Nashville, Indiana

Encyclopedia : N : NA : NAS : Nashville, Indiana

Nashville is a town in Brown County, Indiana, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census. The town is the county seat of Brown County^{[Geographic references#6GR6]}. The town is best known as being an artists colony with a variety of specialty shops.

Contents

1 History
2 Shopping and entertainment
3 Art Galleries
4 Lodging and Accommodations
5 Geography
6 Demographics
7 Trivia
8 Nearby points of interest
9 External links

History

Van Buren St. in Nashville, Indiana showing some shops and the historic Nashville House

Settlement of land in and around Nashville began with the acquisition of land from native populations under the 1809 Treaty of Fort Wayne. This was expanded with more acquisitions under the 1818 Treaty of St. Mary's. By 1840 area population had grown to more than 2,300. The first Nashville courthouse was constructed in 1837 and a jail was added in the same year. The town was officially incorporated in 1872. By the turn of the century, heavy logging in the area had caused significant deforestation which resulted in significant erosion problems. The population shrunk over the span of several decades and did not recover to 1890 levels until 90 years later in 1980.

Entrance to a shop in the Bartley House

With the opening of a rail station six miles away in Helmsburg, Indiana the area became more accessible to travelers and tourists. A number of writers told the world about the beauties of the community and the nature of the quaint village of Nashville, and the foundations of the artists colony were made. Artists from around the country began to make Nashville their home. Among the earlier artist settlers were T. C. Steele and Adolph Schulz.

Today, Nashville boasts a thriving tourist industry based upon the original works of resident artists and upon the area's natural beauty. Nearby Brown County State Park is visited by more than a million people per year, many of whom come to see resplendent fall colors in the trees of the forests in the park and its environs.

Shopping and entertainment

Some of the unique shops in an area of Nashville called 'Antique Alley'

Nashville is known for its unique shopping experience, with hundreds of specialty, antique, crafts and other art shops often with the artists working in shop demonstrating their trade. As a result, Nashville is often viewed as an artists colony and many artists call this community home. Artworks on exhibit and sale include watercolor, sculpture, stained glass, blown glass, hand carved furniture, custom jewelry and one of a kind perfumes.

Nashville is also host to a number of entertainment venues. Among them are the Little Nashville Opry, Coachlight Theatre and the Brown County Playhouse. The latter is operated by Indiana University—Bloomington, and some fine actors and actresses have performed on this stage including Peter Sellars, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Kevin Kline.

Art Galleries

Nashville Indiana is home to many wonderful artists. [The Iris Garden Gallery] is located in downtown Nashville, and is one of the oldest galleries in the town. It isn't unusual to see artists at work on any given day of the week at [The Iris Garden Gallery]. This also gives you the opportunity to meet the artists in person, and share creative thoughts and ideas. The [The Iris Garden Gallery] is owned by Matt and Amy Gray. Matt is the son of Jim Gray, well known artist. Jim was commissioned to paint a picture on the Voyager spacecraft. You can find original Jim Gray paintings at [The Iris Garden Gallery].

Lodging and Accommodations

[Boulders Lodge] is located on a private, secluded hilltop vista in Brown County, surrounded by 15 wooded acres. It is situated just eight miles north of Nashville, near the Bill Monroe Blue Grass Music Park in Bean Blossom. Boulders Lodge consists of two separate and private log cabins - Boulders I and Boulders II. One can rent either one for smaller, intimate gatherings, or both for larger reunions, receptions, retreats, groups, parties or meetings.

[The Iris Garden Cottages & Suites] is one of the few places for tourists to stay in downtown Nashville. The accommodations are within walking distance of all stores and shops. This makes it very convenient for tourists to drop off bags and packages and head back out to visit the town.

October is the busy month in Nashville, and finding a place to park can be quite a chore. At [The Iris Garden Cottages & Suites] one is guaranteed a fine parking spot. Guests can meet the artists and watch them work during their stay.

Another of the few places to stay is the [Hotel Nashville Resort] located on the northern edge of the shopping district. They have many different room types available, including suites, which include a full kitchen with refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and garbage disposal. It also can include two beds with a TV in each room. All rooms also come with a balcony and access to the heated indoor pool and spa. The resort is situated on a hill and a spectacular view of the area is available from every room.

Another in-town hotel is [Artist Colony Inn]. The Inn was built to resemble the old Pittman Inn where the first artists to take residence in Nashville would often stay or meet. A large white building located almost dead center of downtown, the Artist Colony includes its own restaurant featuring artwork for sale from local artists, and an attached shopping building featuring a few country shops, a cooking supply store, an antique gun replication shop, and a toy store. The rooms are done in a style that has been described as "Quaker", which consists of simply polished wood furniture and hardwood floors. The Inn also has a downstairs banquet area and a executive conference center as well as wireless internet connection. There is also a hot tub located on the roof.

Moondance Vacation Homes offers 14 homes acccomodating up to 15 guests. These homes all feature different settings from the middle of town, wooded settings and lake side. Homes feature hot tubs, pool tables, fireplaces, cable/satellite television and more. All of these properties are up to date and are very well cared for. These homes can be viewed at [link].

There is also the [Seasons Lodge]. Rooms are made to look rustic, with log furniture and quilt bedspreads. The Seasons features a long balcony across its upper floor that faces out towards the State Park, as well as its own dining hall, lounge, and a pool area located in a greenhouse type building. The hotel is also one of the few places that readily serves steak, including their prime rib buffet on Friday nights. Though the Lodge is located about a quarter mile outside of town, there is a trolley service that will take guests to the town and back.

Geography

Nashville is located at [39°12′11″N, 86°14′18″W] (39.203025, -86.238236)^{[Geographic references#1GR1]}.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²). 2.5 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.04% is water.

Demographics

As of the census^{[Geographic references#2GR2]} of 2000, there were 825 people, 375 households, and 181 families residing in the town. The population density was 335.3/km² (868.6/mi²). There were 412 housing units at an average density of 167.4/km² (433.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.09% White, 0.85% African American, 0.85% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.61% of the population.

There were 375 households out of which 16.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.5% were non-families. 45.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86 and the average family size was 2.58.

In the town the population was spread out with 13.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 31.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 77.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,330, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,723. About 14.3% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

Trivia

There are two covered bridges in the Nashville area. The Ramp Creek Bridge which is located south of town at the North Entrance of the state park, and the Bean Blossom Bridge which is 10 minutes north on Covered Bridge Road.
There are 26 restaurants in and around the town, only one of which is a fast food chain -- McDonalds.
Only three traffic lights in the whole town.
Contains one of the only three sock factories in the United States which is for the For Bare Feet store, which sells a variety of novelty socks.
Also contains one of the three hologram shops in North America; Taylor's Forth Dimension.

Nearby points of interest

External links

www.browncounty.com [link]

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