Site history Lick Branch, later known as French Lick Creek, was a stream that flowed through the present-day southern portion of Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. It contained numerous
salt licks and springs along its banks, including the McNairy Spring. Herds of
bison,
deer,
turkey,
bears, and other game wildlife were attracted to this stream, and Native American peoples including
Cherokee,
Chickasaw, and
Shawnee made use of animal trails in the area. Due to constant territorial disputes, the area was held by no single Native American group when European settlers first arrived. French traders under the command of Charles Charleville established a trading post near the site in 1714, which was the first European settlement in what is now Nashville and became known as French Lick. The French Lick Creek and spring attracted settlers from
East Tennessee to the region in 1779, who established
Fort Nashborough, the namesake of Nashville, along the
Cumberland River, and founded the
Cumberland Association the following year. The spring continued to be used as one of the city's primary water sources throughout the 19th century, and the area gradually became known as Sulphur Bottoms after another nearby spring. The arrival of the railroads in the 1850s positioned Nashville as a transportation hub. The area occupied by Bicentennial Mall remained undeveloped until the mid-1830s, when skilled German immigrants began to settle south of French Lick Creek. This neighborhood, which was later renamed Germantown, contained butcher shops, packing houses, and agricultural operations. French Lick Creek separated this community from other communities to the north, and the low-lying areas along the creek were prone to frequent flooding by the Cumberland River. In 1843, the
Tennessee General Assembly declared Nashville as the permanent state capital, and the hill to the south of the site known as Campbell's Hill and formerly Cedar knob was chosen as the site for the state capitol building. Construction began in 1845 and was completed in 1859. During the
American Civil War, Tennessee became the last state to join the
Confederacy. Nashville was the first Confederate state capital to fall, which was made possible by the Confederate defeat at the
Battle of Fort Donelson. The
Union seized control of the undefended city on February 25, 1862, and thousands of troops quickly poured into the city, establishing camps on Capitol Hill and the surrounding lowlands. As Nashville grew and prospered during the
Reconstruction era, more residences and businesses occupied the site. French Lick Creek became contaminated with garbage and raw sewage, and was credited with exacerbating a
cholera epidemic in 1873, which killed more than 1,000 people and led to public outcry over the poor state of the city's sanitation infrastructure. Between the 1880s and the 1950s, part of the site that was prone to flooding was used as a dump, with many relics from this period found during construction. The stream was channelized in 1889, and buried three years later in a brick sewer tunnel below the ground. Once this was complete, an artificial fill was constructed in the area to flatten the grade and raise it above the flood level. Beginning in the early 20th century, the area fell into disrepair and became a
red light district. The view to the north, however, remained unobstructed, partly due to the historically swampy lands that were less suitable for high-rise construction, and some people began to advocate for preserving this. The area north of the capitol between James Robertson Parkway and Jefferson Street also continued to deteriorate, despite the urban renewal project; this was exacerbated by the closure of the
Sulphur Dell ballpark in 1963. In 1969, Knoxville architect Robert Church proposed a multi-level
parking garage along the north and west side of Capitol Hill. As part of this plan, Church reportedly discussed the possibility of extending the greenery of Capitol Hill north of James Robertson Parkway with state architect Clayton Dekle. The state began gradually acquiring much of the land north of the capitol in the early 1970s with the intent of eventually constructing a large office complex, necessitated by the growth of the state government. In 1985, Gresham, Smith and Partners prepared a preliminary land-use master plan for development of the land north of the capitol, and Nashville landscape architect Joe Hodgson assisted planning for a new state office park that included a linear public park. Tennessee Finance Commissioner David Manning was placed in charge of the project by McWherter. Several derivative plans were proposed for the mall by the state government's staff members, and by the middle of 1991, state officials realized that cluttering Capitol Hill with more office buildings would not be popular. That same year, Hall included the mall in a report on potential bicentennial commemorations and celebrations, although skepticism about the project remained. In September 1991, Assistant Finance Commissioner Jerry Preston assembled a five-member team of architectural professionals to study the feasibility of constructing the mall north of the capitol. This group first toured the site and then evaluated previous proposals. Once this was complete, the group began work on broad concepts for the design. On November 7, 1991, the
Metropolitan Nashville Council approved a revitalization plan for downtown Nashville, which included the mall.
