Nashville plans to honor 200th birthday with new square

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Nashville will dedicate a new Public Square being converted from a parking lot in honor of the 200th anniversary of the city’s incorporation.

The square, which sits next to the Metro Courthouse and overlooks the Cumberland River, has been under construction for almost three years and will feature a lawn, fountains, gardens and public art.

Mayor Bill Purcell said Monday that it will be dedicated Oct. 1, the same day in 1806 that the city elected its first mayor and six aldermen three weeks after getting approval from the General Assembly.

“This commemoration will give the whole city a chance to celebrate our heritage from the city’s beginnings by the Cumberland River to the neighborhoods and institutions that define Nashville today,” Purcell told the Downtown Rotary Club.

The cost of the square and an accompanying parking garage is estimated at $34.8 million. The neighboring courthouse is also being renovated, at a cost of $45.5 million.

Nashville began as the city of Nashborough, established by North Carolina 12 years before Tennessee became a state, according to “Nashville: A Short History and Selected Buildings,” published by the Metro Historical Commission.

Capt. James Robertson brought the first group of settlers here in 1779, and the city is named for Gen. Francis Nash, a Revolutionary War hero from North Carolina.