William Strickland, the architect who designed the Tennessee State Capitol [1], also designed the Downtown Presbyterian Church (154 5th Ave. N., 615/254-7584, www.dpchurch.com [2]), a place of worship now on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1848 to replace an earlier church destroyed by fire, the church is in the Egyptian revival style that was popular at the time. It is, however, one of only three surviving churches in the country to be built in this style.
Downtown Presbyterian, which added the word “Downtown” to its name in 1955, was used as a Union hospital during the Civil War, and it is where James K. Polk was inaugurated as Tennessee governor in 1839.
Visitors are welcome to come for a self-guided tour during regular business hours. Groups of five or more can call in advance for a guided tour of the building.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/tennessee/nashville/sights/downtown/tennessee-state-capitol
[2] http://www.dpchurch.com