This weekend most Bluefields neighbors would have received a letter from the Tennessee Historical Commission verifying that their property has been placed on the National and Tennessee Registers of Historic Places by the National Park Services of the United States Departments of the Interior on March 22, 2016. What an unbelievable honor and privile...
Hi guys I attended a great meeting hosted by Councilman Jeff Syracuse Metro Council District 15 tonight. The first steps in making Donelson Village walkable. Project managers and engineers were on hand to explain their projects. We are looking at a sidewalk with grass strip running along Lebanon Road from Graylynn to Bluefields and coming just into...
A community meeting hosted by Jeff Syracuse Metro Council, District 15 will be held on Tuesday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. Three sidewalk projects are coming to the heart of Donelson! A community meeting already took place last Fall about the project that will connect Stanford Montessori to the Donelson Library. This meeting will primarily be abou...
Metro Public Works is beginning its outreach for the 2016 Strategic Plan for Sidewalks and Bikeways Update, known as WalknBike, and we want your feedback!
The kickoff meeting will be on Friday, April 15 from noon to p.m. at Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St. Representatives from Metro Public Works and the consultant team will provide an overview of the yearlong project. This will also allow Nashvillians the chance to comment on your experience with sidewalks and bikeways and what you want to see in the future.
You can offer your feedback for the upcoming plan by taking the first community survey, which should take only a couple of minutes. Additionally, you can add your comments to this interactive map. The map allows you to pin point exactly where sidewalk and bikeway improvements need to be made.
Your voices and participation are the key to Nashville having a world-class network of sidewalks and bikeways.
For more information, please be sure to visit the WalknBike website.
There was a packed house at Clover Bottom mansion for the TN Historical Commission's meeting this past Wednesday, with lots of Bluefields residents in attendance. And... after an impressive presentation and slideshow highlighting the historical and architectural significance of our homes (presented by the Metro Historical Commission), the State Review Board voted unanimously to accept our listing nomination for the National Register of Historic Places!
The nomination and certifying recommendations will now be submitted to the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. for final review and listing by the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, who will make a listing decision within 45 days. Residents will then receive a letter confirming the designation, along with information on ordering a bronze plaque if they wish.
Many thanks to everyone -- Bluefields residents working independently and members of both Metro and Tennessee Historical Commissions -- who worked so hard to make this happen!
For more info: http://www.nps.gov/nr/national_register_fundamentals.htm
Calling all Bluefields neighbors! Please join us this Wednesday to witness a milestone in the History of Bluefields, as the Tennessee State Historical Commission assists in the completion of Bluefield's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places before the State Review Board. Wear your Blue -- we'll see you there!
Meeting location and time:
Tennessee Historical Commission, Clover Bottom Mansion
2941 Lebanon Pike
Nashville, TN
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
9:00 a.m.
All Bluefields neighbors are invited to come to the Low Country Boil today (Saturday, Oct. 3) from 4-6 at 2708 Overhill Drive. President Ray Mosely tells us that tents have been set up -- and a great Beatles cover band will be entertaining us -- so, no matter the weather, we hope everyone can come by for some great music and food!!!
2708 Overhill Drive
Sat., Oct. 3, 2015
4pm to 6pm
Rebecca Anderson Hunt, daughter of former Bluefields resident James Thomas "Jim" Anderson, contacted us today with news that her father has recently passed, at the age of 81. He was the son of Thomas Loyd and Pauline Mize Anderson, who lived at 2730 Bluefield Avenue from about 1948 to the 1980's.
Rebecca related how much she had loved the house and the neighbors when she'd spent time here in the 70's -- and recalled how, when she was just learning to drive, her grandmother Pauline Anderson had often made her drive her and all her friends (Bluefields neighbors) to the doctor in her big Ford LTD!!
A few weeks ago, I decided to finally devote some time to documenting the Bluefields families listed in the 1940 U. S. Federal Census. The census taker (a Mrs. Oda Mai Britt) made the task pretty easy, since she had clearly written "Bluefields Subdivision" in the left margin on all 7 census pages. There were 46 households listed, beginning with the Ora J. Stocker family and ending with the Donald E. Sanders family.
In reading all the names, occupations, etc. included in the census data, I naturally began wondering which house each of these families had lived in. The census records, however, only show the order in which each household was visited. They don't include the house numbers or Bluefields street name. So, it's difficult to know exactly what route Mrs. Britt travelled on those two days in April 1940 when she wound her way through our neighborhood interviewing families.
The next part of my research involved documenting what year each house in Bluefields was built, then searching Metro property records for names that matched those on the census. That's been a pretty slow process - especially since some of the records and deeds I looked at were more complete than others - but I did find a few matches. (I've also been simultaneously researching some of the fascinating people I discovered who were early residents. More on them in the coming weeks!)
Since I know I'm not the only one in the neighborhood who enjoys this kind of research, I would LOVE it if any of our Bluefields neighors could offer additional info (such as, "Oh, the Griggs family lived in such and such house..."). That would certainly help fill in some of the historical blanks!!
Meanwhile, here's the documentation I have so far:
Bluefields in 1940 - Click Here
I was saddened to hear today that Adelaide Friedli (Mrs. Ernest) Niederhauser has recently passed away. She worked with her husband and other relatives in the family business, Swiss Farm Dairy, which occupied the land where the present-day Bluefield Square is located.
According to her obituary, she was 105 years old at the time of death, and had lived unassisted at Brandywine Farms in Old Hickory until the age of 104.
