NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At the center of Sevier Park stands Sunnyside Mansion, a site layered in history.
“We found evidence of people living here about 5,000 years ago during the Archaic period,” Metro Historical Commission Archaeologist Adam Fracchia said.
The building still carries damage from the Civil War.
“We knew there was some damage, but the extent of the damage and partnering with MNPD to record that information before proceeding with the renovation was an amazing partnership to take part in,” Fracchia said.
The Metro Historical Commission currently calls Sunnyside home, where Fracchia and his team work to preserve Music City’s past.
“We have over 13,000 years of history of human occupation in the Nashville area, and people lived in different ways, so we can study those changes,” Fracchia said.
Inside the lab, trays are filled with artifacts found across the city.
Items include bullets, glass, animal bones, and more, some dating back centuries.
“If you think about this, it’s really unique stuff about the beginnings of the town of Nashville,” Fracchia said.
It's not just the experts doing the work. Fracchia often invites the public to help either in the lab or at local excavations. He said no experience was required.
“It kind of almost gives like a lead or that pencil. It is a pencil but made out of slate,” he said, showing another artifact.
Fracchia said preserving the past gives Nashville a clearer understanding of how the city became what it was today.
“We will write about it, and somebody will come and look at this collection themselves and study it and come up with different conclusions,” he said.
Fracchia also works with city departments like planning to identify archaeological resources that could be affected by new development.
The Historical Commission encourages anyone interested in volunteering in the archaeology lab at Sunnyside Mansion or at local excavations to get involved. For more information, you could contact Dr. Adam Fracchia at adam.fracchia@nashville.gov.
This story was reported on-air by reporter Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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