North Capitol in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Hell’s Half Acre

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 21, 2020

1. Hell’s Half Acre

Inscription. North and west of the State Capitol was an area city reformers called "Hell's Half Acre." Home to immigrants and free and enslaved Blacks, it was a part of a red-light district before, during and after the Civil War. Line St. (now Jo Johnston Ave.) included brothels, bars and secret gambling houses, but the area was also home to a rich African-American culture. Razed as part of the Capitol Hill redevelopment plan in the 1950s, its residents relocated to other parts of the city.

Erected 2019 by The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. (Marker Number 190.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, US Civil.

Location. 36° 10.11′ N, 86° 47.119′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in North Capitol. It is at the intersection of James Robertson Parkway (U.S. 31) and 6th Avenue North, in the median on James Robertson Parkway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Nashville TN 37219, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker

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is in Middle Tennessee.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: America's Musical Roots in Tennessee (within shouting distance of this marker); Zero (within shouting distance of this marker); Tennessee Trails Past and Present (within shouting distance of this marker); Tennessee's Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); Tennessee's Nature (within shouting distance of this marker); Tennessee Before Statehood (within shouting distance of this marker); The First Tennesseans (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Tennessee's Foundation (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.

Hell’s Half Acre Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 21, 2020

2. Hell’s Half Acre Marker

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 21, 2020

3. Hell’s Half Acre

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 21, 2020

4. Hell’s Half Acre Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2020, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 8,270 times since then and 240 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 21, 2020, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.