2013 Exhibits!

Come see our two new exhibits!  The exhibit cases are both in the middle school and our theme celebrates Harpeth Hall's rich history of athletics and wellness as well as leaders in physical education.

2013 Interview: Dr. W.E. Ward's great-granddaughter, Jean Ward Oldfield

Last week our Public History class participated in an Oral History project with Jean Ward Oldfield. The students prepared and asked her about her family and her time in school at Ward-Belmont. Here is some information about Mrs. Oldfield's family and connection to our school's history.

Ward's Seminary was founded by William E. Ward and Eliza Hudson Ward in 1865. The school merger with Belmont College for Young Women in 1913 to become Ward-Belmont. Harpeth Hall opened after the closing of W-B in 1951 when the college preparatory division failed to reopen as part of the new (co-ed) Belmont College. Jean Ward Oldfield was the daughter of William Ward III (the son of William and Eliza Ward). Although she never met her great-grandfather or great-grandmother she maintains a wealth of knowledge about the family, Nashville, and the founding of the school. Mrs. Oldfield also attended Ward-Belmont from 1943-1947. Upon graduation from W-B she attended Vanderbilt University where she received a B.S. After the interview, Mrs. Oldfield told us, "I enjoyed being with you and the girls and I hope the girls came away realizing how the lives of women have changed in really a pretty short time. The world is open to them. Also, maybe they will realize the importance of writing things down. How many times I have wished I could ask a question of someone who was no longer in this world. Have a good rest of the year and thanks for giving me the opportunity of talking about my family. Blessings!" Thank you to Maddie Shankle who did all of the video camera work and Ruth Huggins who took the following pictures.

Nashville City Cemetery (2013)

Opened in 1822, the City Cemetery is the oldest continuously operated public cemetery in Nashville. A walk through the cemetery is truly a walk through Nashville's history. The gravestones tell the stories of individuals and families from the 1820s to the present day.In response to the disrepair, vandalism, and neglect over many decades, former Mayor Bill Purcell and the Metro Council approved the Mayor's Capital Budget request for a $3M project to restore, which was completed in 2010. Many exciting and noticeable improvements have been made including paved walkways, street lights, named "streets" and new signage, working restrooms, informational kiosks throughout cemetery, dog waste stations, clearly marked rules, history markers, repair, restoration, and preservation of tombstones, markers, and other memorials. The cemetery has not become a tourist and local destination as well as a beautiful place to walk or visit regularly. There are also "living history" events held there during the year. The cemetery is maintained through a partnership between the Metro Historical Council and Nashville City Cemetery Association (a private, non-profit group). In the pictures below see our class TA (Maddie Shankle, Class of 2012) teach a lesson about prominent citizens buried in the cemetery. We also happen to see Miss Patty's sister, Jane Deloney, who was there changing the holiday greenery of her great-grandfather's final resting place. Finally, the class appreciated seeing the grave marker of one of the original, and most famous, of all the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ella Sheppard Moore. She was as popular in the late 1800s as Jennifer Hudson (minus social media) today!

Class links: Museums Matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4xaCmww7is 

NPR Story on Nashville Preservation http://wpln.org/?p=9105 

What is Public History? www.publichistory.org/what_is/definition.html 

Terminology- Full list: http://www.lib.umd.edu/NTL/glossary.html 

University of Delaware grad students find Jefferson letter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq1wNSPrj44
http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2010/dec/jefferson120309.html

Historians in Museums: http://www.historians.org/pubs/careers/chapter2.htm 

UMass Masters in Public History: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBDV0Mm7Z_U 

Nashville Cemetery:http://www.thenashvillecitycemetery.org/history.htm 

TSLA: http://www.tn.gov/tsla/index.htm 

Metro Historical Commission: http://www.nashville.gov/mhc/mhc_main.asp 

Belmont Mansion: http://belmontmansion.com/about-us/

Ryman Auditorium: http://www.ryman.com/