2004 Historic Old Hickory Village
Home & Garden Tour
May 22, 2004
(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 Florence, Denver, Georgia, Haskell, Ketchum and Arlington.

1 1010 JONES STREET
Old Hickory Public Library

Date built: 1937

Residents have enjoyed a library in Old Hickory since the days of the gunpowder plant during World War I. At first, a bookmobile served the residents, and later a more permanent location was set up on Birdsall Street. When the powder plant closed at the end of the war, the library was closed as Old Hickory virtually became a ghost town.
    After DuPont built its rayon plant, a group of citizens asked the company to establish a permanent library. The first location was at 1010 Hadley Avenue, next to the original fire station. The books from the Birdsall location started the collection.
    Construction of the present building was completed in 1937. The 3,200 square foot building originally cost $20,000.
    The Old Hickory Library became part of the Public Library System of Davidson County in 1964. Renovations were done in 1981-82, increasing the size of the library to 6,700 square feet.

2  804 CLARKE STREET
Russell Kelly

Home style: Georgia
Date built: 1934

Russell bought the home at 804 Clarke Street four years ago. He had been looking for a home for about three years. He likes older homes and wanted a house that he could fix up. The previous owner had updated most of the plumbing and wiring in the house. Russell finished the plumbing renovations to the kitchen, added ceramic tile and granite countertops, and installed slate tile in the full bath.
    This Georgian has two bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths. There is also a bedroom in the basement. Russell lives here with his son, Ryan. Russell is the owner of Titan Power Washing.