Brentwood, Tennessee Town Hall
Motto: Ardens Fide
History
The first known residents of Brentwood were prehistoric Native Americans with a highly developed culture living in towns and farming the land. Known as Mound Indians or Stone Box Indians, these Mississippian-period people built mounds with ceremonial buildings. Such early villages have been found in the Meadowlake subdivision, at the library site on Concord Road and at Primm Historic Park where the largest of the mounds is still visible today. By 1300 the groups had seemingly disappeared. No one knows if it was due to disease or to their choosing to leave because of threat of warfare.
When the early white settlers arrived in Brentwood in the late 1700s, the area had become a hunting ground for nomadic native Americans coming up from Georgia and Alabama. This resulted in many conflicts. At least one massacre occurred in 1786 at the Southerland Mayfield family fort at Wilson Pike and Old Smyrna Road. Mayfield and two other men were killed and his son George was taken captive for ten years.
Some of the first families were those of James Sneed, Robert Irvin Moore, Gresham Hunt, Samuel and Andrew Crockett, and John Edmondson who arrived well before 1800. The Holts, Herberts, Frosts, Hadleys, Hightowers, McGavocks, and Owens soon followed. Many of these families were given land grants because of service in the Virginia or North Carolina troops during the Revolutionary War.
The original site of business activity was at the Frost place on Old Smyrna Road with a general store, grist mill and post office located there. Soon churches, predominately Methodist, sprang up and community life was established. When the railroad came through and established a depot, the center of commerce changed to the present downtown area. The village of Brentwood thrived and many plantations were built; cotton was the main the cash crop.
On March 25, 1863, Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest led a column of men into Union-controlled Brentwood intent on capturing the section of the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. Forrest performed a quick sneak attack on Union Lt. Col. Edward Bloodgood. Forrest had cut the telegraph wires, isolating Bloodgood as he brought in heavy artillery. Bloodgood surrendered Brentwood that day, as a significant loss for the Federals. Overall, there were 305 Union and 6 Confederate casualties. Much of Brentwood was destroyed.
After the war, much of the land was sold and smaller farms dotted the countryside. Tobacco became the crop of choice. The population was stable for almost 100 years. In the 1940s, Brentwood began to rebound. One by one the plantation homes were bought and restored and fox hunting and horses became commonplace.
In 1969, Brentwood incorporated as a city. That same year the interstate came through the area and marked the beginning of residential and commercial growth. Maryland Farms office complex was built around that time.
Education
Brentwood is served by Williamson County Schools.
Elementary schools
Crockett Elementary
Edmondson Elementary
Grassland Elementary
Kenrose Elementary
Lipscomb Elementary
Scales Elementary
Sunset Elementary
Middle schools
Brentwood Middle
Sunset Middle
Woodland Middle
Brentwood Academy (Private)
High schools
Brentwood High School
Ravenwood High School
Brentwood Academy (Private)
Parks
Concord Park
Concord Park is a 40-acre (160,000 m2) park at Concord Road and Knox Valley Drive. It is home to the Brentwood Library and near Lipscomb Elementary School. Concord Park features paved walking and biking trails. A trailhead for a portion of the Concord Park walking trail is located adjacent to the Brentwood Family YMCA.
Crockett Park
Crockett Park is Brentwood's largest park, at more than 170 acres (0.7 km2). It features seven lit tennis courts, restroom/concessions buildings, eight lit ball fields, 11 multi-purpose fields, bikeway/jogging trails, a frisbee golf course, two historic homes, a community playground, picnic shelters, and the Eddy Arnold amphitheater. Recently, Crockett Park has added an indoor arena used for soccer, lacrosse, and flag football. It also serves as the home for Brentwood's yearly 4th of July fireworks celebration. The City of Brentwood sponsors an annual summer concert series at the Eddy Arnold Amphitheater in Crockett Park, with free admission to the public.
Deerwood Arboretum and Nature Area
The Deerwood Arboretum and Nature Area is 27 acres (110,000 m2) and has a full observation deck, outdoor covered classrooms, and an amphitheater, the Arboretum. It contains man-made lakes, nature trails, and indigenous wildlife, and the Little Harpeth River flows through it.
Granny White Park
Granny White Park is a 32-acre (130,000 m2) park with several sporting facilities including four lighted tennis courts, softball/baseball fields, jogging/biking trails, a multi-purpose field (soccer and lacrosse goals provided), sand volleyball court, playground, and picnic pavilion and is located near Brentwood Middle School.
