USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > Nashville > History of Nashville, Tenn. > Part 59
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Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery is located north-west of Mount Ol- ivet Cemetery, and is about two miles from the city. Fifty acres were purchased here in 1868 for $15,000. The grounds have since then been greatly improved, and are now exceedingly beautiful and attractive. It is under the management of the cathedral congregation, the bishop and pastor of the Church being ex officio members of the special committee having it in charge.
Mount Ararat Cemetery, belonging to the colored people, is located two miles from Nashville, on the Murfreesboro pike. It was opened in 1869 by an association of negroes, and has been governed by a board of trustees.
The Hebrew Cemetery is two miles from the city, and near St. Cecilia Academy. Originally it contained two acres of ground. It has since been considerably enlarged, and is now one of the most beautiful ceme- teries in the city.
CHAPTER XX.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The Protestant Orphan Asylum-St. Mary's Orphan Asylum-The State Penitentiary-The Tennessee School for the Blind-The Tennessee Hospital for the Insane-The City Hospi- tal-Davidson County Asylum for the Poor and Insane.
T 'HE Protestant Orphan Asylum is one of the excellent institutions of Nashville. It was established January 16, 1845, under the direction of a Board of Managers, with Mrs. H. Hitchcock as the first President. At first it was located on Mclemore Street near Church Street, but in 1866 it was removed two miles out on the Franklin pike. Subsequently it was removed to No. 143 South Spruce Street (what is now No. - North Spruce). It is now located on the Franklin pike just outside the city limits, at what was the homestead of Dr. C. D. Elliott. This house has recently been improved by the addition of a wing for a dining-room and dormitory, at a cost of $6,000. Up to 1882 the number of children admitted to the care of the institution was about five hundred, and the number has averaged since then about forty in regular care of the insti- tution. The children admitted are generally kept in the Asylum until able to take care of themselves, or are taken away by married people who have no children of their own. Mrs. Felicia G. Porter was Presi- dent of this Asylum for many years, and to her untiring labors and zeal in its behalf much of the credit is due for the success which has attend- ed it. She died in 1889, and was succeeded in the office of President by Mrs. R. A. Young, of the West End Methodist Episcopal Church, South; the other officers being as follows: Vice-president, Mrs. A. G. Adams, First Presbyterian Church; Second Vice-president, Mrs. M. Hamilton, McKendree Church; Treasurer, Mrs. D. F. Wilkin, First Presbyterian Church; Recording Secretary, Mrs. P. H. Manlove, First Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. B. R. Cutter, First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. At the last annual meeting, held February 3, 1890, at the residence of Mrs. Thomas S. Marr, No. 115 South Spruce Street, an executive committee was ap- pointed consisting of the President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Mrs. J. W. Manier and Mrs. James Kirkman. Besides these officers there are twenty-seven managers, representing all of the Protestant Churches in the city, as follows:
First Presbyterian Church .- Mrs. A. G. Adams, Mrs. D. F. Wilkin, Mrs. G. W. Fall, and Mrs. H. Craighead.
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PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
Moore Memorial Church .- Mrs. H. Clark, Mrs. William Mitchell, and Mrs. R. T. Bowles.
McKendree . Church .- Mrs. M. Hamilton, Mrs. G. W. Manier, Mrs. W. T. Turley, Mrs. S. J. Keith, and Mrs. W. B. Cooper.
Christ Episcopal Church .- Mrs. A. J. Porter, Mrs. James P. Kirk- man, and Mrs. J. Knowles.
First Baptist Church .- Mrs. H. G. Scovel, Mrs. G. E. Gilbert, and Mrs. Roger Eastman.
First Cumberland Presbyterian Church .- Mrs. L. H. Lanier, Sr., Mrs. B. R. Cutter, and Mrs. P. H. Manlove.
First Christian Church .- Mrs. E. A. Wharton, Mrs. T. S. Marr, and Mrs. Andrew Ewing.
West End Methodist Church .- Mrs. R. A. Young, Mrs. Ed Buford, and Mrs. H. B. Plummer.
Tulip Street Methodist Church .- Mrs. G. McClelland, Mrs. Frank Moore, and Mrs. Thomas Stratton.
First Presbyterian Church of Edgefield .- Mrs. R. S. Hollins and Mrs. J. N. Brooks.
First Baptist Church of Edgefield .- Mrs. Ed Hill.
St. Anne's Episcopal Church .- Mrs. William Orr and Mrs. George Jackson.
