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

Tennessee State Penitentiary

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 31, 2025

1. Tennessee State Penitentiary Marker

Inscription. Located along the Cumberland River at Cockrill Bend, the Tennessee State Penitentiary operated here from 1898 to 1992. Nicknamed "the Castle," the fortress-like complex was designed by Chattanooga architect Samuel Patton, with a central administration building flanked by five-story cell block wings segregated by race and gender. The maximum security prison was closed by a federal court decision due to perpetual overcrowding and poor conditions.
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Located behind 20-foot stone walls, the self-supporting campus included a hospital, chapel, industrial shops, cafeteria, gym, and a death house where 125 prisoners were executed from 1916 to 1960. The prison is associated with popular culture through film and music as a result of having produced an inmate band The Prisonaires, having hosted concerts by Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Linda Ronstadt, and Eddy Arnold, and having served as the setting for films such as The Last Castle and The Green Mile.

Erected 2025 by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 3A 224.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places.

Location. 36° 10.297′ N,

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86° 51.792′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in The Nations. It is at the intersection of Bomar Boulevard and Centennial Blvd, on the left when traveling north on Bomar Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 109 Bomar Blvd, Nashville TN 37209, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Cockrill Bend (within shouting distance of this marker); Chickasaw Treaty (approx. 0.6 miles away); “Travelers' Rest” (approx. one mile away); England Park (approx. 1.1 miles away); Cockrill School (approx. 1½ miles away); Sykes Field (approx. 1½ miles away); Robertson Avenue (approx.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 31, 2025

2. Tennessee State Penitentiary Marker

1½ miles away); Battle of Nashville (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 31, 2025

3. Tennessee State Penitentiary Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 298 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 31, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.