For nearly fifty years, the Metropolitan Historical Commission has recognized outstanding efforts to preserve Nashville’s historic architecture with its annual Preservation Awards program. For a list and map of previous award winners, from 1973 to the present, please visit the Preservation Awards dataset on Metro Nashville's Open Data Portal.
49th Annual Preservation Awards
The Metropolitan Historical Commission celebrated National Preservation Month by presenting Preservation Awards to nine properties and recognizing two properties with honorable mentions at the 49th Annual Preservation Awards program on Thursday, May 22, 2025. The event took place in the auditorium of the Nashville Public Library Conference Center; Mayor Freddie O’Connell assisted with the awards presentation. After the awards ceremony, the Nashville Historical Foundation, formerly the MHC Foundation, and Customs House Associates hosted a reception honoring all participants at the Customs House, 701 Broadway.
Nashville Public Library Production Services recorded the program, which is available for viewing on Metro Nashville’s YouTube channel. Images of all recognized properties are featured on the 2025 Preservation Awards Photos page.
Properties were nominated this year in the categories of Residential, Infill, Educational/Institutional, and Commercial architecture. Ellen Dement Hurd, architectural historian and board president of Historic Nashville, Inc., Casey Lee, architectural historian and Section 106 Coordinator with Tennessee Historical Commission (TN-SHPO), and Sandra Shelton, retired retail business owner and Nashville Historical Foundation board member, served as judges for the 2025 Preservation Awards.
In the Residential category, the judges presented Preservation Awards to 1402 Linden Avenue in Belmont-Hillsboro, 855 Bradford Avenue in Waverly-Belmont, and 1302 Stratton Avenue and 415 Bushnell Street in Lockeland Springs-East End, for their sensitive renovations and additions and overall maintenance of the historic character of their properties. The judges recognized two properties with honorable mention: 827 Kirkwood Avenue and 3002 Belmont Boulevard in Belmont-Hillsboro.
In the Infill category, the judges recognized 717 Fatherland Street with a Preservation Award. Built on a vacant lot in Edgefield, the new home’s design was inspired by the surrounding historic neighborhood.
The judges presented two Preservation Awards in the Educational/Institutional category. The stabilization and masonry repair of Travellers Rest Historic House Museum yielded new information about the building’s construction and uncovered three fingerprints in a section of the 1821 brick. The museum left these unexpected discoveries visible, enriching the historical narrative of those who lived and worked at the property. Also, in the Educational/Institutional category, the judges presented a Preservation Award to Sunnyside in Sevier Park, recognizing the multi-year rehabilitation of the historic residence and its outbuildings. Findings from dendrochronology, archaeology, forensics, historic paint analysis, and other modes of study are now incorporated into the educational materials and displays available at the site telling a more layered and inclusive story of the property.
In the Commercial category, the judges recognized May Hosiery Mills at 429 Chestnut Street with a Preservation Award, commending the sensitive adaptive reuse of the warehouse buildings to anchor revitalization in Wedgewood-Houston. The awe-inspiring transformation of the iconic Neuhoff Curve Building at 1316 Adams Street in Germantown serves as a remnant and reminder of the area’s important industrial history. The judges honored the project with a Preservation Award for its meticulous study and innovative treatment of the site resulting in stunningly preserved ruins and a bold juxtaposition of old and new.
Along with celebrating exceptional preservation projects, the Metropolitan Historical Commission presented four honor awards during the ceremony. The Commission recognized the enduring legacy of Dr. Kevin E. Smith (1964-2025) with the Achievement Award for his groundbreaking contributions to Tennessee archaeology and decades of dedicated research, education, and preservation of cultural heritage.
The Commission also presented the Achievement Award to Ron Gobbell, FAIA, for his dedication to the preservation of Nashville’s architectural heritage through professional practice and service to the Metropolitan Government, including his service as a long-time member of the Metropolitan Historic Zoning Commission.
The Commission presented the Fletch Coke Award to Shain Dennison for her excellence in advocating for Nashville’s historic resources and conservation of its natural landscapes for public benefit, recognizing her pioneering work to establish neighborhood conservation zoning and greenways in Nashville.
The Commission recognized the Nashville History Club with its Commissioners Award for excellence in expanding public access to and appreciation of Nashville’s history through community-based educational programming.
At the conclusion of the event, two statewide organizations recognized Sunnyside’s outstanding contributions to preservation, public history, and interpretation with additional awards. The project was honored with a Certificate of Merit from the Tennessee Historical Commission and an Award of Excellence from the Tennessee Association of Museums.
The Historical Commission holds the Preservation Awards program annually to celebrate National Preservation Month, which is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and observed nationally each year in May. The theme for Preservation Month 2025 is Harnessing the Power of Place.
Program for the 2025 Preservation Awards
Invitation to the 2025 Preservation Awards
History Of the Preservation Awards Program
The Metropolitan Historical Commission’s Preservation Awards program began in 1973 as an Architectural Awards program. Miss Margaret Lindsley Warden, a charter member and former chair of the Metropolitan Historical Commission, had the idea to create an incentive for people to preserve historic buildings. She had observed how successful prizes were in horse shows and had heard of similar awards programs for preservation of buildings in other cities.
In 1973, the purpose was stated as:
- To stimulate interest in the owners of pertinent buildings to preserve and restore them with authenticity, and
- To spread information, i.e., to educate the community, on the merits (architectural and historical) and contemporary uses of distinguished buildings of the past.
The awards were originally aimed at residences, but the categories have increased as the need arose. In 1973 the categories included dwellings, offices, and historic districts. In 1997 those properties were expanded to six categories: residences (both single and multi-family structures), commercial buildings, religious properties, educational and institutional buildings, engineering and industrial structures, and infill construction.
Since 1973, over 400 awards have gone to a broad range of historic structures – dwellings, churches, commercial and industrial buildings, schools, even to bridges and new developments. Nominated by the public, they are honored for their sensitivity to the original architecture and the surrounding environment, creativity in adaptation for contemporary use, architectural merit and/or historic interest, long-term maintenance, adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and pioneering spirit. The public awards ceremony coincides with National Preservation Month, which is celebrated every year in May.
Today, in addition to recognizing various preservation projects, the Commission recognizes individuals and groups with a select number of special awards, including the Achievement and Commissioners’ Awards.
The Achievement Award is given to an individual in recognition of his/her extraordinary leadership in preserving Nashville’s history -- either through research and writing history or through advocacy and raising public awareness of history and preservation. The Commissioners' Award recognizes a group, program, or project that enhances Nashville’s history and historic resources. It is designed to honor projects that do not fit within the traditional preservation award categories. Achievement and Commissioners’ Awards are selected by the Historical Commission. In 2016, the Commission introduced the Fletch Coke Award, named in honor of Fletch Coke and her extraordinary efforts to preserve the history and historic landmarks of Nashville and Davidson County. Recipients are selected for their tenacity, curious spirit, and excellence in historical research, writing, and promotion of Nashville's local history and historic places.
In the early years, the Commission held a separate event to recognize various individuals, groups, and projects that were involved in the preservation of the built environment and the promotion of our local history. Eventually, the two awards programs were combined. In recent years, the name of the new program changed to “Preservation Awards” to acknowledge the diversity of individuals, groups, and types of projects receiving awards.
Participation In the Preservation Awards Program
Nominations for the 50th Annual Preservation Awards program are due on Monday, March 2, 2026. Please email Scarlett.Miles@nashville.gov for details.
For more information about the Preservation Awards program, please call the Metropolitan Historical Commission at 615-862-7970 or email scarlett.miles@nashville.gov.