Hey, history buffs. Submit your unofficial historical locations around town.
Have you ever looked at a local spot and thought, “This place deserves to be commemorated?” Our city is full of legendary locations — many of which are indicated by historical markers. Historical markers reveal significant places, streets, neighborhoods, buildings, businesses, and cultural events from the past or present. Think: RCA Studio B and the Rock Block.
But not all significant areas get the attention they deserve. What about Varallo’s, the downtown Nashville chili parlor that’s been serving the same recipe since 1907? Or the 150-ft-long sea serpent sculpture at Fannie Mae Dees Park, also known as Dragon Park? We want to put these places on the map — literally.
Rules + details
Submit your historic place for a chance to be featured nationwide on our historical marker map. Our favorite submissions will then be featured in our newsletter, where we’ll put it to a vote. Who knows? Maybe it will receive an official historical marker.
Submissions are open through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Finalists will be selected by our team and announced in our newsletter. These finalists will then go head-to-head in a vote for our readers’ favorite. The winner will be announced later in December. No promises that it will get an actual historical marker, but it will be one in our hearts.
Want to know more about official historical markers around town? Check out Metro’s official list.
The results
You’ve submitted your favorites, now it’s time for us to reveal the finalists for the NASHtoday historical marker contest. Check out the nominations below, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite.
Get a taste of the menu. | Screenshot via Google Street View
Varallo’s
As the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Tennessee, this downtown restaurant gives Music City some bragging rights if you ask us. Known for its chili that’s remained the same since opening in 1907, stop by Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The park is also referred to as “Dragon Park” because of this very sculpture. | Photo by Adam Fagen via Flickr
Fannie Mae Dees Park
The Hillsboro/West End outdoor space might not have its own historical marker yet, but it is a stop on Nashville Sites’ LGBTQ driving tour. Named for a local woman who “protested the city’s urban renewal efforts and expansion of Vanderbilt University,” the park also served as the backdrop for Nashville’s first Pride parade. More than 200 people marched to Centennial Park in June of 1988.
Are you more of a visual learner? Tour the space or take a workshop. | Photo by CatDancing via Flickr
Hatch Show Print
“It’s an iconic business that has deep roots in Nashville’s music industry history.” We couldn’t describe the landmark better than our NASHtoday reader if we tried. The letterpress print shop has been specializing in limited-run posters since 1879, where one designer oversees the process from start to finish. Locally, you’ll often see the colorful creations associated with happenings at Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, among other historical venues.
It doesn’t stop there — we’ve got more submissions than these. Just check out our map of unofficial historical locations, both locally and across the nation.
Voting closes Wednesday, Dec. 11 — so be sure to vote for the historical location you’d love to see recognized for its significance.
