Front Street Warehouses

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Second Avenue Historic District, Nashville's Front Street Warehouses are a testament to the city's growth during the late nineteenth century. Located on today’s First Avenue, these buildings run adjacent to the Cumberland River and were part of the original 1784 city plan by surveyor Thomas Malloy. Originally called Water Street, its name was changed to Front Street in the early nineteenth century. Merchants built these Victorian warehouses with close proximity to the Cumberland River in order to support the thriving steamboat trade. Steamboats docked only 100 feet away on the river bank to unload their cargo for distribution to local merchants and business owners. This cargo included furniture, clothing, tools, hardware, farming equipment, building materials, alcohol, and food. Such goods were delivered to many of the warehouses you see along the street. Inside these buildings, cargo was unpacked, sorted, and later distributed to stores and shops on Second Avenue.

The river shipping trade declined in the twentieth century as transportation of goods by train and truck increased. As a result, this long block of warehouses fell into disrepair and many upper floors sat vacant for decades. However, adaptive reuse and preservation efforts by the city and its citizens in the 1970s gave these warehouses new life. Notable building features are Italianate-style arched windows on upper floors, ground floor foundation walls of locally quarried limestone, and wide arched openings that allowed wagons to enter and exit.

Continue in the same direction as the street begins to incline as you head north. Over a short walk, you will arrive at Fort Nashborough, part of Bicentennial Park, on your right. If you have an interest in how Nashville was founded, check out the Early History Tour for a broad overview. If you want to learn about some of the city’s African American history, see the Early Black Life and Culture Tour.