If you’re in Nashville and interested in fashion, you know Manuel Cuevas, the legendary designer who dressed Elvis, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons and an almost impossibly long list of other stars in their most-remembered garb.
You probably also know 1922 Broadway, the early-20th-century Queen Anne-style home in Midtown that housed Manuel’s studio and store for decades, from the late ’80s until Manuel moved his business downtown in 2013.
That beautiful historic Nashville home has sat empty for years, and its future seemed uncertain, especially as news broke that a high-rise hotel and condos were due to take that location.
That initial plan seemed to fall away when the developer opted to flip the property, selling it (and nearby buildings that’d long been home to Noshville and J & J’s Market and Café) to Vanderbilt University in 2016. But still, no one’s moved back in.
The good, if complicated news
It’s not clear what’s going to happen next at 1922 Broadway, but the development march in and near downtown Nashville makes one thing clear: It’ll almost certainly be something new, and likely something much, much larger.
So it seems that 108-year-old building, steeped in so much iconic Nashville history, isn’t long for that piece of prime land.
But here’s the good — if complicated — news for historic home lovers in Nashville: The university is offering to donate the circa-1910 building to a new owner willing and able to move and preserve it, and they’ve teamed with the Metro Historical Commission and Historic Nashville to find the right new owner.
To be fair, moving a structure — even a small one — is a complex and expensive process.
Here’s the tale of a family who moved a historic, one-story home in Oregon about 15 blocks, for a cool $150,000. And a New Jersey family that, back in 2000, bought a home for $1 and moved it for $100,000.
Grain of salt required, but at least in the ballpark: Howstuffworks.com shares an estimate from one builder, noting that moving a large home more just a few miles would generally run about $150,000 to $200,000.
So, is it worth it?
It probably depends on who’s asking.
True, you’d likely spend more than $100,000 moving the property, then a significant chunk of cash buying land, building a new foundation, updating and upgrading and renovating the systems and spaces and (if it’s what you’re shooting for) converting the house to suit residential needs. But you’d still end up with a nearly 6,000-square-foot historic home, brimming with Music City culture — and you’d be saving another piece of Nashville history from the wrecking ball.
(This is a subject really close to our hearts — we’re passionate about restoring historic Nashville homes, and last year, completed a huge restoration project of our own in Belmont.)
Does it sound like you might be the perfect person to save and restore Manuel’s old place? Read more about Vanderbilt’s efforts to relocate the century-old building at 1922 Broadway, and for more, reach out to Tim Walker, executive director of the Metro Historical Commission.
Looking for a historic house in Nashville that you don’t have to move? We can help. Reach ACRE here, and tell us about what you’re looking for in a new/old home.