Fort Nashborough
National Register of Historic Places

Fort Nashborough

Nashville, Tennessee
Listed
November 24, 2015
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
11000454

About this property

Fort Nashborough, also known as Fort Bluff, Bluff Station, French Lick Fort, Cumberland River Fort and other names, was the stockade established in early 1779 in the French Lick area of the Cumberland River valley, as a forerunner to the settlement that would become the city of Nashville, Tennessee. The fort was not a military garrison. The log stockade was square in shape and covered 2 acres (8,100 m2). It contained 20 log cabins and was protection for the settlers against wild animals and Indians. James Robertson and John Donelson are considered the founders, and colloquially, the "founders of Tennessee". The fort was abandoned in 1794, but the settlement, now the city of Nashville, became the capital of the new state of Tennessee in 1843.

Location

Nashville, Tennessee
36.16559, -86.77453
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Fort Nashborough

This page lists Fort Nashborough. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Fort Nashborough report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Acme Farm Supply Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Printers Alley Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Second Avenue Commercial District
Listed
0.1 mi
Bush-Herbert Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Cheatham Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort Nashborough listed on the National Register?

Fort Nashborough was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 24, 2015.

What type of historic resource is Fort Nashborough?

Fort Nashborough is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort Nashborough?

The period of significance for Fort Nashborough is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1779.

Can I research the history near Fort Nashborough?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fort Nashborough will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More historic places in Tennessee

Browse all historic places in Tennessee.

View Tennesseehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Tennessee history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Tennesseehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Fort Nashborough will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report