Nashville

Statistical Data

Name:

Nashville was named after General Francis Nash, who made a name for himself in the Revolutionary War. Nash was born in Virginia in 1742 and moved to Carolina, where he died in the battle of Germantown.
Nashville is in Davidson Country, which is named after General William Lee Davidson. General Davidson was also a the Revolutionary War hero.
The name Tennessee probably comes form the incorrect pronunciation of Tanase, a Cherokee village after which Tennessee was allegedly named.

History:

Nashville was founded in 1779 and was capital of Tennessee from 1812-1815 and has been capital for good since 1843.

Geography:

Nashville is on the banks of the Cumberland River located in the middle of the state of Tennessee. Nashville is called “Music City USA” or the world’s capital of Country Western Music. The geographic coordinates of Nashville: 36 degrees 37 minutes N and 86 degrees 41 minutes W and covers an area of 533 km².

Residents:

Davidson County has approximately 545,500 residents. Nashville is an international city, with a small but growing Asian and Hispanic population.

Climate:

Summers are very hot and winters by contracts are cold, while the spring and fall months can be very unpleasant. The weather can change very quickly. The first days of spring can be very warm and then the temperature can suddenly drop by 30 – 40 °F and there is ice and snow.
Average rainfall is 47.30″. The warmest day recorded was July 1952, the temperature 107 °F. The coldest day was recorded in January 1985, the temperature -17 °F.

Religion:

There are more than 800 churches in Nashville. The majority of the churches are protestant. There are however also Buddhist temples, Jewish synagogues, Hindu temple, etc.

Sites:

• Aaron Douglas Gallery – Art museum at Fisk University
• Belle Meade Plantation – Perhaps the most beautiful manor house in all of Tenessee
• Belmont Mansion – Built by Adelicia Acklen, one of the richest women in America
• Carnton Plantation – A plantation rich in history
• Country Music Hall of Fame – Tribute to the greats of country music where everything is recorded
• Fort Nashborough – Reconstruction of the original heart of Nashville
• Sarratt Gallery – Art gallery at Vanderbilt University
• Tennessee State Capitol – Tennessee state government bodies
• Tennessee State Museum – Museum of the history of Tennessee
• Travellers Rest Plantation – Oldest manor house in Nashville
• Van Vechten Gallery – Art museum at Fisk University with Picasso, Renoir and Cézanne
• Agricultural Museum – Agricultural open air museum
• Checkwood – Botanical garden, art gallery, sculptures and more
• Nashville Shores – Beaches on a man-made lake south from the Hermitage
• Adventure Science Center – Science museum not just for children
• The Nashville Toy Museum – Toy museum with dolls, teddy bears and toy trains
• Nashville Zoo – One of the most modern zoos in the USA
• General Jackson Showboat – Steamboat on the Cumberland River
• Music Valley Car Museum – Cars, cars, cars even from Elvis
• Highest Building: BellSouth Tower, 158 meters, 33 floors, built in 1994

Professional Sports:

• Soccer: Nashville Metros Soccer Club
• Baseball: Nashville Sounds
• American Football: Tennessee Titans
• Ice hockey: Nashville Predators

Viniculture:

There are three wineries around Nashville: Long Hollow Winery in Goodlettsville in Davidson County, Chateau Ross Vineyard & Winery in Springfield in Robertson County and Sumner Crest Winery & Vineyard in Portland in Sumner County.

Business:

Nashville is the home of the health service provider HCA. The retail business Dollar General has its headquarters in the suburb Goodlettsville.

Universities:

• Vanderbilt University, private, founded in 1873, approximately 6,000 students
• Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, state, founded in 1911, approximately 17,000 students
• Tennessee State University, state, founded in 1912, approximately 7,300 students

Source: Landeshauptstadt Magdeburg DS0052/03; Faragher, Scott (1998): Nashville, Gateway to the South