Click Here to read Adelaide Niederhauser's obituary
(The date of her death is incorrect in the obituary. I believe it should read June 29, 2015.)
For those who have not heard, I also learned that Mrs. Niederhauser's daughter-in-law, Sally Ann Niederhauser, passed away earlier this year.
Bluefield neighbors Ray Mosley & Jeff Pratt teamed up recently to replace the damaged sign post at the Bluefields/Spring Valley Road entrance area. A truck with a trailer that wasn't very secure hit the post last Sunday morning breaking the post at base (beyond repair) and also taking out the flower basket (still missing at this stage). Unfortunately we did not get the tags but it does highlight the ongoing problem of speed coming off Lebanon Road.
As you can see by the attached photo Ray and Jeff a great job and in a very quick manner. I can say as a neighbor I certainly appreciate the speed in which this was tackled and fixed. The cost to replacing the post was estimated around $150.00 not counting the labor and time of Ray and Jeff.
If you would like you would like to contribute to the cost involved in this repair please click here and fill out our donation form (and you will then be directed to Paypal to make the donation).
http://historicbluefields.com/dontate
Any additional donations we receive over $150.00 will be used for some new plants in that area (to match the two other triangles along Bluefield Avenue which are both looking superb this summer...)
We have all driven by the War Memorial on Lebanon Road opposite Bluefields Entrance. It not only represents the memory of those who have died or were injured fighting for their country but it is also a welcoming entrance area to Donelson Village.
So it is exciting to be able to share an update of the following improvements and upgrade to the War Memorial with efforts being led Brian McClanahan of the American Legion Post 88 and the Donelson Girls Scout Troop 391/1421. By all accounts this is also great step forward in the revitalization of Donelson Village.
Here is a summary of what you will be seeing happening in the upcoming months.
Improvements to the American Legion Auxiliary Post 88 War Memorial and Grounds
We are currently working with Home Depot in Hermitage to place a bid with their corporate office to donate much of the supplies and labor needed for this project. Our post has been blessed to have been awarded grants from the Home Depot Corporation in the past and look forward to continued association with them.
Based on Music City Star ridership being up 20% from last year the MTA/RTA is now in the early stages of planning a couple of side rails for long-term planning of increased use of the line (Source Jeff Syracuse - Metro Council District 15 Candidate). This is great news for neighbors living on the Nashville Eastern Railroad line with Bluefields sitting in the most enviable position opposite Donelson Station. Since the AMP was rejected by Nashville residents the conversation has moved to commuter Rail as the most viable form of 21st century travel.
Please come on out and lets get Bluefields looking clean and green on Saturday April 11th from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m *... all neighbors and friends are welcome to pitch in and help!
Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement program, takes place annually from March 1 through May 31, involving an estimated 3 million volunteers and attendees. Bluefield Avenue in particular has accumulated trash over the winter in particular at entrance areas and our focus is to pick up trash from one end of Bluefields Avenue to the other to make sure that the great landscaped common areas are our major attraction as folks drive thru our neighborhood (we also believe this will deter people from discarding trash along Bluefields Avenue). We will be setting up 2 primary stations in Bluefields as we did in 2014...
Bluefields Neighbor Stacey Harrison Boyd is hosting a Herb & Plow Farms CSA group at her home in Bluefield again this year. Starting in May, each week members get a box of fresh fruits and veggies direct from the farm - no GMO's, pesticides, or herbicides! Pick up will be on Tuesdays, 5-6....TWO share sizes to choose from & THREE payment options (1-pay for season in advance, 2-pay monthly, 3-pay weekly....this is one of the only CSA'S that offers weekly payment system).
Drop in for just a minute to sign the petition or stay and chat with Jeff about Donelson's future and his vision for the community.
Petition Drive Details:
Sunday March 8, 2015 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
David & Maggie Sidlinger
279 Cumberland Circle
Jeff is ready to kick this campaign into high gear and work hard to meet with as many neighbors, faith leaders, business and organizations as possible across the 15th District!
Please join us to meet with Jeff and sign his petition to be officially placed on the ballot!
Join us for the 30th Annual DH Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6, 2014! "30 Years...An American Christmas Tradition"
Grand Marshall: Hope Hines, Emmy Award Winning Television Broadcaster
Dear Bluefields Neighbors, I would like to personally thank the 2014 BHA Officers and Board Members (Peter Beare, Maggie Sidlinger, Glenda Reagan, Carla Cannon, Megan Deardorff, and John Doak) for their countless hours of volunteering and devotion to Bluefields. The teamwork displayed throughout the past year and a half is amazing. We have progress from only having a Vice-President, Treasurer, and 3 of 6 Board member seats filled to having a full slate of Officers and Board Members for the 2015 slate. Thank you to all of you who agreed to serve another year due to lack of volunteers and participation prior to the AGM. Your intentions to serve your neighborhood are very appreciated!
Please join us for The Bluefields Homeowners Association Annual General Meeting that is scheduled for Tuesday November 18, 2014 at Fifty Forward commencing at 6:00 p.m. The Board of Directors are appointed annually (at the Annual General Meeting) and serve for 1 year.
Historic Bluefields Smartgrowth Committee invites you to information sessions on:
Metropolitan Historic/Conservation Zoning – Bluefields the NEXT 100 years!
We want your ideas!! This is strictly an information sharing seminar and we encourage you to attend!
