Tales from Tennessee and Beyond

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Cheekwood

Nashville's Cheekwood Mansion was constructed in 1929 for Leslie Cheek and his family. Cheek's father Christopher had come to Nashville in the 1880s and founded a wholesale grocery business. Leslie Cheek, along with his father, and cousin, developed a blend of coffee that was sold and marketed through Nashville's Maxwell House Hotel. In 1928 the coffee brand was sold to General Foods for $40 million. The coffee now exists as the Maxwell House Coffee brand. Leslie Cheek took his share of the $40 million and purchased 100 acres of land in western Nashville. He hired famous New York structural and landscape architect, Bryant Fleming, to construct a mansion and gardens. Cheek gave Fleming full control over the design of the mansion, gardens, and what types of plants and furnishings would make up the two entities. By the time Fleming had finished, in 1932, a 30,000 square foot Georgian style mansion had been constructed. The mansion was constructed primarily of limestone and was designed to match ones found in the English countryside. Just two years after moving into the mansion, Leslie Cheek died. His wife and daughter continued to live at Cheekwood until the late 1950s. Cheek's daughter and her husband then decided to give the mansion and gardens to the Exchange Club of Nashville, and the Horticultural Society of Middle Tennessee. In 1959, the Cheek's allowed pieces of artwork from the defunct Nashville Museum of Art to be put on display inside the mansion. To date the collection is made up of 600 painting and 5,000 prints. Following a 2017 renovation, it was discovered that unique wood and marble floors had been covered with carpet. These unique architectural features were left exposed. The gardens still remain much the same as the Cheek's designed them, with a total of 55 acres. In 2000 Cheekwood was nominated and listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for its architectural significance. Today Cheekwood serves as a historic house museum, art gallery, and botanical garden.

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.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Memorial Gymnasium

Nashville's Memorial Gymnasium was constructed in 1952 as a memorial to Vanderbilt students and alumni who lost their lives serving in World War II. Noted architect, Edwin A. Keeble, was entrusted by Vanderbilt University to construct this new memorial that would serve as a multipurpose sports, and fine arts facility. Keeble was familiar with the city of Nashville, as he had designed the Life and Casualty (L&C) Tower in the city's downtown. Keeble was also responsible for the design of six National Guard Armories, located in Columbia, Lawrenceburg, Cookeville, Shelbyville, Centerville, and Murfreesboro. Keeble had also served as a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II, and was a graduate of Vanderbilt University. Keeble designed Memorial Gym in a way that would be suitable for fine art, and sport. He designed the building with a raised floor, or stage. He designed the bleachers in a way that would prevent players and balls from flying into the stands. He wanted to make sure that the players and performers had ample space to perform. For the building's basketball use, the home and visitor benches were placed on the baselines, instead of on the sidelines. This layout is still used today. This layout provides Vanderbilt's basketball teams with a true home court advantage. Each of the three decks inside Memorial Gym has a theater like atmosphere. When games are being played, the lights in the audience are turned off, providing fans with a truly theatrical type experience. Until recently coaches were only allowed to be in the baseline area. A new NCAA rule has since allowed coaches to walk all the way around to mid court. The NCAA has also recently made Vanderbilt install new goals that feature a shot clock at the top. Prior to this the shot clock was located on the side of the goals and was difficult for players to see. These new goals have been sponsored by Vanderbilt Health. Memorial Gym has been expanded significantly since its 1952 construction. When first constructed the capacity was only 6,583. Due to the rise in popularity of Vanderbilt men's and women's basketball throughout the years, the gym now seats 14,316. Memorial Gym has also hosted numerous concerts, plays, and even a World Boxing Championship super middleweight elimination bout in 2008. Memorial Gym has been home to Vanderbilt legends such as Perry Wallace, Clyde Lee, Billy McCaffery, Dan Langhi, and Shan Foster. Memorial Gym is one of the oldest basketball arenas in the country, and the oldest in the Southeastern Conference. It is referred to often as "The Fenway Park of College Basketball." Fans use the slogan "Memorial Magic" to refer to the Commodore's home court advantage. In fact Vanderbilt has such a home court advantage, that the Commodore's have made at least one three point shot in every game in Memorial Gym, or anywhere else for that matter. The fact is Memorial Gym is one of the most historic venues in all of sports, and is truly a treasure for Vanderbilt University, and Nashville, but a nightmare for opposing teams.

