Constructed in 1889 with a capacity of 51 million gallons, the 8th Avenue Reservoir is the largest water reservoir for the Metropolitan Nashville Water System. Divided into two halves, the Reservoir was originally designed to hold silty river water in the western half and purified water in the eastern half for distribution to the City.
In early November, 1912, a large section of the southeastern portion of the masonry wall gave way from slippage of the underlying limestone layers of the hill causing disastrous flooding of the adjacent neighborhood below in the middle of the night. Reconstruction was completed in 1914 and in the 1970’s, a reinforced concrete “girdle” was placed around the base of the wall to provide further reinforcement.
Centric Architecture has been selected to restore the masonry walls of the Reservoir, the 1889 Victorian-style Gate House atop the wall, and the nearby 1930’s Pump House. Careful analysis of the existing building materials has identified areas of repair to restore these structures to their original condition in the middle of a public park.
“Resting atop a high hill near downtown Nashville that was the site of a former Civil War fort, the stone and brick reservoir is still the city’s largest drinking water storage facility and a marvel of engineering for its time. It truly is an overwhelming experience to see the size of the walls and gallons of water from above. Sorry, cannonballs into the water are NOT permitted!” — Jim Thompson, Project Manager
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
