Nashville’s Fort Negley to undergo multimillion-dollar renovation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Fort Negley is about to undergo a massive transformation. Nashville is investing $12 million to make the Civil War-era fort a space for recreation while also honoring its history .

Union troops built Fort Negley following the capture of Nashville during the Civil War.

“This was the largest inland stone fort in the nation,” said Cyril Stewart.

However, not a lot of people know it very well.

“We all forgot about it. I grew up in Nashville and never really thought about Fort Negley being here or knew anything about it,” Stewart said.

Now he knows a lot about these 64 acres. As president of the Friends of Fort Negley , his group has been championing this project for years. When construction starts next year, it’ll be one step closer to reality.

“It’ll be a beautiful place to be, to come, to learn, but also to have events and come with your family, come with your dog, and enjoy the landscape,” said Stewart.

The old Nashville Sounds stadium next door will be included in this overall plan, as well as an eventual upgrade to the visitors center in later years.

“It will create all of that into a grand lawn, into native grasslands and meadows, walking trails through there, accessible paths,” Stewart said.

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Despite all the changes, Fort Negley’s history will still be preserved. Pieces of glass will show visitors what the old fort looked like during a dark time in our country’s history.

“A lot of the enslaved came here — some voluntarily, some coerced — but they came in terrible conditions, but they saw this as a beacon of hope where they could come and escape from the bonds of slavery and come to this place and find a new life,” said Stewart. “A number of them died during on the site during the construction of the fort, but they created something that’s lasted all this time.”

With this multimillion-dollar overhaul, organizers hope Fort Negley and its past will be preserved for generations.

Fort Negley will stay open during construction next year. The project is expected to take 18 months to complete. Meanwhile, the Friends of Fort Negley is looking to raise $10 million to $15 million to complete future phases.

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