Let’s Talk About Nashville’s Best Kept Secret: Old Hickory Village
Can you keep a secret?
I can…usually.
But Old Hickory Village is one of those secrets that should be told. And the funny thing is, a long, long time ago, Old Hickory Village wasn’t a secret at all. Just, you know, like The One Ring, some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend; legend became myth…
Old Hickory Village Beginnings
Right. Back in 1918, DuPont was contracted by the US Government to build a gunpowder plant on 5,600 acres outside of Nashville because of that big war that was going on. You know the one: World War I.
DuPont swept in and built a whole village for all the employees, as well as a post office, churches, a bank, a fire department, and schools. Where once there had been wilderness, ten months later there was a whole town.
And then, the war ended. Verging on becoming a ghost town, the whole town and plant were sold to DuPont, which then continued their building spree. The result is a well-planned village packed with charming historic homes of a pretty special nature…
The Sears Homes
From 1908 to 1942, Sears, Roebuck, and Co. sold ready-to-assemble homes through the Sears Modern Homes catalog. Man, those things sold like hotcakes, too—especially to DuPont, here in Old Hickory Village. Packed with “Haskells” and “Cumberlands,” some of the more popular styles from the Sears catalog, the streets of Old Hickory Village are brimming with charm and some pretty important history.
While Sears homes still exist throughout the country, as far south as Florida and as far west as California, many have been lost due to the wear of time or the destruction that sometimes comes with progress. Finding so many together in one place is pretty rare. Pretty rare, indeed.
It’s Not All History
While the historic charm of Old Hickory Village would be enough to make most swoon, it’s not all this little secret has to offer.
And, just for a second here, let’s talk about historic home seekers. Obviously, some people just really love hundred-year-old houses. That’s why Germantown, 12 South, and the whole of East Nashville attract so much attention. They just don’t build houses the way they used to anymore.
While Old Hickory Village is still one of those little undiscovered historic home pockets like East Nashville, 12 South, and Germantown used to be, it has one big thing those highly sought after neighborhoods do not: a lake.
Yeah! A large number of historic homes, mixed with a couple of modern builds, line Riverside Drive overlooking Old Hickory Lake. The rest of the homes in the Village are just a few blocks away.
Who, I ask you, would not love to live here?
I’ll tell you who, but they’re all over in East Nashville, trying to pay a lot more money for a smaller house.
Instead of Old Hickory Village, where there’s a lake. And a marina with boats for rent and an open-air bar and restaurant during the warm months. And a beach, with sand and everything!
Again, I ask you: Who wouldn’t want all this?
But…What About Convenience
I guess people who are looking for the convenience of East Nashville and Germantown might wonder exactly what’s available in Old Hickory Village. The answer, really, is pretty much anything you want. The Village itself has that previously mentioned bar and restaurant on the water, plus a craft burger joint, coffee shops, and other local haunts. Just down the road a bit, you get absolutely everything that Hermitage has to offer, which is, well, you know. Everything.
There is nothing you can’t get.
Unless it’s something specific to the previously mentioned neighborhoods, and then you’re just a fifteen minute drive away. When you have a serious craving for Redheaded Stranger breakfast tacos, fifteen minutes really isn’t far at all.
Let’s Talk Price
Now, before I get you all riled up and ready to move to Old Hickory Village, you should know one thing: the people who have discovered this secret don’t let it slip through their fingers very often. Once a house sells, it stays sold.
However, if you’re lucky enough to catch one for sale at the exact time you’re ready to move, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that the average price per square foot in Old Hickory Village is still significantly less than the averages in other Nashville area hotspots.
For now, at least.
Now that the secret is out, people may start clamoring for one of these historically significant homes with a stunning lake view and a quick walk to the marina bar.
Who knows?
But, if you want a shot at lower prices, at least for a little while, maybe we should keep Old Hickory Village our little secret.
Nah. I’m telling everyone.
