East Nashville home can't be moved; demolition looms

It's a no-go on relocating a historic East Nashville home that had been offered free to anyone able to move it.

Instead of moving and preserving the gray, Queen Anne-style home at 1818 Eastland Ave., its architectural materials will be salvaged and then it will be knocked down in the coming weeks to make way for the latest phase of the popular Walden development.

The home, estimated by the Metro Historical Commission to be 130 years old, drew a few dozen prospective "buyers" soon after social media postings and The Tennessean featured it in January. The list quickly dwindled.

One serious developer, who owned land within two blocks, got an estimate of more than $50,000 to move the home — plus more to move power lines — but couldn't find a bank loan, said Tim Walker, historical commission executive director.

"He desperately wanted to do it," said Walker, who declined to identify the prospect. "I really thought we were going to have a win-win. It's just a shame."

The 17-room home was last assessed at $106,900. It's eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but no effort was made to pursue the designation, in part because documentation was lacking.

Walker said the home's door trim, baseboards, fireplace mantels and floor joists have substantial value. One nonprofit and one salvage company will save what they can.

Limestone in the foundation also could be put to use in the landscaping, said developer March Egerton.

He said the home, deteriorated and made up of multiple additions in recent decades, proved too difficult to salvage. But it's not a "zero-sum game," he said, because the property will be home to a new combination commercial-and-residential building similar to two nearby.

Already, the development houses popular restaurants and stores that draw large, devoted crowds.

Egerton said he has no plans to add more parking — though it's a question he hears often.

"If you're going to have walkable neighborhoods and tenants and (attractions) people seem to enjoy, you're not also going to have oceans of parking," he said. "I'd contend I have a lot and I've got more than I'm required to have."

Metro Public Works does not currently have a plan to add a stoplight at the corner of Chapel and Eastland avenues.

Reach Tony Gonzalez at 615-259-8089 and on Twitter @tgonzalez.