Union Station Train Shed

Predating Union Station, the train shed was built in the 1890s in order to help improve passenger facilities along the L&N Railroad, whose operation into Nashville began before the Civil War. In the golden age of travel and trade by rail, Nashville served as the major connection for many lines throughout the South. As such, architects made sure the site was more grandiose than any other in the region. The train shed measured 250 by 500 feet, which was large enough to hold ten full-length trains. The gabled roof was lined with lancet and stained-glass windows, and passengers and freight loaded and unloaded inside before entering Union Station. Longer than any other single-span, gabled roof structure in the United States, the building and train platforms were impressive to say the least. 

The last train departed from this behemoth structure in 1978, and within a year Union Station was abandoned completely. Ownership of the shed transferred to numerous people, eventually ending up in the hands of CSX Ownership, who owns the rail lines that still run through the Gulch. Unfortunately, the train shed was demolished in 2001 after major damage from a fire in 1996–one hundred and six years after it first welcomed passengers and cargo to Nashville. The city may have lost one of its most defining structures, but we remember fondly an architectural gem that combined function with beauty.

Return to Tenth Avenue South and continue walking away from Broadway. The road will split into McGavock Street and Tenth Avenue South; at this intersection you will see the Frist Art Museum on your LEFT.