Hermitage Hotel

Nashville's Hermitage Hotel, located in the heart of Downtown Nashville, was constructed in 1910. At the time, it was Nashville's third skyscraper, standing nine stories high. The hotel derives its name from Andrew Jackson's Hermitage estate in east Nashville. The hotel is Tennessee's only commercial building designed and constructed in the Beaux-arts architectural style. Accommodations started at $2 and up, and the Hotel's 250 rooms were marketed as fireproof, noiseproof, and dustproof. The lobby of the Hermitage Hotel became and still is the most well known feature of the building. The lobby features ornamental plaster, and hand painted glass ceilings. The grand ballroom plays host to state events such as gubernatorial inauguration parties. A restaurant in the lower level of the Hermitage Hotel is known as the Capitol Grille. This restaurant provides high quality dining for both hotel guests and the general public. In the 1920s, during the heart of the Women's Suffrage Movement, the Hermitage Hotel served as a meeting place for leaders of the movement. Presidents William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon have all been entertained and have spent the night at the Hermitage Hotel. In 1977, the Hermitage Hotel closed. With its future in doubt, a group of concerned citizens, led by Nashville mayor, Richard Fulton, saved both the Hermitage Hotel and the Ryman Auditorium. The Hotel finally reopened in 1981 and has changed ownership numerous times since then. In 2000 the Hermitage underwent a major renovation. Guest rooms were modernized and historic features were restored. Finally on Valentine's Day 2003, the Hermitage Hotel reopened. It has been open to guests ever since. The American Automobile Association and Forbes Magazine have given the Hermitage Hotel a five star rating. The Hermitage Hotel is a Nashville landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its significance in political and social history, and also for its architectural significance.

    Lobby inside the Hermitage Hotel

At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.