Shocking events make for strong emotions – and produce powerful words.
Subscribers to the Field Notes had moving, insistent things to say over the past 24 hours about the long-term implications of the Christmas bombing for the future of Nashville’s historic Second Avenue. (See the sample down below.)
In the past week, Nashville news media have done a passable – in a few cases exemplary – job of covering the immediate spot-news story of the crime and of what authorities would tell them of its investigation. But there is rising interest in what the city will do now about healing this outrageous wound to our history, architecture, and functioning of an important nationally recognized business district.
Many of our readers have responded with emails, tweets, and also “Comments” on this page voicing their sense of personal outrage over senseless destruction and hope for the future. Some recalled personal memories of Nashville’s storied ‘Market Street’ from their childhoods or their own working careers in this zone. All want the healing to commence, looking past the crime now, and to what city leaders choose to do about the rebuilding.
We await the official response. May it come soon.
o
Charles Kimbrough, long-time Nashville community leader: “You have thoughtfully stated the current situation and suggested a very reasonable plan of action. Thanks for your love for the city of my birth and its future.”
Karen E. Williams, retired executive of BellSouth: “Thank you, especially, for recognizing Jim Johnson and DeWitt Ezell for their visionary leadership and its impact on Downtown Nashville. You may not know that South Central Bell did an employee survey about where they should locate the new headquarters building. If they had followed the employees’ wishes, it most likely would have been located on Old Hickory Boulevard at I-65 South in Brentwood. But DeWitt, in particular, at the time, had his primary focus on economic development, and how South Central Bell / BellSouth could influence it in Nashville. So the company built in downtown Nashville, and included an Economic Development Center in the new building.”
Robert Early, retired clergy and administrator at Vanderbilt University: “You captured the pain we are experiencing not just for the bombing and its results but for what the future might hold for our downtown.”
James Weaver, attorney: “I don’t think one has to have lived or even currently live in Nashville to appreciate and perhaps even help restore 2d. Nor do I think that a exact brick by brick reproduction of the old buildings are necessary to have a successful historic “restoration”. It’s a federally recognized historic district and that (will) ensure the look is appropriate. It’s been damaged. Let’s build it back. Not necessarily the same but Better.”
Jeanie Nelson, long-time executive director of the Land Trust of Tennessee: “I love your challenge to Nashville on 2d Avenue! Hope it takes!”
Manuel Zeitlin, architect: “We also need to be careful not to make it look more historical than it actually was, either. Also, a shout-out should be given to Jack and Frank May, who preceeded most of the people you mentioned in their purchase and renovations of bldgs on 2nd Ave.”
Will Martin told me how his law firm moved to Second in the 1980s: “A group of investors purchased a building in the block to serve as offices for the firm Harwell Barr Martin & Stegall. This was the first law firm to be located in the historic block. To allow for the law offices to be on one floor, the group sold the building to The Mathews Company, which owned the adjoining building. Bobby and Bert Mathews developed the buildings and leased the space on the top floors of both to the law firm.”
Jim Free, native Tennessean now in Washington DC: “Loved your notes on downtown Nashville and reminds me Nashville is home… I’m worried about the restoration of some of those most historic and architecturally important buildings. Hope it all gets restored and comes back.”
Architect Kem Hinton: “I'd like to add architect Robinson Neil Bass. He had an office on Second Avenue, and I visited it seeking employment in the summer of 1977. Neil was one of the four founders of Historic Nashville, and he was its first chairman.”
Ellen Tighe, community leader: “Thank you, Keel, for once again helping us remember the history that differentiates Nashville from so many cities. The Second Avenue district must be rebuilt to honor that history and will need various partnerships working together to accomplish its resurrection from the ashes of such a mean, senseless act of destruction.”
Hank Dye: “When our agency, Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence, moved into the then newly renovated DeMoss Building at 126 2nd Avenue, in the mid eighties, we were literally pioneers in office occupancy. There was an enormous sense of community and historic pride in the tiny neighborhood. It was a privilege to walk that street every day, surrounded by all those reminders and memorials to Nashville's roots. It would be a tragedy and great loss to Nashville and future generations not to reflect that history in the restoration efforts. I hope you will continue to express that focus.”
Chuck Furedy, one of my fellow MTSU alums, now living in Atlanta: “As we are fortunate to achieve old age, we begin to realize each year the importance of history in our lives. While living in New York city I was always amazed how many tourists ran into locals while walking the sidewalks. The local NY's never looked up, only the tourists. The locals were on a mission to reach their destination, the tourists were on a mission to experience the city, see the sights and all the tall buildings. Their mission was making memories. Let's hope those responsible for the next vision for Market Street are looking up to make memories and not down to just replace buildings.”
You can read my original Field Note below. And, by the way, the “Comments” box on this page is also still open. I hope you will share your thoughts about how the city should proceed.
o
A few personal acknowledgements: In preparing to write that original Field Note about this on Thursday, I had invaluable assistance from Debby Dale Mason (the founding executive director of Historic Nashville Inc.), Bert Mathews, Steve Turner, Bud Wendell and the architect Seab Tuck.
