We just added two beautiful new featured listings in East Nashville’s Lockeland Springs: 13 S 13th Street, a remodeled brick home with a fantastic (and functioning) original fireplace; and 1408 Lillian Street, a brand new build with space and style to spare.
We work with East Nashville homebuyers and sellers a lot, and it’s one of our favorite parts of Nashville, partly because of its exciting mix of history and growth.
While we’re on the subject of East Nashville history: There’s a huge and fascinating well of interesting East Nashville trivia to draw from, and the longer we spend here, the more we learn. New to the area, or still just starting to pick up on the story? Here are a few of our favorite tidbits:
Lockeland Springs really did once have its own spring water
When you hear “Lockeland Springs” today, you think of one of the best-loved neighborhoods in Nashville and some of the coolest historic homes on the East side. In the early 1900s, though, you might’ve thought about the Lockeland Springs Water company and the fresh bottled spring water they sold, touting health benefits of its dissolved mineral composition. The East Nashvillian has a great piece on the history of the water, and Lockeland Springs. (The image above is Lockeland Springs Park, the bottling plant’s former home, via Nashville.gov.)
Guests at Inglewood’s historic Riverwood Mansion included seven U.S. presidents
Today, we can all enjoy time in the 200-plus-year-old, 9,200-square-foot Riverwood Mansion, attending events like 3st of the Month’s recent Juniper June celebration. Back in the day, guests at the lavish parties there were exclusively of the upper crust — like, say, Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt. Famous folks still head to the mansion plenty — actress Reese Witherspoon was there recently filming for the TODAY show.
The Tanglewood Historic District once housed some surprising famous visitors
Among the famous names who once rented out the sprawling Inglewood compound known as Tanglewood: Director Robert Altman, who made it the production headquarters for the movie Nashville; Playboy chief Hugh Hefner; and Hee Haw head writer Budd Wingard, among others. This is another storied East Nashville space The East Nashvillian has a great history of.
The Family Dollar on Gallatin near Shelton was once a movie theater
It was a cool one, too, as you can see in the image above, from CinemaTreasures.com. Also from that site: “The Inglewood Theater opened April 27, 1950. The opening day movie was It’s A Great Feeling with Dennis Morgan and Doris Day. All seating was on a single sloping floor.” The theater closed in late 1977.
East Nashvillians once traveled the neighborhood by trolley
Like folks in many other parts of Nashville, East Nashville residents were once able to travel the neighborhood via electric streetcar/trolley. In the late 1800s, rail lines were completed all around town, including ones running over Woodland, Fatherland and Main Streets. Before a mass railroad company consolidation, The Nashville and Edgefield Street Railroad Company, Gallatin Pike Railway Company and The Fatherland Street Railroad Company were among those operating in the area (names East Nashvillians will find plenty familiar). The Nashville History blog has lots more on the city’s streetcar history. It’s not exactly practical, but it’s kind of nice to picture traveling down Woodland in a streetcar now, isn’t it?
Shelby Park was once home to a full-sized Dutch windmill
If you’ve heard the name “Windmill Hill” in reference to Shelby Park, that’s where the name comes from. Years back, a full-size Dutch windmill “stood majestically” atop that hill, writes E.D. Thompson in his book Nashville Nostalgia. (He also notes that the windmill is said to have burned in the early ’40s.) (Image here via the East Nasty running club, who today make their own majestic use of the Shelby Park grounds week in and week out.)
These are just a few of countless tidbits of fun neighborhood trivia you’ll pick up the more time you spend on the East side. Any favorites you’d like to share? Tell us about them in the comments!
And if you’re looking to buy or sell an East Nashville home, we hope you’ll reach out — it’s a neighborhood we know well, and love a lot.
New to East Nashville and want to learn a little more about the community? Check out our East Nashville neighborhood guide.