Elm Street Church .- Mrs. William McCarthy and Mrs. R. W. Turner. Carroll Street Church .- Mrs. Hooper Phillips.
The Advisory Board consists of Mrs. A. G. Adams, Mrs. John M. Lea, Mrs. Thompson Anderson, Mrs. H. G. Scovel, Mrs. Joseph H. Thompson, Mrs. Baxter Smith, and Mrs. George A. Smith.
The number of inmates at the time of the last annual report was thirty- one, and the expenditures for the year then closing were in round num- bers $3,000. There are ten acres in the grounds, and the property is valued at $10,000.
St. Mary's Orphan Asylum was established in November, 1863. The first meeting of the Cathedral congregation called for the purpose of or- ganizing an orphan asylum was held November 15 of that year. At this meeting there were present thirty-two gentlemen. These gentlemen re- solved to organize themselves into a society for the purpose of contribut- ing and securing contributions to assist in establishing and supporting a Catholic Orphan Asylum. Of those who attended this meeting the fol- lowing were enrolled as members: Very Rev. J. A. Kelly, Philip Olwill, E. E. Jones, William Winter, John Curran, James Doyle, Patrick Ryan, John Dolan, Thomas Reilly, Michael Keane, Patrick McGovern, Thom- as Farrell, Lawrence Olwill, F. H. Cunningham, Patrick Pendergast, B.
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HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
Eckelcamp, Thomas Panton, Peter C. Hanson, Martin Drury, Thomas Connor, and H. S. Thatcher.
A meeting was held March 6, 1864, at which rules were adopted for the government of the association, and the following officers were elect- ed: President, Philip Olwill; First Vice-president, Thomas Connor; Second Vice-president, Michael McCormack; Secretary, E. E. Jones. Some time previously Very Rev. J. A. Kelley had been declared Treas- urer and Director until the arrival of Rt. Rev. Bishop Feehan. A site for the asylum was purchased from John Kirkman for $10,000. It was situated about two hundred yards south of Brown's Creek, and between the Chattanooga railroad and the Murfreesboro pike on an elevated plat of ground and commanding a fine view of the surrounding country. On May 17, 1864, Sisters Benoine, Josepha, and Gertrude arrived in the city from Somerset, O., and immediately took charge of the asylum. On the 19th of the month the first orphan was received into the asylum, sent there by Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee. Thirteen others arrived before July 1. Sister Gertrude, who had been ill ever since her arrival in the city, died July 7, and from that time until November 28, 1864, the two remaining Sisters took care of the orphans. On that day Sisters Mary Dolores and Ursula arrived from St. Catherine's, in Ken- tucky. On November 30 the Federal and Confederate armies encom- passed the building on all sides, and the inmates were in great danger from the batteries of the contending forces. The Federal commander, therefore, informed the Sisters that it was necessary for them to leave the premises, and about 4 A.M. of December I they, together with the orphans, took possession of the basement of the Catholic cathedral, where they remained four weeks. They then moved to a house of Mr. Reade, on the Franklin pike, remaining there until September 1, 1865.
Immediately after their removal to the cathedral a guard was placed in possession of the asylum property, with the view of protecting it as well as possible ; but on the nights of December 10 and II the weather became very cold, and as a consequence all the fencing was torn down and burned. On the night of the 12th a regiment of Federal soldiers overcame the guard, and carried away and burned all the doors, window shutters, sash, and all other wood work about the building, and a day or two more sufficed to destroy all the wood about the premises. The walls of the building were themselves so far destroyed as to render rebuilding nec- essary. During the summer of 1865, however, the Government of the United States restored the building to its original condition, and it was again re-occupied by the Sisters and the orphans under their charge September 1, 1865.
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PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The house soon proved too small, and Rev. Father Kelley added a second story to the building at a cost of $10,000, exclusive of the cupola, which was contributed by Mr. William Simmons. Upon the completion of the building efforts were made to furnish it in a comfortable manner, and many of the most prominent Protestants contributed liberally toward this end. The entire cost of the addition and furnishing was $11, 216.10.
