Your new home means a new neighborhood to explore. Each month, Onward brings you “Your New Favorite” – our team’s hand-selected places unique to Middle Tennessee that locals love.
This month, discover a new favorite historical site and see what rich history your neighborhood has to offer.
One of the largest Union-built Civil War forts can be found in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. Built in 1862, Fort Negley has been a foundational piece of Nashville history, not only as the largest Union Civil War fort, but also the home of the Nashville Civil War Roundtable and Sons of Union Veterans – Fort Donelson Camp 62. Enjoy a guided or self-guided tour, interactive exhibits, or even just a scenic walk through the park.
- Location: Wedgewood- Houston | Nashville
- Address: 1100 Fort Negley Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37203
One of the most celebrated venues in modern music, Ryman Auditorium, is also one of Nashville’s most iconic historical buildings and embodies the essence of “Music City.” The auditorium was originally constructed as a house of worship in 1892 but went on to host notable performers such as John Philip Sousa, Harry Houdini, W.C. Fields, and Charlie Chaplin in the early 1900s. However, the Ryman gained most of its notoriety through its tenure as the host of the Grand Ole Opry, radio broadcast. Country greats like Hank Williams, Johny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Earl Scruggs all performed on this storied stage.
- Location: Downtown Nashville
- Address: 116 5th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219
In 1784, Daniel Smith, a surveyor from Virginia and a patriot of the Revolutionary War, relocated his family to the Cumberland Settlement (now in Sumner County) and began building a family residence that would remain remarkably well-preserved 240 years later. Rock Castle holds the title of the oldest house in Middle Tennessee and represents the earliest known example of Federal style architecture in the state. Guests have the opportunity to tour the home and discover life on the early Tennessee frontier — covering aspects of the Smith family's heritage, the enslaved individuals who worked on their land, and their disputes with the nearby Native American tribe.
- Location: Hendersonville, TN
- Address: 139 Rockcastle Ln, Hendersonville, TN 37075
The legend of the haunting of the Bell Witch has been a point of fascination for folklore and paranormal enthusiasts since the early 19th century. On a farm in Robertson County between 1817 and 1821, the family of John Bell experienced what they claimed to be a series of paranormal disturbances that they blamed on an entity they called “Kate Batts’ Witch.” The family’s reports of hearing strange knocks and growls and experiencing nightly supernatural afflictions drew national attention. Tourists from all over the country traveled to the Bell farm to see the haunting for themselves, including then General Andrew Jackson. Although the Bell family farm no longer stands, you can tour the nearby cave that was said to be the place the witch retreated to after it departed the Bell family home.
- Location: Adams, TN
- Address: 430 Keysburg Rd, Adams, TN 37010
Designed by the esteemed Philadelphia architect William Strickland, Tennessee’s State Capitol Building is an architectural achievement with a rich history. Completed in 1859 using limestone from the area, it is one of the nation’s oldest Capitols still in operation. The interior features murals that show Tennessee’s history, and the grounds contain statues honoring famous Tennesseans—Sam Davis, Sgt. Alvin York, and Presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson. Nashville’s Capitol is the only one in the US to have people buried on the grounds—architect William Strickland, the first Chairman of the Capitol Commission, Samuel Morgan, and US President James K. Polk and his wife, Sarah.
- Location: Downtown Nashville
- Address: 600 Dr. M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Nashville, TN 37243
Battle of Franklin Civil War Museum
On November 30, 1864, thousands of Confederate and Union soldiers engaged in what would be one of the final significant losses for the South during the Civil War. Three neighboring families—the Carter family, McGavock family, and the Lotz family—found themselves in the epicenter of the battle surge, with their homes nearly succumbing to gun and cannon fire. These homes became field hospitals for the injured and the final resting place for nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers. Museum visitors can explore the grounds of the Lotz and Carter homes and learn more about the families, soldiers, and enslaved individuals whose lives were forever changed by this fateful battle.
- Location: Franklin, TN
- Address: 1140 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064
When the pioneers first reached what would later become Nashville in 1780, they built Fort Nashborough in Cedar Bluffs. The fort survived through harsh frontier conditions and many altercations, including the Battle of the Bluffs. Fort Nashborough is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and visitors take a self-guided tour through the fort completely free.
- Location: Downtown Nashville
- Address: 170 1st Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201
Established in 1866, Fisk University began as an institution to educate newly freed slaves and would eventually become a premier liberal arts school. As Tennessee’s oldest historically Black university and the oldest institution of higher education in Nashville, Fisk’s campus is designated as a national historic landmark. The school is best known for its celebrated choir ensemble, the Jubilee Singers, who have been a part of the school’s legacy since its founding and garnered acclaim from audiences all over the world. Fisk’s notable alumni include W.E.B. DuBois, John Lewis, Ida B. Wells, and Marion Barry. Visitors can take guided or self-guided tours of the campus or enjoy the permanent and featured art exhibits in Fisk’s Carl Van Vechten Gallery.
- Location: Fisk University | Nashville
- Address: 1000 17th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208
Old Stone Fort Archaeological Park
Just outside the Middle Tennessee region in Manchester, history and archeology buffs have the opportunity to travel back in time to the Middle Woodland period, 1,500-2,000 years ago. The park’s main feature and namesake is a stacked stone wall structure that encompasses about 50 acres of a peninsula created by the Duck and Little Duck rivers, and it is believed to have been constructed between 80 and 550 AD for religious or ceremonial purposes. Park guests can take a leisurely hike that follows the stone wall and threads through wooded trails and waterfalls.
- Location: Manchester, TN
- Address: 732 Stone Fort Drive, Manchester, TN 37355
Stones River National Battlefield
Three miles northwest of Rutherford lies the 570-acre park that memorializes the Battle of Stones River, which occurred between December 31, 1862, and January 2, 1863. This key Civil War battle resulted in a Union victory that provided a much-needed boost in morale for the Union and reinforced President Lincoln’s foundation for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Despite this win, the battle was very costly for both sides, with more than 6,100 Union soldiers buried in the Stones River National Cemetery. Visitors can drive through the park or stroll the many scenic walking trails where they can learn more about the gravity of this historic battle.
- Location: Murfreesboro, TN
- Address: 3501 Old Nashville Hwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Jefferson Street Music District
With three historically black colleges nearby, the Jefferson Street area played a pivotal role in Nashville’s African American history as a thriving hub for education, music, and community. From the 1940s to the 1960s, many rock and roll and rhythm and blues musicians performed in Jefferson Street venues, including acts like B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Muddy Waters, and a young Jimi Hendrix. When Interstate 40 was built over the street in 1968, families were displaced, businesses were shuttered, and the area faced an economic decline as a result. Since 2011, Lorenzo Washington and his team at the Jefferson Street Sound Museum have been working to preserve the musical history from the 1940s to the 1970s.
- Location: Fisk/Meharry Neighborhood | Nashville
- Address: 2004 Jefferson St, Nashville, TN 37208
Contact an Onward agent to bring you one step closer to your new home and what you can experience right in your backyard.
