Historic Nashville City Cemetery
The old Nashville City Cemetery, located on 4th Avenue South, was begun in the 1820s, and is the oldest public cemetery in middle Tennessee. It has a long and illustrious history as a final resting place for a cross section of early Nashville citizens, from the everyday to the famous, including Nashville founders, James and Charlotte Robertson.In recent years, the cemetery has suffered from neglect and vandalism. The Davidson County Master Gardeners became involved in the late 1990s as a part of a renewed conservation and restoration effort by the newly formed Nashville City Cemetery Association and the Metropolitan Historical Commission. Master Gardeners plant vinca minor, also known as periwinkle or graveyard vine, between the close set old markers and tombs. With time and growth the vinca will displace grass and weeds, thereby reducing the damage done to the soft limestone monuments by weed eaters and lawnmowers.
Master Gardeners participated in a restoration planting in which trees were replanted where the same species had stood on the original cemetery plan. Master Gardeners have also served as guides on the annual interpretive history tour organized by the Cemetery Association and the Historical Commission that is held each October. Our program of planting is ongoing in an effort to aid in the conservation of this important Nashville historic landmark.
Link to Nashville City Cemetery Association Website