a country music theater and restaurant in the building.

Today, the Cannery Row complex houses three stages: Cannery Row Ballroom holds up to 1,000 people, Mercy Lounge can accommodate 500, and a smaller club named The High Watt, has a 225-person capacity. These venues have attracted premier artists for over forty years including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy Pop, Greg Allman, Adele, Jack White, and Lisa Marie Presley. Cannery Row’s ballroom, lounge, and club offer a unique music experience in one of Nashville’s most historic buildings. From plows to peanut butter to pop music—the history of Cannery Row reflects a broader pattern often seen in the Gulch—the neighborhood is resilient, resourceful, and isn’t afraid to adapt to meet the city’s needs.

After you’ve explored the venues, return to Eighth Avenue South and continue walking in the same direction (LEFT off of Cannery Row). With the famous Stix art sculpture in front of you, turn LEFT onto Lea Avenue to arrive at your next location, the Filming Station.