9 of Forest Hills’ places are on the National Register
More historic than 53% of U.S. towns · #76 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Most of Forest Hills was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1970. Below: maps from 1932 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Forest Hills is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #76 of 177 in Tennessee. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Forest Hills’ overall grade.
Tennessee towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Tennessee town has 6.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Forest Hills’ 29.9 sits above most of its state (79% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 14 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Forest Hills’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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. The recipients of these grants seldom settled the land themselves, but either sold them to individuals or passed them along to their children or other relatives. In the Forest Hills area, William Nash received a 640-acre (2.6 km2) grant along what is now Granny White Pike south of Tyne Boulevard. Nash opted to sell off parcels of his land, including a 160-acre (0.65 km2) 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.
Forest Hills is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #76 of 177 in Tennessee. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Forest Hills?
9 listings: 9 buildings, among them the Longleat (listed 1984, the first). 14 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Forest Hills?
3% of Forest Hills’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.4 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1970.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (9), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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