The State Penitentiary is situated on West Church Street, about a mile and a half from the court-house. The original building was erected in 1830 and 1831, though the date "1828" is on the south front of the building. In 1857 the west wing was added at a cost of $36,000, and in 1867 two large workshops were built, which are known as the east and west shops. The buildings occupy three sides of a hollow square, em- bracing an area of about five acres, and the value of the entire property is now estimated at $600,000. The number of convicts varies, being now upward of fourteen hundred, many of whom are, however, employed outside the prison in mining, railroad building, and other forms of labor. Up to 1871 the prisoners were employed by the State, but that year the law was so changed as to lease the prison and prisoners to private parties under contract for six years at a time. The first contract was taken by Cherry, O'Connor & Co., composed of W. H. Cherry, Thomas O'Con- nor, and General W. Y. C. Humes, the latter a practicing attorney of Memphis. The second lease was taken December 1, 1876, by different individuals, but under the same firm name, these parties being W. H. Cherry, Thomas O'Connor, A. N. Shook, and William Morrow. Matt Allen was Superintendent of the works. This company continued to lease the institution until 1889, when the lease was secured by the Cherry- Morrow Manufacturing Company, a brief history of which is presented on page 228.
The Tennessee School for the Blind was chartered in 1846. This was not, however, the commencement of work in the interest of blind per- sons. That work was begun in 1844, by an exhibition in one of the . churches of the ability of the blind to read raised letters by the sense of touch. By means of this exhibition such an interest was awakened in the subject of education of the blind that it was determined to establish a school for that purpose. Subscriptions were made, and a house rented and furnished. Much that was then done was owing to the efforts made by Mrs. John Bell, Mrs. Matthew Watson, Mrs. Joseph H. Marshall, and Mrs. William H. Morgan. The first teacher selected was James Champ- lin, who had given the exhibition above referred to, but, on account of feeble health, he was unable to bring about important results. Trustees were about this time appointed in the persons of Rev. J. T. Edgar, Rev.
554
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
R. B. C. Howell, and Rev. J. T. Wheat. These trustees elected as Principal W. H. Churchman, who remained but a short time after the school received its charter from the Legislature, and was succeeded by E. W. Whelan, of Philadelphia, who remained until May, 1849. Mr. Jacob Berry, also of Philadelphia, then succeeded to the principalship of the school, but in a few months died of cholera, as did also the Matron of the school and several of the most promising pupils. Mr. Whelan then volunteered to take temporary charge of the school, remaining but a short time, when he was succeeded by Mr. Fortescue, who was in charge but two months.
The visitation of the cholera and the frequent changes of its manage- ment rendered the school any thing but popular, and it was for a time but poorly patronized. J. M. Sturtevant took charge of the school in January, 1850, and in 1852 an appropriation was obtained for the erec- tion of a building upon a lot to be donated by the citizens of Nashville. The building was occupied in January, 1853, and enlarged to meet the necessities of the school from time to time until 1861, when the entire cost had reached $25,000. During that year it was seized for a Confed- erate hospital, and so used until shortly after the fall of Fort Donelson, when it became a Federal hospital. In November, 1862, the building was entirely destroyed, and the pupils, who had, from the time of the seizure of the building by the Confederate authorities, been taken care of in private houses, were gradually dispersed to their respective homes. Those who had no homes were taken care of by the Superintendent until 1867, when the school was reorganized and carried on in a rented build- ing. In October, 1872, Hon. John M. Lea purchased the Claiborne res- idence, on Lafayette Street, near the old water-works, for the purpose of donating it to the Tennessee School for the Blind, and it was thus donated shortly afterward. In 1873 the Legislature appropriated $40,- 000 for the erection of a building, and the succeeding Legislature appro- priated $30,000 more. The Legislature of 1879 made an appropriation of $34,000 for the purpose of carrying on the school during the years 1879 and 1880, and permitted other moneys previously appropriated to be used in making improvements on the building.
The number of pupils has varied with the ability of the school to care for them, the highest number being sixty-six previous to 1880. The num- ber during 1889-90 was 77 white and 14 colored children.
The Tennessee Hospital for the Insane is situated on the Murfreesboro turnpike, six miles from Nashville. The grounds comprise a beautiful farm of four hundred and eighty acres, in one of the healthiest localities in the State. Its establishment was the result of a visit to Tennessee of
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PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
Miss D. L. Dix, a noted philanthropist, who, perceiving the inadequacy of the accommodations for the insane, memorialized the Legislature on the subject; and the Legislature, in response to this memorial, passed an act, February 5, 1848, establishing a hospital for the insane. The com- missioners appointed by the Governor under this act were Alexander Allison, Lucius J. Polk, Andrew Ewing, T. J. Player, Samuel D. Mor- gan, John J. White, H. S. Frazier, D. D. Donaldson, and J. B. South- all. Dr. John J. Young was appointed Superintendent, and General A. Heiman architect, of the building to be erected. The two latter-named gentlemen visited various cities in the Northern and Eastern States for the purpose of examining institutions of a similar kind there, in order that they might perfect their own plans and do their work intelligently. At length the plan of the Butler Asylum at Providence, R. I., with slight modifications in architectural style, was adopted.