Cases of Memorial Magic since Memorial Gym's 1952 Construction:

The legend goes that some "magical dust" was sprinkled into the Memorial Gym rafters shortly after its construction. In any case, there have been numerous "magical" moments for the Commodores since the gym's opening. Here are a few accounts of Memorial Magic courtesy of Bill Traughber, Nashville Sports Historian, and ESPN boxscores:

March 5, 1959 vs. Baylor: During the final game of the season, in a year an experimental 24-second shot clock was used, the Commodores were trailing in the second half by as much as 11 points. After cutting the lead to one point with just seconds left, Doug Yates hit a jumper from the top of the circle for the 61-60 Commodore victory.

Jan. 16, 1963 vs. Tennessee: Vanderbilt got a break when the Volunteers missed a free throw with three seconds left and a 68-68 score. In overtime, Roger Schurig was the go-to guy when he canned a lunging jumper with four seconds left for a 74-72 Commodore victory.

Jan. 6, 1964 vs. Kentucky: When the second-ranked Wildcats came into Memorial Gymnasium, the fans were ready for a close game. The game was tied at 83 when John Ed Miller took and inbounds pass and penetrated towards the goal with seconds remaining. Surprised that his Wildcat opponent didn't cover him closely, Miller pulled up at the free throw line and swished the game-winner. Commodores upset Adolph Rupp's men, 85-83.

Jan. 15, 1986 vs. Tennessee: With the Commodores trailing 59-51 with less than a minute remaining, Barry Goheen led his team to nine unanswered points. Goheen scored the last five points to pull out the improbable win. The guard hit a 10-footer from the left baseline with four seconds left to tie the game. On the play Goheen was fouled and his free throw was the game-winner, 60-59.

January 2007 vs. Tennessee: 3.7 seconds on the clock, Derrick Byars grabbed a Ross Neltner inbound pass. Byars raced to the right of the basket, but missed a contested layup. Shan Foster took the rebound from the left side and his put back was good as the buzzer sounded. Vanderbilt beat the Vols 82-81. The Vols week long run as the #1 team in the nation was over.

March 5, 2008 vs. Mississippi State: Shan Foster hit nine consecutive three-pointers (including a 22-footer and a 25-footer), all of which were contested, and unleashed a career-high 42 points on the visiting 25th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, including the game-winning basket, to push then 16th-ranked Vanderbilt to an 86-85 overtime victory which gave the Commodores their first undefeated season at Memorial since the 1992–1993 season. The point total tied for second-highest single-game performance in Vanderbilt men's basketball history.

February 27, 2016 vs. Kentucky: Matthew Fisher-Davis tied his career-high with 20 points, and Vanderbilt upset No. 16 Kentucky 74-62 on Saturday for its third straight victory and first over the Wildcats at Memorial Gym since 2011. Vanderbilt fans and students rushed the court, leading to an NCAA fine levied against the university.

Exterior view of Memorial Gymnasium.

Early basketball game at Memorial Gymnasium.

