The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Nashville, Inc will hold a Rally the Row event on Tuesday, July 24, to promote awareness of actions the public and Metro Nashville can take to help support the preservation of the Music Row area. The event will be held from 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Bobby’s Idle Hour (1028 16th Ave. S.). Admission is free, and the event will include live entertainment, as well as food and drinks supplied by San Antonio Taco Company.
“The near-loss of RCA Studio A in 2014 was certainly the most high-profile example of demolition threats to Music Row, but unfortunately it was not the last,” said Carolyn Brackett, senior field officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We can’t just sit back and let Nashville’s unique history be destroyed and its present-day musical culture lost. There are practical solutions that would balance development with the preservation of Music Row’s historic fabric and retain the music businesses that fill them. We urge Mayor Briley and Metro Nashville leaders to adopt them before it’s too late.”
Since the year 2000, a total of 56 historic buildings in the Music Row area have been lost and the demolition pressure continues. Currently, five buildings on 16th Avenue are threatened with demolition. Among the action items in a proposal from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Nashville, Inc. are: designating Music Row a Cultural Industry District, freezing Special Plan exemptions that ultimately encourage demolitions, and creating incentives to keep music businesses on the Row.
“Music Row is an accidental, by-chance location where The Nashville Sound and the music business grew from scratch,” said Trey Bruce, vice president of Historic Nashville and award-winning songwriter, musician and producer. “From this small neighborhood came one of the world’s largest musical footprints. We have to act now to save this place that is iconic and historically priceless.”
Donations can be sent to historicnashvilleinc.org and earmarked for Music Row.
Category: Featured
About the Author
Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.View Author Profile
