Forest Hills

History

Nashville was settled by Anglo-Europeans in 1780, and over the next two decades settlers staked claims on what was originally land cultivated and hunted by Native Americans. Several land grants were awarded to Revolutionary War veterans. Nash opted to sell off parcels of his land, including a tract to Henry Compton in the early 19th century. Much of the land west of Hillsboro Road was part of a grant awarded to James Robertson. As Nashville assumed prominence on the western frontier, a road known as the Natchez Trace was created to provide an overland route for settlers returning from New Orleans. Many settlers in the Ohio and Cumberland River valleys floated on rafts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans to sell their goods. Prior to the invention of the steamboat, western settlers had no choice but to walk home through the wilderness. To provide an improved route, the Natchez Trace was constructed from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi. From the early 19th century through the 1820s, the Trace served as the primary north–south route through central Tennessee. With the advent of steamboat travel, its use declined significantly, and by the mid-19th century the old roadbed functioned largely as local farm roads. Various surveys and land records from the 19th century refer to the “Natchez Trace” or “Natchez Road” along at least three routes in Davidson County, two of which ran through Forest Hills. Members of the Compton family became among the area’s most influential landowners. William Compton, a cousin of Henry Compton Sr., established farms along Hillsboro Pike and later served under Andrew Jackson at New Orleans. In 1890, Scruggs built an elaborate Queen Anne–style residence along Hillsboro Pike, which remains extant at 6251 Hillsboro Road (DV24931).

Geography

Forest Hills is bordered by Old Hickory Boulevard on the south, Granny White Pike on the east, Harding Place (also known as Battery Lane) on the north, and Chickering Road/The City of Belle Meade on the west. The city hall is located within city limits, at the intersection of Hillsboro Pike and Old Hickory Blvd. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Like its neighbor, Belle Meade, it has distinct signage covenants concerning land size and use. Forest Hills is considered a "satellite city" of Nashville, and residents do not receive access to all city-county combined services, taking financial responsibility for some services like garbage collection on their own, while the city of Forest Hills provides other services, such as chipper service, road maintenance and stormwater management. The area was developed as a suburb of Nashville in the wake of the post-World War II population and economic boom. Forest Hills was born as a result of the ensuing conflicts between suburban residents and Nashville city government as Nashville struggled to deal with the ramifications of suburban growth. As its name implies, Forest Hills is composed primarily of steep wooded hills. These steep-sided hills were covered with forest until the early 20th century, when residential development extended south from Nashville. Several hills have water towers and cellular towers, and the WKRN and WNPT TV towers and the WSIX radio tower are located on a hill north of Old Hickory Boulevard. In addition to the area's many hills, the south-central section of the community contains what was originally fertile farmland within the Otter Creek watershed. This area supported numerous small farms during the 19th and early 20th century. Nashville has…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  44,099
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  32,610
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  31,409
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  30,758
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  29,069
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  28,097
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  26,096
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  25,940

Largest nearby schools

• John Overton High
  High · Nashville · 2,016 students · 17.7:1 ratio
• Valor Flagship Academy
  High · Nashville · 1,400 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Hillsboro High
  High · Nashville · 1,227 students · 18:1 ratio
• Martin Luther King Jr School
  High · Nashville · 1,211 students · 20.2:1 ratio
• Glencliff High School
  High · Nashville · 1,177 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• Hillwood High
  High · Nashville · 1,123 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Hume - Fogg High
  High · Nashville · 898 students · 20:1 ratio
• LEAD Southeast
  High · Nashville · 825 students · 12.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.55 — 2019-06-01
  4 km ESE of Manchester, Tennessee
• M 2.77 — 2019-01-16
  5 km SSE of Wartrace, Tennessee