If there’s one community in Nashville that tells a rich, historic story, it’s Belle Meade, Tennessee.
Belle Meade, Tennessee is listed in the Top 10 Luxury Communities of Nashville for it’s majestic residential and historical architecture, rich history, geographic situation and unique shopping and restaurant options. Although it’s total square miles is only 3.1 with a population of about 3,000, it’s influence is large.
Belle Meade was originally a plantation founded by John Harding and included 5,300 acres. His son, William Harding, inherited the family plantation and made many improvements including the construction of a new mansion that today is open to the public touring. The construction was completed by Mr. Hardings 136 slaves.
In 1906 the plantation along with 2,200 acres was sold to Jacob Dickinson because of debt. Mr. Dickinson was the general counsel of the Illinois Central Railroad and served as the United States Secretary of War from 1909 to 1911. Shortly after his purchase, he co-founded the Belle Meade Land Company with four partners. In 1910, most likely because of his energy being focused on serving his country, the company was sold to three investors; Luke Lea, publisher of The Tennessean, Telfair Hodgson Jr., Treasurer of Sewanee: The University of the South and David Shepherd.
The new owners of the Belle Meade Land Company began working on the community planning and infastructure for the property, working on the main streets; Jackson Boulevard and Belle Meade Boulevard. The Company commissioned Johnson Bransford to build what was to become Deer Park, Berkely Hills, Reservoir Hill and, beginning in 1915, the 43 acre Belle Meade Golf Links subdivision.
In 1963 Nashville’s Davidson County added Belle Meade to it’s territory and allowed the area to retain an independant city status that included it’s own police force, mayor and city hall. Residents maintained their Belle Meade city identity but now had to pay both city taxes; Metro and City of Belle Meade.
Since July 7, 2004, there are 117 homes in the city that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places including such architectural classification as Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Bungalow Craftsman and Minimalist Traditional. These classifications reflect upon which period of history they were built. For example, in the second decade of the twentieth century the Craftsman style bungalow was the popular home style which then gave way to the revival styles of Tudor, Mediterranean and Colonial in the years between World War I and World War II. After the these wars ended the style of choice became the Colonial Revival and Minimal Traditional.
Taking a tour of the five main streets will take you on a historic journal as you consider the significance of these building styles in the place of times past. The tour would include; Windsor Drive, Blackburn Avenue, Pembroke Avenue, Westover Drive and Harding Place. These main streets of the subdivision are in the same formation as when first designed and constructed. There are 161 lots that are included in the original plat map and 159 that are a part of the district. There are 138 homes that reside on the 159 lots.
Drive through the winding sleekly curved neighborhood of the Belle Meade Golf Links subdivision and truly get a feel of the cultural changes that took place as our country moved out of a slavery work force, through the World Wars and into a new era.
Residence of Belle Meade enjoy service offerings from their own Public Works that include trash and recycling pickup, chipper and landscaping debris pickup, city sewer with its own pressure system and its own police force. The Belle Meade police force provide a neighborhood watch program, prescription drug collection, out of town house check service and the availability of hiring an off-duty officer for special occasions. These services help keep this community clean and safe.
