Forest Hills is an incorporated city in Davidson County, Tennessee that operates its own municipal government under a general law manager–commission charter. Although Forest Hills is within Davidson County, it is one of several smaller “satellite cities” that retain independent municipal governance rather than being fully governed by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. When Nashville and Davidson County consolidated their governments in 1963 to create a single metropolitan government, cities such as Forest Hills were allowed to keep their existing charters and municipal authorities, including their own mayor and commissioners, while still cooperatively receiving certain services from Metro Nashville. The population was 5,038 at the 2020 United States census.
History
thumb|Forest Hills Baptist Church
Nashville was settled by Anglo-Europeans in 1780, and over the next two decades settlers staked claims on what was originally land cultivated and hunted by Native Americans. Several land grants were awarded to Revolutionary War veterans. Nash opted to sell off parcels of his land, including a tract to Henry Compton in the early 19th century. Much of the land west of Hillsboro Road was part of a grant awarded to James Robertson.
As Nashville assumed prominence on the western frontier, a road known as the Natchez Trace was created to provide an overland route for settlers returning from New Orleans. Many settlers in the Ohio and Cumberland River valleys floated on rafts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans to sell their goods. Prior to the invention of the steamboat, western settlers had no choice but to walk home through the wilderness. To provide an improved route, the Natchez Trace was constructed from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi. From the early 19th century through the 1820s, the Trace served as the primary north–south route through central Tennessee. With the advent of steamboat travel, its use declined significantly, and by the mid-19th century the old roadbed functioned largely as local farm roads. Various surveys and land records from the 19th century refer to the “Natchez Trace” or “Natchez Road” along at least three routes in Davidson County, two of which ran through Forest Hills.
Members of the Compton family became among the area’s most influential landowners. William Compton, a cousin of Henry Compton Sr., established farms along Hillsboro Pike and later served under Andrew Jackson at New Orleans. In 1890, Scruggs built an elaborate Queen Anne–style residence along Hillsboro Pike, which remains extant at 6251 Hillsboro Road (DV24931).
Geography
Forest Hills is bordered by Old Hickory Boulevard on the south, Granny White Pike on the east, Harding Place (also known as Battery Lane) on the north, and Chickering Road/The City of Belle Meade on the west. The city hall is located within city limits, at the intersection of Hillsboro Pike and Old Hickory Blvd.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Like its neighbor, Belle Meade, it has distinct signage covenants concerning land size and use. Forest Hills is considered a "satellite city" of Nashville, and residents do not receive access to all city-county combined services, taking financial responsibility for some services like garbage collection on their own, while the city of Forest Hills provides other services, such as chipper service, road maintenance and stormwater management.
The area was developed as a suburb of Nashville in the wake of the post-World War II population and economic boom. Forest Hills was born as a result of the ensuing conflicts between suburban residents and Nashville city government as Nashville struggled to deal with the ramifications of suburban growth.
As its name implies, Forest Hills is composed primarily of steep wooded hills. These steep-sided hills were covered with forest until the early 20th century, when residential development extended south from Nashville. Several hills have water towers and cellular towers, and the WKRN and WNPT TV towers and the WSIX radio tower are located on a hill north of Old Hickory Boulevard. In addition to the area's many hills, the south-central section of the community contains what was originally fertile farmland within the Otter Creek watershed. This area supported numerous small farms during the 19th and early 20th century.
Nashville has enjoyed prosperity and growth during the past several decades, which is reflected in the development of Forest Hills. Since 1970, hundreds of dwellings have been built in Forest Hills, and the community no longer retains many tracts of open space or farmland. Most dwellings are sited on parcels of to , and only a small number of houses are located on tracts of or more. Several of the community's hills and ridges — such as the properties along Laurel Ridge Drive and Fredericksburg Drive — also have been developed in recent decades.
Demographics
2020 census
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Forest Hills racial composition
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 4,638
| 92.06%
|-
!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 44
| 0.87%
|-
!scope="row"| Native American
| 4
| 0.08%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 110
| 2.18%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 115
| 2.28%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 127
| 2.52%
|}
As of the 2020 United States census, there was a population of 5,038, with 1,796 households and 1,470 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census
Kenny Griffin serves as Mayor.
!Year
!Republican
!Democratic
!Third parties
|-
| align="center" |2024
| align="center" |50.58% 1,665
| align="center" |47.75% 1,572
| align="center" |1.67% 55
|-
| align="center" |2020
| align="center" |52.87% 1,669
| align="center" |45.58% 1,439
| align="center" |1.55% 49
|-
| align="center" |2016
| align="center" |50.94% 1,546
| align="center" |42.90% 1,302
| align="center" |6.16% 187
|}
Historic properties
The growth and development of Forest Hills has resulted in the loss of most of the community's 18th- and 19th-century dwellings. Only a handful of properties dating from this early period remain extant. One of the most notable of these is the McCrory-Mayfield House at 1280 Old Hickory Boulevard, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This two-story log dwelling was built circa 1798 and is the oldest remaining dwelling in Forest Hills.
Although 19th-century dwellings are rare, Forest Hills contains a number of significant houses built in the early 20th century. With improvements in automobiles and road systems, this section of Davidson County became a preferred area for country estates by the 1920s. Properties built along Hillsboro Pike mirrored those built in nearby Belle Meade as West Nashville became home to the area's most prosperous businessmen and professionals. Representative of this type of rural country home is Longleat at 5819 Hillsboro Pike, which was completed in 1932 as the home of insurance executive Thomas Tyne. Longleat was listed on the National Register in 1984 for its architectural significance. Another 20th-century home is "The Hibbettage" at 2160 Old Hickory Boulevard. Built in 1939, this two-story brick dwelling was constructed as a replica of The Hermitage; it was listed on the National Register in 1998 for its architectural significance.
Education
Metro Nashville Public Schools is the school district.
Percy Priest Elementary School is in Forest Hills.
References
External links
- Official site
- MTAS entry for City of Forest Hills