Planning and construction On June 1, 1992, McWherter signed an executive order creating the Tennessee Bicentennial Commission to oversee the planning of the statewide bicentennial celebration. This 23-member panel, which was composed of prominent business leaders, celebrities, and governmental leaders from around the state, first met on August 12, 1992, where preliminary plans for the mall were presented. On August 27, Tuck Hinton Architects and staff from SSOE Engineers and Ross/Fowler Landscape Architects were hired to develop a master plan for the mall. The team consulted with members of the bicentennial commission and other state officials on how to develop a park that reflected Tennessee's diversity, history, culture, and natural features. They believed that simply establishing a state park would likely fail to sufficiently institute the site as a tourist destination and bicentennial commemoration; architect Kem Hinton stated that the park "had to be a destination itself". The team initially recognized that accessibility between the capitol and park would need to be improved, and recommended removing a state employee parking lot and a portion of Gay Street on the north slope of Capitol Hill. To improve visibility between the mall and the capitol, a new overlook atop the north slope of Capitol Hill called Belvedere was proposed, with a stairwell connecting to the capitol building from the eastside of the overlook. A second set of stairs and ramps would connect the west side of the overlook to James Robertson Parkway, which required demolition of the Capitol Towers apartment building. The plan also called for aesthetic improvements to James Robertson Parkway and the incorporation of the railroad into the park, which was located atop an artificial
berm and had proven to be an impediment to the redevelopment of the mall site. The architects recommended replacing the berm with a trestle. Due to funding constraints and the complexity of the project, planners recognized early on that all proposals for the park would likely not materialize by the bicentennial, and that the initial development would likely only contain the public park, farmer's market, and state employee parking. The architects intended the park to be an outdoor museum. In addition to the National Mall, the designers also took inspiration from
Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. After conducting extensive research about Tennessee, the architects settled on a plan to base the mall around themes of the state's land, people, and music. They also hoped that the park would eventually be lined by state cultural facilities. Initial concepts for the design of the mall were reported by the local press in March 1993, Approval was granted by the State Building Commission on July 8, 1993, although they raised concerns about the cost of the project, the necessary materials, and its symbolic meaning. A final review of the project was then approved by the State Capitol Commission on July 23, 1993, and final design work began shortly thereafter. The master plan was divided into five distinct parts: the revitalization of Capitol Hill, the new railroad trestle, road improvements, parking, and the main part of the mall. During this time, all features of the mall were detailed and finalized, and construction plans were prepared. A final roadblock ensued when city officials would not agree to the small
roundabouts at 6th and 7th Avenue with Harrison Street. This was resolved when the state agreed to assume control of these roads. In January 1994, the state government purchased the nearby American General Tower, which was later renamed
William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower. The plans to build state office buildings along the mall were hence abandoned, raising hopes among advocates for the development of other state cultural facilities in the area. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Bicentennial Mall took place on June 27, 1994, overseen by Governor McWherter, who buried the Governor's Time Capsule. The construction process was coordinated and supervised by
Heery International, and was initially expected to cost $23 million. This resulted in the carillon being deferred in March 1995. A shallow stream through the Central Lawn was also canceled. The railroad trestle, which was constructed adjacent to the old line and required constant coordination with CSX officials, also proved difficult. In January 1995, Governor
Don Sundquist took office, and the project fell under the jurisdiction of new Finance Commissioner
Bob Corker, who later became a U.S. Senator. Sundquist initially moved to stop construction of the mall upon taking office, due to escalating costs and his disdain for McWherter's appointment of then-Vice President and Tennessean
Al Gore as the honorary co-chair of the bicentennial commission. Corker advised him against this, and former U.S. Senator
Howard Baker and Republican donor Ted Welch also encouraged him to keep the project alive. The new farmer's market opened on June 19, 1995, allowing for demolition of the old structure at the north end of the site. It was dedicated on October 21. On April 27, 1996, the time capsules in the Walkway of the Counties were buried by representatives of each respective county in a ceremony. Concerns were raised by the bicentennial commission about whether or not the park would be ready for public use for the bicentennial festivities, and they initially planned to allow only legislators and business donors on the mall for the dedication. Governor Sundquist urged them to open it to the public, which they agreed to. The final construction cost was $51 million. The mall opened on May 31, 1996, at 8 am
Central Time. Later that afternoon, the Tennessee Bicentennial
postage stamp was unveiled in the first event held in the Tennessee Amphitheater by Governor Sundquist, former Governor McWherter, Nashville Mayor and later Governor
Phil Bredesen, Bicentennial Commission Chairman
Martha Rivers Ingram, and Postmaster General
Marvin Travis Runyon. The following day, the park was dedicated in a ceremony with speeches from Governor Sundquist, McWherter, Gore, Ingram, and Tennessee House Speaker
Jimmy Naifeh as part of a celebration of Tennessee's 200th anniversary of statehood. A poem celebrating the occasion was delivered by poet laureate
Margaret Britton Vaughn. Following the dedication, a
cannon salute was issued from the Belvedere overlook by the
Tennessee National Guard. A large stage was erected atop the Tennessee Map Plaza for the event, and a special session of the state legislature was held to celebrate the occasion. The ceremony was followed by a music tribute called "Celebration of the Centuries", which consisted of performances from the
Nashville Symphony and several prominent Tennessee musicians. A
fireworks show concluded the celebration.
