NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Fresh off their successful effort to prevent the demolition of a Nashville studio that once recorded the likes of Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, advocates want to include all of the city’s Music Row area in their preservation efforts.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced Monday that it is placing Music Row on its “National Treasure” list of historically significant sites threatened by development.
“Do we want to imagine Nashville without a Music Row?” asked David J. Brown, the group’s vice president and chief preservation officers. “It’s the heart and soul of this great city, and it’s definitely a national treasure.”
The Washington-based nonprofit is joining with the Music Industry Coalition, Mayor Karl Dean’s office, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. and city and state historical preservation groups to draw attention to Music Row’s cultural heritage.
Preservation efforts were jump-started last year amid plans by a developer to raze RCA Studio A and to build luxury condominiums in its place.