2002 Historic Old Hickory Village
Home & Garden Tour
June 8, 2002
(Page 1 of 4)

THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD OF OLD HICKORY has been called Nashville's "best kept secret," but it was anything but secret when it was built 80 years ago. In January 1918, ads the "Great War" raged in Europe, the U.S. Government contracted with the E.I. DuPont de Nemours Co. to build the world's largest gunpowder plant on 5,600 acres in the hairpin turn of the Cumberland River known as Hadley's Bend. By the time the war ended on Nov. 11--barely 10 months later--more than 3,800 buildings had been constructed, with housing for 35,000 people.
     The end of the war meant there was no longer any reason for Old Hickory to exist. By 1920, Old Hickory was a virtual ghost town, despite having many modern conveniences not available in other neighborhoods, like water and sewer treatment plant and its own fire and police force.
     A group of investors called Nashville Industrial Corp. bought Old Hickory from the government and, after selling off much of the plant's equipment, sold the town and plant to the DuPont Co. in 1923. DuPont built many more homes over the next decade, using the same basic floor plans it had used as the government's contractor on the original construction.
     There were 10 original floor plans for single-family frame houses in Old Hickory, and they were built in a distinct "caste system." The largest, most architecturally interesting homes for top-level managers were built on Riverside Road on the eastern edge of the village, overlooking the stretch of the Cumberland River that was later dammed to become Old Hickory Lake. These floor plans are named Davis, Baytree and Ketchum and Welford (of which there was only one). Middle managers lived in smaller homes called Arlington, Cumberland, Georgia and Haskell, and laborers were able to rent one-story homes called Florence and Denver.
     DuPont maintained Old Hickory as a company town, repairing and renovating the homes on a regular basis, for the next quarter-century. In the late 1940s, as company towns fell out of favor, DuPont sold hundreds of the Old Hickory houses to the employees who had been renting them. Hundreds of other "temporary" houses--most of them then 30 years old--we're razed, making room for the construction of fashionable new brick ranch-style houses scattered among the historic frame homes.
     Floor plans on this year's Old Hickory Village Home and Garden Tour include the Baytree, Cumberland, Georgia, and Haskell. Also on the tour are two ranch-style homes. The tour begins at the Old Hickory Presbyterian Church with an art exhibit by local artists.

1 801 JONES STREET
Old Hickory Presbyterian Church

Date built: 1928

The first church in the Hadley Bend area was constructed of logs around 1790 by early Presbyterian settlers. It eventually became to be known as The Amelia Hadley Presbyterian Church. A brick building replaced the logs around 1860, and the name was changed to Edgefield Presbyterian Church. In 1922, the current church was organized, and was named Hadley's bend Presbyterian Church.
     In 1928, the stone building pictured here was built, and the name changed to First Presbyterian Church. In 1941, an education wing and tower were added. The original sanctuary of the church was located in what is now the E. G. White fellowship hall (art exhibit location). The present sanctuary was completed in 1956, and the stained glass windows were installed in 1963. An electrical fire destroyed the sanctuary and fellowship hall, and badly damaged the educational wing on March 22, 1979. The church was rebuilt within a year, including reconstruction of the stained glass windows. A special window in the Allene Brown room is made of salvaged pieces of stained glass gathered from the rubble by the children of the church.
     In July of 2000, the church was renamed Old Hickory Presbyterian Church.

     Three of the artists whose works are featured in the art exhibit are members of the congregation. Beulah M.T. Coleman of Hermitage is an internationally-known miniature artist. Mary Field Neville of Old Hickory is an outstanding, prize-winning watercolor artist. Elizabeth R. Pack of hermitage is a craft artist and basket maker. Several other artists who live in the village are also featured in the exhibit.

2  802 JONES STREET
Claudia Holt

Home style: Georgian
Date built: 1918

When Claudia saw her house for the first time she was instantly reminded of wonderful trips to Martha's Vineyard, It was also reminiscent of the charming little village depicted in the best selling Mitford books by Jan Karon.
     "It was love at first sight, but what really sold m on the house was the fact that the Presbyterian church was right across the street. And what was so unusual is that there was a key to the church hanging on a hook inside the house, so the realtor let me tour the church and I knew this was the place for me."
     Claudia found the house to be in great condition and was able to just do some basic redecorating to make it her own. "I had a new tile floor installed on the front porch, repainted rooms, and most recently had some landscaping added to the front." Her home also contains all the original woodwork.
     Claudia has three grown children (Mark, Heather, and Wendy), and five grandchildren. "My daughter Wendy lives in the village just a few blocks away!" Claudia keeps company with three cats, Sunshine, Cheetah, and Hobo, and she says with a smile, "but I'm enjoying life tremendously. I love to sit on my porch, have a cup of coffee and read my bible." Be sure to check out the amazing collection of bibles in her study.