Skip to main content

Kingston Springs, Tennessee

Image
By

Kingston Springs is one of many quiet, small towns in Middle Tennessee.  The community of nearly 3,000 residents sits along a bend in the Harpeth River between US Highway 70 and Interstate 40 west of Nashville.

The Fillin' Station is a very popular venue for live music and good eats.

It, like many of the exurban communities surrounding Nashville, has a small yet charming downtown.  Home to a mix of small cafes, specialty shops, and, of course, live music, Kingston Springs is classic Middle Tennessee.

Because of its proximity to the Harpeth River, there are many outdoor pursuits available in Kingston Springs.  One of the more popular locations in Kingston Springs is L.L. Burns Park.  The park has numerous walking trails, a splash pad, and even a disc golf course.  Harpeth River State Park and Mound Bottom State Archaeological Area are minutes from town.

This friendly fellow - a wood carving by a local artist - has become an ambassador of Downtown Kingston Springs.

Near L.L. Burns Park is the former Pinnacle Hill Road Bridge.  The abandoned bridge over the Harpeth River first served as a railroad bridge before becoming a narrow automobile bridge in the 1920s.

The historic bridge consists of two separate pieces. First, the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroad built a two-span pin-connected Pratt through truss bridge in 1898. In 1911, an additional span was constructed - a plate girder bridge by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company.

The former Pinnacle Hill Road Bridge in Kingston Springs

In 1922, the railroad built a more modern deck girder bridge to the immediate south.  Cheatham County then converted the old rail NC&STL bridge to accommodate vehicular traffic.  The bridge could only allow one lane of traffic to and from Kingston Springs over the Harpeth River and up Pinnacle Hill to US 70.

In the mid-1980s, the old bridge was replaced by a newer span to the south, allowing two lanes of traffic to cross the Harpeth.  The old bridge still stands as of March 2024.


Every Saturday Morning during the Summer, Kingston Springs runs their Farmers & Artisans Market.  The community is home to numerous artists - whether in music, crafts, or cooking. Their talents are on display here.

In October, L.L. Burns Park hosts the Art in the Park Festival.  A free all-day event - the festival attracts hundreds of visitors to the park and Kingston Springs.

All photos taken by post author - December 2010.

Sources & Links:

How To Get There:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more