The hospital building is of the castellated style of architecture, with twenty-four octagonal towers placed on the corners of the main building and its wings. From the main building rises a large octagonal tower, twenty-five feet above the roof and sixteen feet in diameter. The build- ing is 405 feet from east to west, and 210 feet from north to south. The height of this building is eighty-five feet from the ground to the top of the large tower. The center, right, and left of the main building are four stories high above the basement, and the intervening ranges and wings are each three stories high.
The interior construction and arrangement are such as to best promote the convenience, comfort, and health of the inmates. The entire build- ing contains two hundred and sixty-five rooms, exclusive of domestic apartments, laundry, bath-rooms, clothes-rooms, etc. The ventilation of the building is most excellent, a constant supply of fresh air being fur- nished by means of a centrifugal fan, driven by steam. The heating arrangements are no less complete. The same is true of the accommo- dations for water, there being five tanks holding in the aggregate about eight thousand gallons, and filled by means of the steam-engine. The grounds surrounding the buildings are laid out in a most beautiful man- ner, and every known modern appliance and convenience are employed to restore the unfortunate inmate to a sound condition of mind.
The Superintendents of this asylum have been: W. A. Cheatham, 1852-62; W. P. Jones, M.D., 1862-69; John H. Callender, M.D., 1869 to the present time. The total number of admissions to this hospital since its foundation, March 1, 1852, to December 19, 1888, was 6,321, and the total number of discharges 5,889, leaving 432 in the hospital at the latter date.
556
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
The Davidson County Asylum for the Poor and Insane is situated three miles from the city on the Gallatin turnpike. The grounds occupied comprise one hundred and twelve acres of land, purchased in 1874 for $13,000. A house and office for the Superintendent were erected in place of the farm buildings that were upon the place at the time of the purchase. An insane asylum, a row of cottages for colored people and buildings for white people, were erected on three sides of an open square, the family residence occupying the fourth side. Other buildings were added as needed, at a cost, including the land, of $31,000.
The annual expense of this institution is about $20,000, one-fourth of which is met by the products of the farm. The Superintendents of the farm have been: Thomas Harris, from 1874 to 1875; W. S. Newsom, 1875 to 1877; I. J. Lanier, from 1877 to 1888; and J. Bowen, Jr., from 1888 to the present time. The number of inmates of this institution now is as follows: Whites: Males, 70; females, 52. Colored: Males, 47; females, 44. Children : Whites : Males, 3; females, 6. Colored : Males, 5; females, I. Employees, 14. Insane: Whites: Males, 14; females, 12. Colored: Males, 13; females, 9. Total, 300.
As stated in the Medical Chapter, Nashville had no public hospital un- til within the past year, except an unimportant, small affair immediately after the war, in which the sick poor were treated. A few years ago the faculty of the Medical Department of the University of Nashville added a wing to their college building, devoting it to hospital uses. Upon a contract as the lowest bidder this hospital received the sick poor for the city, and used the sick as material for clinical instruction. The two med- ical colleges were opposing bidders for the contract, and the faculty of the Medical Department of the University of Tennessee becoming the low- est bidders, the care of the sick was awarded to them, at a stipulated price for a term of years. As their term was drawing to a close a move was made for the establishment of a proper city hospital. Urged by newspaper editorials and articles, the Board of Public Works now in office brought the matter before the City Council and secured favorable action, and the erection of the present stately edifice, near the Tennessee School for the Blind, was the result. It was opened in the spring of 1890.
CHAPTER XXI.
SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS.
Masonic Lodges-Independent Order of Odd Fellows-Knights and Ladies of Honor-Knights of Pythias-United Order of the Golden Cross-American Legion of Honor-Ancient Or- der of United Workmen-Royal Arcanum-Frank Cheatham Bivouac, No. 1-George H. Thomas Post, No. I-Sheridan Post, No. 67-Tennessee Confederate Soldiers' Home-La- dies' Hermitage Association-Catholic Associations-Young Men's Christian Association- Female Bible and Charitable Society-Nashville Bible Society-Tennessee Antiquarian Society-Tennessee Historical Society-National Jackson Club-National Prison Reform Association.