Later history While major components of the original design of the mall were incomplete at its dedication, State Architect Mike Fitts, Nashville State Senator
Douglas Henry, and others worked to ensure their completion. In addition, initial reception of the park was somewhat lukewarm from many people, and continued to be so for many years as the park remained incomplete and underused. The Zero Milestone was installed on September 15, 1996, by the Tennessee Department of Transportation to replace a previous marker that went missing in the 1980s. A small bronze
sundial was installed by the
Colonial Dames of America near the amphitheater on May 14, 1997, and damaged shortly thereafter. The World War II Memorial broke ground on July 1, 1996, was dedicated on
Veterans Day, November 11, 1997. This monument was not part of the original plan, and was conceived by Fitts, who convinced the Tennessee World War II Memorial Foundation and its leader General Enoch Stephenson to develop an educational monument about the war for the mall. A time capsule was buried at the monument on July 18, 1998. On April 18, 1998, the Civilian Conservation Corps monument was dedicated in a ceremony officiated by David B. Roosevelt, a grandson of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Pathway of Volunteers pavers were dedicated on August 8, 1998. Later that year, the history wall was completed, which included the erection of the civil rights monument. A single misspelling of the word "ratifying" on the wall from the initial construction was later corrected. Construction on the carillon began in January 1999, and operation began on July 14, 2000. The bell on Capitol Hill was dedicated on June 1, 2003. This was the final element of the original vision for the mall complex. on the Rivers of Tennessee Wall The park also faced operational challenges in its early years, with state agencies disagreeing over responsibility for landscape maintenance. As early as November 1996, the park was reported to be draining resources from other state parks. On April 16, 1998, a tornado from a
larger outbreak damaged the roof of the farmer's market. The Rivers of Tennessee Fountains soon became clogged by
sunscreen residue and experienced periodic malfunctions. The pipes to the fountains were replaced with larger ones in the winter of 2001. The fountains were further upgraded in a project between October 2006 and June 2007 that replaced the granite rigs surrounding each fountain, restored the surrounding concrete pavement, and upgraded the drainage system. The original recessed lights illuminating the 95 county seats, which consumed over 3,000 watts of electricity, were prone to water leaks and electrical shorts. They were replaced with solar-powered
LED luminaires in 2019. The roundabouts at the intersections along the surrounding roads were designed to deter truck traffic, but large trucks still passed through the area and caused damage to directional limestone piers. The trough at the base of the Rivers of Tennessee Wall was refinished with brick pavers. Complaints were also voiced about absent and misspelled city names on the map plaza. The south end of the park was inundated with waters from the
catastrophic floods in early May 2010, which destroyed electrical systems. A line marking the floodwaters' highest point was engraved on the river wall shortly thereafter. On October 20, 2013, the pedestrian walkways along the east and west sides of the mall were named in honor of Andrea Conte. The Tennessee Department of Transportation placed a time capsule on the north end of the park on July 1, 2015, as part of a celebration of the agency's centennial. It will be unearthed on July 1, 2115. Tornadoes on the night of
March 3, 2020, uprooted several trees in the park. In October 2020, a
POW/MIA "empty seat" memorial was installed along the Pathway of History. A master plan developed for the state-owned properties around the mall between 1996 and 1998 stipulated that the new state museum and library should be located on the east side of the park. Relocation of the museum and library were also suggested in a 2005 plan published by Nashville Civic Design Center, but the final plan took several years to materialize. The new museum opened on October 4, 2018, and the new state library opened on April 13, 2021. This effectively fulfilled the original long-term vision of the park's architects, and further cemented the park as a cultural and historic landmark. The 25th anniversary of the state park was commemorated by Governor
Bill Lee and other state officials on June 1, 2021, as part of celebrations of Tennessee's 225th anniversary. On February 23, 2026, a project was launched to enhance lighting and electrical systems and refurbish the Rivers of Tennessee Fountains and carillon. ==Legacy and events==