1008 19th Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37212
615.340.7500
1.866.420.5486
http://www.scarrittbennett.org/
View Location on the Arboretum Map
Date Visited: 9 May 2009
I found The Scarritt-Bennett Center one Saturday morning while in Nashville, Tennessee. The campus was originally built in 1924 as a College for Christian workers and today it functions as a retreat and educational conference center.
Before exploring the grounds I stopped into the Main office to make sure it was okay to walk around and take photos. They let me know that I was welcome to go wherever I wanted on campus and they gave me a brochure with some history and information about the buildings. I always like to check in when I go places to avoid looking suspicious.
The architectural scale and detail take you to another time and place. There is a distinct collegiate character that one would expect to find in America's oldest and finest universities with a hint of mystery that leaves one guessing at the history of the place.
At times I felt as if I were exploring an old building in Europe. These vaulted ceilings made for an interesting space.
The buildings cluster together to form partial courtyards and a series of outdoor rooms.
An old hackberry and elm stand next to each other. If you look closely you can spot the tree ID tag on the hackberry. Over a dozen different species of trees across the small campus have identification tags.
Observed Trees:
Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple
Celtis occidentalis - Hackberry
Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood
Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Green Ash
Hydrangea quercifolia - OakLeaf Hydrangea
Koelreuteria paniculata - Goldenrain Tree
Lagerstroemia indica - Crapemyrtle
Magnolia acuminata - Cucumbertree
Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia
Magnolia soulangeana - Saucer Magnolia
Malus coronaria - Sweet Crab Apple
Paulowina tomentosia - Empress Tree
Quercus prinus - Chestnut Oak
Tsuga canadensis - Canadian Hemlock
Ulmus americana - American Elm
