Nashville history and landmarks

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. History comes from the Tennessee Historical Society’s Tennessee Encyclopedia entries on Nashville, Davidson County and Fort Nashborough. National Register listings come from the National Park Service’s National Register data download (file dated May 22, 2026). Visitor hours are as each site publishes them.

Nashville began on the Cumberland River bluffs in the winter of 1779-80. James Robertson’s party arrived on Christmas Day 1779, and John Donelson brought the families by boat, arriving April 24, 1780. Within a week, 256 men signed the Cumberland Compact, the first civil government in Middle Tennessee, and named the settlement Nashborough for Gen. Francis Nash of North Carolina. It became Nashville in 1784. Today 192 Nashville buildings, districts and sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visit the history

• The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson’s home): 4580 Rachel’s Lane, 615-889-2941
• Tennessee State Museum: 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., free
• Fort Negley Visitors Center: 1100 Fort Negley Blvd., 615-862-8470
• Belmont Mansion: Belmont University campus, 615-460-5459

A short timeline

Downtown and the historic districts

Downtown’s history is listed in several National Register districts: the Second Avenue Commercial District (1972), Broadway Historic District (1980), Printers Alley Historic District (1982), Fifth Avenue Historic District (1983) and Nashville Financial Historic District (2002). The streetcar neighborhoods the Tennessee Encyclopedia describes as Nashville’s first suburbs have their own districts, among them Edgefield (1977), Germantown (1979), Richland-West End (1979), Belmont-Hillsboro (1980), East Nashville (1982), Woodland in Waverly (1982) and Hillsboro-West End (1993).

Seven entries are also National Historic Landmarks: The Hermitage (1960), George Peabody College for Teachers (1965), the Tennessee State Capitol (1971), Jubilee Hall at Fisk University (1974), First Presbyterian Church (1993), the Ryman Auditorium (2001) and the Hermitage Hotel (2020). Nashville Union Station was designated in 1976.

Museums, homes and sites to visit

Metro Parks says the historic fort structure at the top of Fort Negley’s hill is closed for work and is expected to reopen this fall; the half-mile park trail and the visitors center stay open. Admission prices are set by each site.

Every National Register listing in Nashville

The National Park Service lists these 192 entries with a Nashville address or in one of the Nashville communities of Old Hickory, Madison, Antioch, Hermitage, Bellevue, Whites Creek, Joelton and Pasquo. Listings in the separate cities of Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Oak Hill and Goodlettsville are not included. Names and addresses are as the Park Service records them. Where an entry says “Additional Documentation” or “Boundary Increase,” the year is the year of that later action, not the original listing. Archaeological sites have restricted addresses.

What this means for you

• New to Nashville? The State Museum is free and the Fort Negley trail is open dawn to dusk; both are easy first stops.
• Live in a historic district? Exterior changes in Historic Preservation and Historic Landmark overlays need a permit from the Historic Zoning Commission; see our permits guide.

Related guides: population and growth, parks and trails and getting around Nashville.

Frequently asked questions

When was Nashville founded?

James Robertson’s party arrived on Christmas Day 1779, and John Donelson’s boats brought the families on April 24, 1780. The settlers signed the Cumberland Compact within a week and named the settlement Nashborough.

Who was Nashville named after?

Gen. Francis Nash of North Carolina. The settlement was called Nashborough until 1784, when the name was changed to Nashville.

When did Nashville become the capital of Tennessee?

Nashville first became the capital in 1827 and the permanent capital in 1843, according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia.

When did Nashville and Davidson County merge?

In 1963, forming the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, which the Tennessee Encyclopedia calls the first consolidated city-county government in the United States.

How many National Register of Historic Places listings are in Nashville?

The National Park Service lists 192 entries with a Nashville address or in Nashville communities such as Old Hickory, Madison and Antioch, including the Ryman Auditorium, the State Capitol and The Hermitage.