T HE societies and associations, secret and otherwise, in Nashville are so numerous that it is impracticable to do otherwise than to treat each briefly in this chapter. The Masons are probably older than any other order in the State, the first charter for a Masonic Lodge in Tennessee having been issued by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina December 17, 1796. This first lodge was organized in Nashville, and was named St. Tammany, No. I. All the lodges organized in Tennessee up to 1812 continued under the authority of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, with one exception, and that was a lodge organized under a charter is- sued by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, which gave rise to a dispute be- tween the Grand Lodges of the two States of North Carolina and Ken- tucky as to their jurisdiction. The difficulty between the two Grand Lodges was not settled until a separate Grand Lodge was established in and for Tennessee.
This step was finally accomplished in 1813, a charter being granted by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina December 27 of that year. This charter was in the nature of a deed of relinquishment, and is believed to be the only one of the kind in the United States. The original Consti- tution of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee required its meetings to be held at the same place at which the Legislature convened, but in 1815 it was so amended as to make Nashville the permanent place of meeting. Up to 1819 these meetings were quarterly, since when they have been an- nual. The visit of the Marquis de Lafayette has been mentioned on page 102, and it is only necessary to add here that on that occasion he was elected an honorary member of the Grand Lodge, and was introduced to the lodge by General Jackson. This was on May 4, 1825. Several years previous to this time Cumberland Lodge, No. 8, had been organ- ized.
558
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
Cumberland Lodge, No. 8, held a meeting at 9 A.M., June 24, 1818, for the purpose of laying the corner-stone of Masonic Hall, about to be erected. The procession was formed at II A.M., and an oration was de- livered at I P.M. at the Presbyterian Church by John H. Eaton. The Rev. S. Streeter preached the sermon on the occasion, treating it as the anniversary of St. John the Evangelist. The corner-stone of the pres- ent Masonic Temple was laid October 6, 1858. During the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 the order was especially active in relieving the suffer- ing, contributing over $24,000 to that purpose. In 1885 the Grand Lodge had 409 subordinate lodges under its jurisdiction, with a total member- ship of 15,263. The total number of subordinate lodges in 1890 is 564.
Cumberland Lodge, No. 60, was instituted June 24, 1812, by dispen- sation from the Most Worshipful Robert Williams, Grand Master of North Carolina, and by Robert Searcy, the oldest Past Grand Master present. The following officers were installed: Hon. John Overton, W. M .; Lemuel T. Turner, S. W .; William P. Anderson, J. W. After- ward the following persons were appointed and installed: Anthony Fos- ter, Treasurer; Thomas G. Bradford, Secretary; Ephraim Pritchett, S. D .; John C. McLemore, J. D .; and Duncan Robertson, Tyler. Mem- bers joined the lodge to the number of ten before any petition for initia- tion was presented, the first petition being by George Morgan, October 20, 1812. The first person raised to the degree of Master Mason in this lodge was Wilkins Tannehill, April 28, 1813.
The Grand Lodge of Tennessee having been established, as related above, Cumberland Lodge, No. 60, surrendered its charter received from the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, and received a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, dated February 8, 1814. Soon after- ward a charter was granted to this lodge as Cumberland Lodge, No. 8, located at Nashville, and it has continued in existence until the present time. It meets at Masonic Temple on the third Saturday of each month.
Nashville Lodge, No. 27, was organized in 1821. James Overton was its first W. M. In the latter part of the year 1830 it ceased to exist, its members uniting with the old lodge. Subsequently Sewanee Lodge, No. 13I, Nashville Lodge, and Segnoyah Lodge were organized; but in 185I or 1852 they were all united under one charter and named Phenix Lodge, No. 131, which has been in continuous existence ever since. It meets regularly on the third Monday in each month at the Masonic Temple.
Claiborne Lodge, No. 293, was organized in 1865, and has been in existence ever since. It meets regularly in Claiborne Hall, South Nash- ville, on the second Monday in each month. Edgefield Lodge, No. 254, was also organized in 1865. It meets regularly on the first Thursday
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SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS.
night of each month at the corner of Woodland and Fifth Streets. Ger- mania Lodge, No. 355, was organized in 1868. It meets regularly at the Masonic Temple on the second Monday of each month. Corinthian Lodge, No. 414, was organized in 1870, and meets in the Masonic Tem- ple on the first Thursday night of each month.
Cumberland Chapter, No. 1, Royal Arch Masons, was organized some time previous to 1853. It meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Masonic Temple. Edgefield Chapter, No. 75, Royal Arch Ma- sons, was organized in 1868, and was in existence until 1880, when it was discontinued. King Cyrus Chapter, No. 107, was organized in 1873, and meets regularly at the Masonic Temple on the second Tuesday night of each month.
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