Sarah Stringfellow
Staff Writer

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the experienced, weary traveler viewed the historic Cockrill Spring as an asylum from the merciless, stifling Southern heat. Now, after years of being covered and flowing into the Lick Branch Sewer, the spring, located in present day Centennial Park, is under construction to be “daylighted” and restore the flow of water to the surface. On August 8, Mayor Karl Dean joined members of The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park and Metro Parks to uncover the spring and announce the renovation process.

Located on the southerly edge of Centennial Park, the excavated spring will be next to the renovated pedestrian walkway, and will flow into a stone-lined channel. It will aid in collecting rain gardens that will self-irrigate the park grounds and supply Lake Watauga. Along the sides of the unearthed spring, native plants will be incorporated to create better water quality and provide a new ecosystem.

“Since its creation over a century ago, Centennial Park has been at the heart of our city as a prominent place for community, music, recreation and the arts,” Mayor Dean said. “I appreciate the Conservancy and all the support it provides to Centennial’s master plan. This first step to daylight Cockrill Spring lays the course for Centennial Park to remain the crown jewel of our city’s park system for the next century and beyond.”

Rich in Nashville’s history, the Cockrill Spring bore its name after early settlers, John Cockrill and his wife Ann Robertson, were granted the land by the Preemption Act of 1784 for “Meritorious services to the Cumberland settlements.” Later, their son Mark Cockrill was a pioneer in the agriculture community and even received worldwide recognition for his Merino sheep. Appropriately positioned near the Natchez Trace entrance, the Cockrill family legacy continues with the spring’s production of 100 gallons of fresh water every minute.

“This is an extremely exciting day,” said Metro Parks director Tommy Lynch. “By daylighting Cockrill Spring, we’re creating an entirely new feature at the park’s front door. The new pedestrian entrance will be a welcoming invitation for visitors to take advantage of everything Centennial Park has to offer, and is a wonderful addition to what is already one of the country’s premier parks.”

The revived spring is stage one of the Centennial Park restoration program encompassing over $9.5 million for various improvements, such as a new lakefront parking lot, a permanent Musician’s corner venue and a re-engineered Lake Watauga.

“It is wonderful to see such amazing progress on the first phase of the park’s restoration,” said Sylvia Rapoport, president of The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park. “None of it would be possible without an effective public/private partnership. There has been a remarkable outpouring of support from the community, and that says a lot about the way this city values Centennial Park. We look forward to continuing to build that partnership and carrying that momentum through subsequent phases of the park’s restoration.”