Marcella Vivrette Smith Park
Smith Park is located off of Wilson Pike abutting the city limits. Comprising 320 acres, this park was purchased in 2010 and will become Brentwood's largest park. Plans included walking, biking, and hiking trails, as well as multipurpose fields. The 1825 Ravenswood mansion is a center piece to be used as a meeting place for the public. The park is scheduled to be opened in the spring of 2014.
Maryland Way Park
Maryland Way Park is located in the Maryland Farms area and includes a paved walking and biking path with 20 exercise stations on 7 acres (28,000 m2). Maryland Way park is adjacent to the Maryland Farms YMCA.
Primm Park
Primm Park is a 31-acre (130,000 m2) park off Moores Lane. Located on the site is Boiling Springs Academy, a historic schoolhouse built in 1832 and restored in 2003. The park is also home to the Fewkes Group Archaeological Site, a Mississippian mound complex consisting of five mounds arrayed around a central plaza. The Fewkes site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Owl Creek Park
Owl Creek Park is Brentwood's newest park, completed in the summer of 2007. It is 21 acres (85,000 m2) and includes a playground, picnic shelters, walking paths, and basketball courts.
River Park
River Park is a 43-acre (170,000 m2) park adjacent to Concord Park. It features a restroom facility, playground, outdoor basketball court, and borders the YMCA soccer fields. Adjacent to River Park is the Brentwood Family YMCA, now complete with a skate park.
Tower Park
Tower Park is a 47-acre (190,000 m2) park north of the WSM Tower off Concord Road. It includes multi-purpose fields, natural open spaces, and jogging and biking trails. The new Williamson County Indoor Sports Complex is located here. At 76,000 square feet (7,100 m2), it consists of a fifty meter indoor pool, five indoor tennis courts, a fitness center, full-service locker rooms, a childcare room, and a multi-purpose room.
Economy
Maryland Farms is an upscale suburban office park in Brentwood with almost 5,000,000 square feet (500,000 m2) of office space. It is the site of several national headquarters.
Comdata, Sigma Pi Fraternity, EMI Christian Music Group, Howard Books and the Tractor Supply Company are among the companies based in Brentwood.
Top Employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees
1 Comdata 864
2 AT&T Inc. 800
3 DaVita 500
4 Tractor Supply Company 500
5 Cogent Healthcare 400
6 LifePoint Hospitals 309
7 Aspect Software 300
8 Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain 270
9 City of Brentwood 245
10 The Lampo Group (Dave Ramsey) 226
11 Delek US 200
12 EMI Christian Music Group 350
Notable Residents
Athletes
Jason Arnott (NHL, Nashville Predators)
Keith Bulluck (NFL, Tennessee Titans)
Kerry Collins (NFL, Tennessee Titans)
Cortland Finnegan (NFL, Tennessee Titans)
Mike Fisher (NHL, (Nashville Predators)
Ryan Suter (NHL, Nashville Predators)
David Thornton (NFL, Tennessee Titans)
Barry Trotz (NHL Coach, Nashville Predators
Kyle Vanden Bosch (NFL, Tennessee Titans)
Nate Washington (NFL, Tennessee Titans)
Scott Wells (NFL, Green Bay Packers)
Brandan Wright (NBA, Dallas Mavericks)
Kamron Doyle (PBA Tour)
Note: Former Titans quarterback Vince Young has now moved to the Philadelphia Eagles but previously resided in Brentwood.
Musicians
Trace Adkins
Rodney Atkins
Shelley Breen (Point of Grace)
Garth Brooks
Kix Brooks
Luke Bryan
Jeremy Camp
Christopher Cross
Skeeter Davis
Little Jimmy Dickens
Melinda Doolittle
Ronnie Dunn
Karen Fairchild (Little Big Town)
Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon)
Ke$ha
Dolly Parton
Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts)
Kimberly Schlapman (Little Big Town)
John Schlitt
Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum)
Margo Smith
Carrie Underwood
Jack White (The White Stripes)
Trisha Yearwood
Other
Marsha Blackburn, US Congresswoman
Dave Ramsey, financial author and talk show host
Jamie Lynn Spears, actress/singer
Brad Stine, comedian
Niki Taylor, supermodel
External Links:
City of Brentwood
Brentwood Chamber of Commerce
Cool Springs TN
Source: Wikipedia