Aerial photograph showing Memorial Gymnasium, Parmer Fieldhouse, and Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field baseball stadium would not be constructed until 2002.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Parmer Fieldhouse

Nashville's Parmer Fieldhouse is nestled into a corner between Vanderbilt Stadium and Memorial Gymnasium. The building is a modest stone structure that was built in 1922 in conjunction with Vanderbilt Stadium. The building is named after horse farmer and railroad executive Walter O. Parmer. Parmer owned horse farms in Sumner County, Tennessee and later leased four hundred acres of the Belle Meade Plantation. He and his wife wanted to purchase the entire plantation, including the house, but were not successful. Parmer later became the executive director of the North Carolina and St. Louis railroad. Parmer believed in giving back to his community, and in 1922 when Vanderbilt University constructed a new football stadium, Parmer gave the money for a locker room. The locker room was constructed adjacent to the new state of the art football stadium. It was used for this purpose for the next fifty years. During its prime the Parmer Fieldhouse was used as the locker room for Vanderbilt's football, baseball and track teams, and was the headquarters for Vanderbilt's training staff. Perhaps the Parmer Fieldhouse is best known for its role in the 1932 Vanderbilt-Tennesssee football game. The story goes that the stadium was sold out, and fans of both teams were forced to seek out other places to watch the game. Fans began climbing on top of the Parmer Fieldhouse. The Tennessean reported that the roof of the Parmer Fieldhouse was "black with humanity." The fans then proceeded to jump off the roof of the building and run onto the field. The officials were forced to stop the game and the contest ended in a 0-0 tie. In 1970 the McGugin center was constructed and all athletic offices were moved there. The Parmer Fieldhouse fell into a dilapidated state. When asked about the building, Parmer's nephew said that the building was beyond repair and should be razed. He suggested putting up a monument to his great uncle and putting a plaque that said "this was the site of the former Walter O. Parmer Field House." When Vanderbilt Stadium was renovated in 1981, athletics director Roy Kramer made sure the architects and contractors kept the building intact. In 1998 John Bibb of The Tennessean suggested converting the building into a Vanderbilt Sports Hall of Fame. This idea was never carried out, and the Parmer Fieldhouse is currently being used by the Vanderbilt concession staff, to prepare and store concessions before the Commodores' football, basketball, and baseball games. The Parmer Fieldhouse is a piece of Nashville history that has been all but forgotten.

The Parmer Fieldhouse shortly after its 1922 construction.

For more on the Parmer Fieldhouse check out the following link: https://vucommodores.com/news/2011/12/7/vanderbilt_s_historic_parmer_field_house.aspx

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Vanderbilt Stadium

Nashville's Vanderbilt Stadium was constructed in 1922 at the corner of the present day intersection of Jess Neely Drive and Natchez Trace. The stadium is located directly across the street from Centennial Park. Vanderbilt Stadium replaced the old Dudley Field that was located in the heart of campus, where Vanderbilt had played football since 1892. The stadium was designed to match the University of Michigan's "Big House." Once completed Vanderbilt Stadium became known as "one of the seven wonders of the South." It also became the South's first football only athletic facility. Once completed the stadium seated 20,000 people. The first football game played in the new stadium was against the University of Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines were the alma mater of Vanderbilt's legendary football coach Dan McGugin. The game was a defensive struggle and ended in a 0-0 tie. The first game has gone down in Nashville sports history as one of the city's greatest sports spectacles. Nashville had never seen a sports arena the magnitude of Vanderbilt's. Once McGugin, and his 197-55-19 record, left, Vanderbilt football became inconsistent in their football performance. This was due to the fact that the University will not budge on their rigorous academic requirements for admission. Vanderbilt Stadium was not equipped with lights until 1954. On September 25, 1954 the first night game in Vanderbilt football history was played against the Baylor Bears. The lights had not even been installed for football, instead for a Billy Graham Crusade, but nonetheless they have been around ever since. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy spoke at Vanderbilt Stadium. Beginning in 1980, Vanderbilt Stadium was expanded and a new press box was constructed. The press box was constructed on the stadium's western end and was designed to match a United States Naval Vessel. The press box was named after Vanderbilt football player and journalist Fred Russell. After every Commodore victory, the "victory flag" is raised on top of the press box. In 1998 the Houston Oilers relocated to Nashville. While their new stadium was being constructed, Vanderbilt Stadium served as their temporary home. Vanderbilt Stadium underwent its most recent renovation in 2011. As part of the renovation a video board and synthetic "FieldTurf" were added. The video board incorporates the "Admiral's Horn" that is sounded after every Commodore touchdown. Vanderbilt Stadium has been the subject of controversy in recent months as those associated with the football program have been pleading for much needed improvements to the stadium. Vanderbilt even considered moving their games to an off campus stadium which would have been constructed at the Nashville fairgrounds. Vanderbilt Stadium's history speaks for itself, and it should be renovated and preserved. It is past overdue for Vanderbilt's administration to invest in the football program.

