Brentwood Town Center Theatre
Brentwood Town Center Theater,
Brentwood Towne Centre Theatre...
you say tomato,
I say tomahto!
Whichever way you spell it, I'm thrilled to see new life in a historic Brentwood building.
Brentwood's Towne Center Theatre is housed in the former Brooks Chapel. It's a pretty little building at the corner of Church St. and Frierson Road (the street that becomes Brooks Chapel Road.)
Though I couldn't find an online source, longtime residents tell me that this historic church belonged to the early African-American community in Brentwood. The area from Church Street to what is now Cloverland Drive was known as Hardscuffle. After the Civil War, slaves from plantations down Wilson Pike and Franklin Road settled there. You'll note a historic marker commemorating Hardscuffle in the median of Church Street just east of I-65.
The Towne Centre Theatre's engaging website doesn't make any reference to its historic roots. What is does offer is a richly designed menu of options:
---> see Brentwood's upcoming shows
---> get information about auditions
---> even find out how to volunteer in Brentwood's community theater.
The force behind Brentwood's Towne Centre Theatre is the nonprofit Brentwood Arts Commission. According to the Nashville Business Journal, the building itself is owned by an investment group developing the Brentwood Town Center.
Brentwood Wedding Tip:
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Hi Terissa,
My mother grew up on Hardscuffle Road. I am researching any info as I prepare to suprise my family with a timeline.. I'm having a very difficult time finding info about an old dirt road and black community that I KNOW existed. If you have any other resources or suggestions I would GREATLY appreciate it. ..and You are right it was Mt Lebanon. I remember gettin my hair 'pressed' for the Easter programs.. it moved to off of Murfreesboro Rd where Rev. Easley is STILL ministering. (Though his health is not well these days)
Thanks for posting, I knew I wasn't crazy!
;-)
Meredith,
I attended Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church all of my life, THAT WAS THE PREVIOUS NAME OF THE CHURCH. And trust me everyone is heart broken having to leave our church behind because of zoning policies. Several generations of my family have attended this church and still live in the community.