Andrew Jackson Hotel

Our next site is so hidden, you can’t see it at all! Even though the Andrew Jackson Hotel was torn down in 1971 to make way for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, it remains an important part of Nashville’s history. So listen to this story as you pass TPAC and cross 6th Avenue North on your way to War Memorial Plaza.

This was the former site of the luxurious Andrew Jackson Hotel. The hotel was the first structure to be built in 1925 after the construction of War Memorial across the street. It was heralded by local newspapers as “one of the finest hotel sites in America,” and an early hotel manager claimed it was the most modern hotel in the South. With 400 rooms overlooking Memorial Plaza and the state capitol, the Andrew Jackson Hotel welcomed a number of prestigious guests including presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Some local residents also claim that Walt Disney stayed here. 

One of the more peculiar stories involves a young ventriloquist named Thelma Jean Graham. According to journalist George Zepp, Thelma Jean’s early life was as tragic as it was unusual. After her father was jailed, she was put in an orphanage with her sole possession: a ventriloquist dummy named Elmer. After her father got out of jail, she and Elmer lived in a makeshift wooden camper on the back of his truck. They traveled across the country and performed in traveling medicine shows, selling elixirs (or “magic medicine”) to poor and unsuspecting customers for $1 per bottle. 

Thelma Jean was booked to perform at the Andrew Jackson Hotel in 1940, where famous film and radio star Edgar Bergen saw her act. Impressed by Thelma Jean’s talent, he flew her out to Hollywood to go to school, train, and perform. Bergen even tried to adopt her! Ultimately Thelma Jean left the spotlight, but her legacy as “Nashville’s Cinderella” is still remembered by some locals. She passed away in 2011 at the age of 83. Fun fact: Edgar Bergen was the father of award-winning actress Candice Bergen who you have probably seen in Murphy Brown, Carnal Knowledge, or Miss Congeniality. 

Cross 6th Avenue North and climb the stairs towards War Memorial Plaza. When you reach the top of the staircase, the State Capitol Building will be to your right and the War Memorial Building will be directly in front of you. Turn to the RIGHT to view the Capitol across the street.