1815 Division Street – built circa 1929, Music Row
Located at the intersection of Division Street and 19th Avenue South on Music Row, this three-story building was constructed around 1929 by Dr. Richard Alexander Barr (1872-1956) to house his private medical practice, his residence, and a Florence Crittenton Home for Unwed Mothers. Dr. Barr taught at Vanderbilt University (his alma mater), was involved in the national medical profession, published articles, and served as a chief surgeon in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War. The Florence Crittenton Home for Unwed Mothers operated here until 1981. The building was rehabbed in the early 1980s for use as offices for Sound Stage Associates and Warner Brothers Records, as well as the WNSR radio broadcasting studio. The building was determined to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Music Row documentation project. The current owners recently pulled a demolition permit, which the Metro Historical Commission delayed by 90 days, and intend to redevelop the property with a highrise residential tower. HNI strongly urges the owner to not demolish the important historic landmark but to consider rehabilitating the unique building for housing, offices, or commercial businesses supporting the local music industry.