Aerial photo of the first game played at Vanderbilt Stadium. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. Notice how the landscape has changed in Nashville. There were no University buildings, Memorial Gym, Hawkins Field, nor Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Granville Ghost Walk 2018: Samuel Sampson Carver

On October 26th and 27th 2018 Samuel Sampson Carver was featured as a character in the annual Granville, Tennessee Ghost Walk. Below is what Sam told the folks at his two night appearance:

Sam Carver (1847-1938) played by great great grandson Sam Moore

Hello there, my name is Samuel Sampson Carver, my friends call me S.S. or Sam. I was born on January 8, 1847 in the Wartrace community just across the Cumberland River from Granville. I lived a fairly normal life as a farm boy, helping my father on the farm. When the Civil War broke out, I wanted to enlist, however I was only 13 years old, and they told me I was to young. I had to wait until I turned 18 to enlist. I finally enlisted on my 18th birthday on January 8, 1865. I enlisted in Captain William S. Long’s 8th Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment that was based over in Carthage. My enlistment made for some tension in my family, since my older brother Milt had enlisted a few years earlier in the Confederate army. It was so late in the war, I knew the Union was going to win, thus I joined them. I never rose any higher then private in my military career, and I never saw any battlefield action. On August 17, 1865 I was mustered out. One benefit that I did receive from being on the winning side was a pension, which I received for the remainder of my life. That extra money would come in handy a few decades later. When I returned home I fell in love with the beautiful Amanda West. We married and had a total of six children. There were five girls and one boy. I tried my hand at many different trades to support my family. I did everything from teaching school to running a boarding house. I finally made it my mission to find some land suitable for farming. I searched all over Jackson and Smith counties before being told of land in the Liberty community, just a few miles east of Granville that was going to be sold in a chancery court sale. The land included two log cabins, and a beautiful two room dog trot home sitting on a hill overlooking the creek. The terrain was and still is mountainous, but I was up for the challenge. I decided to construct a saw mill and blacksmith shop in addition to my farming operation. Due to the size of my family, I had to renovate the existing home. I added an upstairs level to it, and enclosed the breeze way between the two rooms. For thirty-eight years I served as Justice of the Peace for the 5th Civil District. This district stretched from Granville to Big Branch. The parlor of my home was used as the courtroom. I can’t begin to count the number of weddings that I preformed in the front room of that house in the middle of the night. I also served my community by establishing the Liberty church of Christ and serving on the Martin’s Creek Bridge Committee. We would have lost the farm during the Great Depression if not for my Civil War Pension and the Ralston Purina Company retaining my grandson in law Donald Moore as a salesman. My farm became a wonderful operation. Myself, my son Joseph Rueben, and my grandson in law Donald Moore accomplished great things during the farm’s early years. I am most proud of the folks we were able to help through our tenant farming program. Thinking back, I guess the farm truly was the lifeline of the Liberty community. On July 11, 1938 I passed away peacefully in my home. I am buried in the Carver Cemetery just a few yards away from the old home place. I have heard that a few significant things have happened to my descendants since my passing. I hear that Granville is celebrating the 1950s this year. I heard through the grapevine that my great grandson Joe and my farm Carverdale were featured in an October 1955 Time magazine cover story. I remember Joe as a boy sitting in my lap and playing with my pocket watch. He was quite the mischievous little boy, and I hear he still is. I also heard that my home and farm were recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places. I thank my great, great, great grandson Carver (I love that name by the way.) for getting that honor for our family. It’s satisfying to know that my descendants take such a great interest in their heritage. I wish I could have known he and his sister Olivia. I’m proud that the farm has stayed in the family since I purchased it in 1890. I am extremely proud of my descendants and my community for carrying on my legacy. Stop by Carverdale Farms anytime, you might just see me lurking around keeping an eye on things.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Loveless Cafe

Nashville's Loveless Cafe originally began as the Harpeth Valley Tea Room. It was purchased in 1951 by Lon and Anne Loveless and converted into a duel purpose motel and cafe. The location was ideal for people traveling on the Natchez Trace Parkway. The family started out serving fried chicken at picnic tables, but eventually expanded their menu. With the expansion of their menu, the family had to convert a few of the rooms inside their home into dining rooms to accommodate the growing number of customers. In 1959 the Loveless family sold the cafe and motel. The property has had various owners since the sale, but Charles and Donna McCabe are responsible for transitioning the property into what it is today. The McCabe's 12 year old son George became a full time business partner of his parents in 1982. He is responsible for creating the company's "Hams & Jams" mail-order business and catalog. In 1985 the McCabe's closed the motel portion of the property. The motel building was later converted to space for mail orders, storage and a special dining room. The cafe became famous for its biscuits, jams, and country ham. In 2003 the McCabe family sold the property to a group of investors who closed it for a year to renovate and modernize it. The project took a total of five months to complete and involved the additions of a new kitchen, new restrooms and additional seating. The old motel building was converted to a Hams & Jams Country Market and the Loveless Motel Shops. Perhaps the most famous aspect of the property is the sign at the highway. The sign is a rare example of an operation neon sign. Most of the buildings on the property are original. The motel features one level and features the same architectural design as motels from the mid 20th century. The cafe is housed in original home. The home is an example of the Craftsman or Bungalow architectural style. The Loveless Cafe is still popular among the locals, tourists, and celebrities. The Loveless Cafe has never been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This could be due to a number of factors, but most likely the property is in violation of the National Register's "50 Year Rule." This rule states that a property's period of significance must end fifty years prior to the property's nomination date, in order for the property to be eligible. The early 2000s renovations most likely set the property back a bit too. Either way the Loveless Cafe is still a Nashville icon.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Thomas Black House

McMinnville, Tennessee's Thomas Black House, or most simply known as the Black House, was constructed in 1825 and is thought to be the oldest home in McMinnville and Warren County. The home was constructed for Jesse Coffee, but according to the home's National Register Nomination form, Coffee only lived in this home for one year, before he and his family moved to the nearby community of Viola. For the next four years the home was inhabited by Revolutionary War veteran James Sheppard. The home was finally purchased by Samuel Hervey Laughlin in 1830. Laughlin was the editor of the Nashville Banner and Nashville Union newspapers. He also served in the Tennessee Senate. The home was later owned for a time by horticulture expert, Judith Turner Harrison. Harrison was known for introducing many new species of shrubs and trees to Warren County. In 1874, the family for which the home takes its name purchased it. Dr. Thomas Black was a well known Warren County physician and served a single term as McMinnville mayor in the 1880s. From 1874 until 1983 the Black House was owned by descendants of the Black family. In 1983 the Black House was purchased by the Eagle Fund and was restored. The home is one of the finest examples of Federal style architecture in the Upper Cumberland. It features five bays on the facade and a small portico above the front entry door. All the brick is hand hewn and has been painted red. On November 17, 1983 the Black House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The home was listed under Criteria B for its associations with numerous famous persons, and Criteria C for its architectural significance and integrity.